Trail of Crumbs Leads Writer Back to Korea

By Lee Hyo-won

Staff Reporter

Hunger lies at the very heart of the human experience, but for some people, the urgency of this survival mechanism is much more profound and debilitating, like an unfathomable ― or insatiable ― black hole. For Kim Sunee, founding food editor of ``Cottage Living,'' hunger, rather than appetite or a hedonistic quest for divine tastes, seems to define culinary passion.

Sunee (the surname, inspired by her sister's Korean first name, is pronounced ``Soo-nay'') was adopted by her American family after she was abandoned at a Korean marketplace in 1973. Estimated to be about three years old at the time, her hand was clenched tight with a fistful of food crumbs.

Now in her 30s, she brings a memoir, appropriately titled ``Trail of Crumbs'' (Hachette Book Group USA: 374 pp., $24.99), chronicling her hungry journey for love, recipes, new places ― and self.

Growing up as one of only two Asian children in their community, the poetic Sunee always longs to travel far away. Her only solace is her grandfather's kitchen, where she learns the art of making and offering something to a loved one. She finally fulfills her wanderlust by moving to Europe where she is swept into a dramatic romance with Olivier, a famous French businessman ― perhaps ``an anchor disguised as love.''

At age 23, she has become a stepmother to Olivier's eight-year-old daughter. He offers her the world, but her ``new adopted family'' only deepens her unease: ``I want everything he promises but will never allow myself to admit it,'' she writes. ``How can he know everything about me when I don't even know myself?'' Olivier's genuine love and concern for Sunee, including a failed attempt to trace her roots in Korea, is not enough to calm her wavering waters.

We follow Sunee and her trail of crumbs, which often suggests something ominous, not unlike the story of Hansel and Gretel. After she leaves her lover, however, meandering paths always lead her to food and cooking.

``If you don't know who you are, you don't have a strong sense of self, people can give you all the material things, all the emotional things in the world, but you can't accept them,'' said the author in an interview for a Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) documentary. One has to be oneself, first, and possess a sense of belonging and self worth, she said.

Sunee's journey that took her faraway from South Korea ultimately led her back. She made her second visit here in May for the Korean translation of her memoir (``Recipe of My 30s,'' Golden Bough: 565 pp., 13,000 won) ― 14 years since a rather disquieting two-day visit.

Unlike the first time, she was able to digest being in a place where she was abandoned. KBS followed her as she explored the local smells and tastes, from steamy street-side snacks to royal court dishes. She even made an appearance on a TV show to search for her birth family. ``We can at least have the flavor of home,'' she told a friend, also an adoptee, while discussing the chances of finding their families.

``I was pleasantly surprised that I feel very close to Korea. This is an amazing journey… the Korean people were very welcoming and warm. That made me feel much more comfortable and at home,'' she said.

Here, the Korean adoptee is regarded as a ``success case,'' while also showing the multifaceted nature of overseas adoption, a hushed topic of consternation in a country that, while rich, remains a top ``exporter'' of babies. Her story is one stranger than fiction, where an independent woman must leave the man she loves and the glamorous lifestyle he wants to give her for the search of self. But more impressive is her courage to tell it all.

``I think it's good to be a stranger. My whole life I fought against being a stranger ― being Asian in a non-Asian community. Now (being a stranger) is something of a gift, it makes you a stronger person. It gives you a stronger sense of who you are,'' she said. Her journey to hungrily savor life and its riches continues.

The memoir in its original English is also available at major bookstores.

Numerous recipes for mouthwatering Provencal cuisine and New Orleans family dishes accompany each flavorful chapter of the memoir. Among them are a couple of Korean classics including kimchi. ``Korean cuisine ― hearty, rustic and beautiful ― shines as the unsung hero of Asian cooking,'' says Sunee who makes her own ``express version of cabbage kimchi… whenever I long for a spicy hit of Korea.'' Ingredients: 1 small head Napa cabbage; 1/4 cup sea salt; 1 (4-inch) piecef fresh ginger, minced or grated; 1 garlic clove, minced; 3-4 tablespoons hot red chili paste (or Sriracha or sambal oelek); 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon sesame or walnut oil; 1/3 cup rice win vinegar; 1 teaspoon fish sauce or 2 crushed anchovies; 1 tablespoon sugar or honey; 3-4 green onions, thinly sliced; 1 small head escarole, frisee, or Romaine, torn or chopped. Remove outer leaves of cabbage, quarter lengthwise, core bottoms, and cut across into 1-inch pieces. Place in a colander in sink and sprinkle with salt. Let sit 45 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse and dry cabbage thoroughly, preferably using a salad spinner (otherwise the kimchi will be watery). Whisk together ginger and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Add cabbage, escarole, and toss to combine. Pack kimchi in a glass jar or bowl. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours and up to 2 weeks. Serve with steamed rice, grilled meat, on sandwiches, or stirred into soups. Visit Sunee's Web site www.kimsunee.com

hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr