Emilie Kim

“I watched my mom cook every chance I got. The way she measured her ingredients both amazed and confused me; I couldn’t comprehend how someone could know how something tasted just by looking at it. I watched her make japchae (Korean glass noodle dish) so many times because it’s a staple dish in our home. One day, when she was mixing together the noodles and vegetables with her gloved hands, she looked at me and asked if I could pour out some soy sauce. No measurement cups—nothing. I never did it before but somehow, I knew exactly how much soy sauce the dish needed for it to taste good.”