Sunday, November 15, 2009

Persimmons, Boong-a-Bang, and a Christmas Tree

For the past month, I've been noticing people selling mass quantities of what I thought were tomatoes, until my coworker Ryan informed me that though they look like tomatoes, they are sweet like fruit.  I'd never heard of anything like that before, so I asked my students what they were called.  (We're studying a story about fruit at the moment, so it fit the discussion nicely.)  They told me they were called gam, and that I should put them in my refrigerator.  They also said that when ready to eat them, I should cut them in half and eat the fruit with a spoon, like a grapefruit.  Wandering through the produce isle of Home Plus today, I looked for gam, and was surprised to find "Persimmons" printed on the package.  Sure, I've heard of persimmons before, but I never saw or ate them in the States.  Maybe when I passed them in the supermarket, I mistook them for tomatoes.  At any rate, I bought a bag and tried some today.  I really enjoy them; they are lightly sweet with a good flavor and very filling.  I think I'll keep buying them while they're in season (until December).

Yesterday, I also tried my first authentic Korean boong-a-bong.  Boong-a-bong are bready/doughy pasteries filled with sweet red bean paste; they are sold in the shape of a fish (the boong-a fish, to be precise).  A nice warm snack on a cold winter's day.   In Dallas, I bought them in the frozen section of Super-H-Mart (a big Korean supermarket), and liked them.  But the hot, fresh authentic Korean version straight from the street vendor is so much better.  They are delicious, and I bought five for one dollar! 

This weekend I couldn't resist the urge to buy a Christmas tree.  And of course, once I got home I couldn't resist the urge to put it up.  I think I've started early this year to make up for the fact that I won't be seeing my family this Christmas.  I'll be making the holiday bright by overdoing it on Christmas songs, decorations, and baked goods.  :)  Our tree is simple: waste high, with red and gold ornaments (no lights), but I think it's got character, lol. 

Tomorrow, Erik and I will have been married for six months.  Time flies when you're having fun!  :)

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