I'm in the mountains of South Korea and today we are going to cook one of the most unique Korean meals in an underground steamer. This might be one of the first meals I've ever had that requires a back ho. That pork is insane. This is straight up like a Korean Thanksgiving Wow Smokey smokey SMY Sweet Oh wow.

We're going to see the entire process and they're getting started right now. Digging the hole. What water huh? What a stim! Oh this has to be one of the most unique Korean foods ever invented. So we just arrived to Changan.

Village Oh they're digging the hole right now. Oh they're getting started right now. As we arrive the the the soil looks so you could see how he's he's digging. You can see the soil looks so fertile.

It looks so healthy and soft as well. You can see how big this hole is. Okay I think that's I think that's the main hole but this is the strategy here. Um, they have kind of a a circular main hole almost the size of a hot tub.

and then over here there's kind of a side Channel with a little engraving here because this is going to be underground oven but also a steamer. One of the most important things is the steamer. Okay, there's a lot of strategy and engineering and construction involved. Oh there's Uncle who just gathered a bunch of branches.

All they're still stacking loading on logs. It's going to be a bonfire. Oh man. With the amount of wood and logs that they're adding to this fire, it's about to be a massive Blaze Oh man, that fire.

It's blazing hot. You can feel the heat radiating off the fire. and he got back in the the back hoe. He's kind of clearing some of the the brush, but this might be one of the first meals I've ever had that requires a back hoe.

Of course you could do it all all manual labor, but that's a big hole so he's just clearing some of the some of the brush. Now look at that fire. It's beautiful though just how orange it is from that drywood. So he actually seems like he's making another pile of Earth over here, piling piling up some of the the soil and rocks.

That's pretty awesome. That is just so awesome. This might be the the first meal in my life that's required a back ho and a tractor. Uh, but they pile it with stones.

First, they started with the natural stones from the soil that they dug up digging the hole pile. uh, stacked those around the edge and now they had these specific stones that they brought in that they're just loading on top of all those flaming logs that's going to heat the stones. They said that those rocks need to now heat for approximately 2 hours. Oh, and you can see he's stacking here a little.

A little opening in the Rock here. steam. Ste Okay, so you add Steam. Water Water water stim.

Oh ah, so they're building like a little door Archway to the oven. This this little door Archway here that they're building even with the stones we we don't know exactly yet how they're going to do it, but that guaranteed is one of the key steps. One of the the most important factors in this underground Korean Steamer technique. Can we ask him about the the history of this steamer? Has it been done for thousands of years in this area? Primarily this type of Uh process wasn't used for food, it was actually for make uh, getting the the the cloth from the hemp.

Oh okay yeah yeah so like we're going to put some hemp uh inside right? But then actually we're doing it for food. but uh historically what they used to do this, it's the same process but like a much bigger scale and then they would use it to get the like, the cloth and from the Hem Oh so so was it invented because of because of the process of processing the hemp into cor fabric? Yes and then and then they invented this food as a result of it. So like I said like this is a much bigger scale that they would do right. And then after they finish getting all the cloth and the from the hemp, yeah what they would do is because it's still heat, heated up and hot like all the villagers would come around and then they would like um like use the heat for cooking purposes as well.

Oh wow. Amazing. So it's uh, just like once a year and like that when they were processing the fibers. Okay okay so it's a special occasion, special occasion.

very special occasion. very like festive like all the villages come around and then yeah. so this is not just like, not for just this, but like this is the clothing that they used to make from the hemp fibers. Okay again a fascinating food story.

This is why I Love to travel for food. It just offers so much insights into the culture, the history. It's incredible. And so as it turns out this area they are known for making hemp clothing especially traditionally and they would make their traditional clothes out of hemp and in order to process the hemp they would need to steam it and so they set up these Rock bits uh with hot rocks.

they would steam the hemp and then you know might as well make use of the heat so they would put food into big pots. uh stick it onto the side of the hemp. Steamers and the using as a result of those hot rocks and the steam that they were using using to process the hemp fiber to make clothes, they would cook a meal and share it together with the community. and so I mean everything has a purpose and that's also why I mean along with being extremely laborous, uh, taking a lot of effort and time, it's also a lost dying art because they no longer process uh, hemp fiber to make clothes like that anymore.

Um, there's just so much cheaper and easier methods to make clothes clothing. As the fire continues to heat and the Rocks continue to heat up, we're We've moved inside to the kitchen where they are going to load the pot with the ingredients that's going to steam. So you got some sweet potatoes, some regular potatoes, some eggs, some pumpkin, some corn, and some pork belly. And I mean these would all be ingredients that they would be able to grow that they would Harvest that would they would raise right here within the village.

So they're going to pack pack the pot now. Oh that pork belly. Oh so the pork belly is first down. Oh okay, so there's pork belly on a steamer tray.

Pumpkins go on. Oh eggs. Oh just Nestle the eggs right in between the pork belly. Nice.

Oh nice. The egg goes into the pumpkin. sweet potatoes. regular potatoes.

Okay, Finish Okay, finished, ready, ready to go. Okay here we go. The pot is loaded. The fire is hot.

We're going to the fire to put it on the steamer. it's time. So after two hours the the rocks are just glowing hot. So much heat is coming off of them.

the pot goes into that little indentation in the hole in the earth. uh with the steamer and all of those ingredients and the lid's going to go on and we're going to see how they cover it up. Uh and the next process. Insane amount of heat.

Wow! Hot Lava Hot Rocks Here pot is under there. nestled under there, there's a piece of plywood on top of that. Then they they sealed it with the the soil and they're just kind of packing that in. Oh and that even gets sealed with a piece of tin.

Oh now he's working fast. Oh you can see all that steam coming out. Oh and the smoke. Oh and immediately gravel soil goes on top covering it up.

all that Aroma that steam that smoke. It's so aromatic though and they're working really fast to try to catch all that steam to to trap it all. So soil goes on, Earth goes on. This is incredible.

All for that pot of food for this meal. they're working. really springing into action though. Okay here's the tin.

Tin goes on, more soil and dirt goes on so that goes on like huge pile of it. That's going to provide the flavor, the aroma, the smokiness and you can already see how it's I mean they're just totally covering it with Earth trying to to trap in all of that steam, all of that humidity, all of the smoke which is then going to end up into the pot and offset offset with that heat. So they dug a hole and now pouring water in it gets more complex. So this is where the the hot stones are and then this is where the pot is residing and they built a little chimney over here as well.

The the process just getting more complex, more unique, more fascinating, more like just totally resourceful and just creative. Dig little holes. Pour in water so that water goes down to the rocks and just increases the steam which then just gets pushed over to the pot which is residing over here and through the chimney. That's just going to like all completely all of the smoke from the bamboo is just going to completely embed itself into that pork belly into that pot.

All of those ingredients melting them together and just infusing them with that. Aroma And that. Steam Oh what a process. It's something.

Truly truly genius outdoor cooking technique. It's so cool. and now they're just plugging holes. they're filling up water.

just kind of kind of looks like they're just like messing around, but they know exactly what they're doing and they're It's like all strategy. Oh yeah, you can definitely feel the heat coming out of that. Oh it smells so good. Oh Smoky and moist.

Oh man, what a just a genius technique. This has to be one of the most unique Korean foods ever invented. And this this particular food I mean much like a lot of Korean food was invented from creativity from necessity, from resourcefulness that's in the ground that's going to stay for 2 hours steaming. But just wanted to really quickly clarify it's still called a hemp steamer because traditionally they they would use hemp in this recipe in this process in the whole process of making hemp for clothes but now due to certain regulations uh, they started using bamboo and a certain type of bamboo as well as bamboo leaves attached so like a maybe like a young bamboo uh which gives offers a similar fragrance.

Uh, but just to just to clarify that. so we have a 2hour wait now until we unearth until we reveal the steamer pot. During the 2hour wait, they're going to show us how they harvest and how they make flow tea in this region of South Korea So we're just walking through the field. We're going to harvest some flowers and drink some tea as we wait, the anticipation the last Harvest of the season.

So what type of flower is it? Is it The do you know the English name of this mer? Gold Merold? Okay, smells good. Yes, smells good. M Yeah Very fragrant, very nice. So it turns out she's famous for her Muju tea blending especially for flower teas.

Hi she's She's legendary for her teas, so thank you too. Thank you and so she's going to. We're back in the kitchen now and she's going to just show us the process of maybe drying them or processing them into that is your your tea. Flour and fruits.

Oh okay. Flow and fruits. Te so all natural teas. All natural teas Yes with ingredients grown right here on the mountain.

FL Te Oh okay oh this one has already been steeping. Yeah this is the Merry Gold Gold Mer Gold tea. Yeah the dried the dried one. Yeah Dried one.

The color is yellow. Yeah beautiful, Yeah beautiful. Yeah this is very FL Okay, look at that color. It's beautiful.

Oh yeah oh that's just soothing. Not overly strong, hint of sweetness, floral but just soothing. It has been 2 hours and still it's smoking steaming. You smell that? Aroma still coming out that fragrance.

Um and this is the moment it's time to to reveal And they said to be quite honest, they're not even totally sure how it turns out all the time because I mean you just leave it there. You don't touch it if you move it. If you check on it, it will ruin the the seal and the steam so they're not always sure how it will T turn out so we'll all find out it's the the big surprise. Oh go Whoa! it's so hot it's still so hot down there Here it is the reveal.

Yeah One two three okay one two three one two three. Wow that smells so good M he opens up the lid that Aroma that steam smells so good. Looks like it was a success today. Everything looks like it's cooked so juicy and so aromatic.

that's and I Don't think there's any seasoning on anything apart from some salt on the pork. Um I don't think just just straight up like all natural straight ingredients using that smoker steamer method. Okay, we're going to try before we take this back to the to the Community Hall We're going to just try it right here. from the pot straight out of the fire.

Oh you got sweet potato. I'm going to try the oh, it's so so hot. oh so hot. the egg.

Try the hardboiled egg. Hot Okay, maybe it's too hot. maybe you need to try the sweet potato first. I will try the sweet potato the sweet potato.

Thank you Come! M mhm Sweet, sweet, sweet and Smokey mhm I smell yeah. very aromatic. Delicious. Wow.

and that egg is still like egg. You can barely hold the egg. It's so hot it's going to remain hot for so long it's just embedded. Wow.

This is the most simple, but most unique. The most simple of all ingredients and cooking, but just very very okay. let's try the egg. Oh look how it just peels back back perfectly.

Oh oh it's hot good. Okay, Cheers! let's try. Cheers Cheers Excellent, Excellent. Oh wow.

The yolk is so creamy. Very good. Again, smoke egg smoke it is very. SMY Smoked egg Smoked egg that is like The creamiest yolk.

Oh man, it's like dry and starchy. but it's so creamy, so nice. Okay Okay I Think we'll take this tray back to the community center where we're going to slice up that pork slice of pork. Okay, slice of pork? Yes, okay and we'll We'll enjoy the feast.

So they are arranging the table and the plates with a little bit of everything onto the platter. and this being South Korea I mean you don't make any mistakes. They do not make any mistakes with the side dishes with the bancha and all of those flavors, all those pickled vegetables, all of those preserves and little side tidbits and dipping sauces so there was no seasoning at to the actual preparation of the ingredients in the steamer. But then you're going to get so much flavor also from all of those those sides.

Oh and they just keep on coming. More kimchi, more perilla leaves, variety of pickled cabbages, the preserved shrimp. oh man, and that pork. Literally.

As she was slicing it, you could just see the juices pouring out of it. It's it will make your mouth water. Okay I Absolutely have to taste a bite. Take a bite of that pork.

so get a piece of of the pork belly. Ah That's what you do. Put it onto your plate. take a little bit of the a little bit.

it's very salty. I Think a little bit of the shrimp might even be too much. Okay wow. sweet, smokey, smokey SMY Sweet.

Oh wow, that pork is even better than I was expecting. It tastes like straight barbecue like barbecue, melt in your mouth. The smokiness is just embedded into the fibers and muscle tissue of that porkbelly. And then again, the pork belly is not.

It's not. uh, salty. it's just Smoky And then when you add that fermented shrimp paste that gives it the saltiness, All that Park is insane. Wow.

Very amazing. Oh another another method. Okay so I think we have some preserved Pilla Gorilla leaves Genji Genji Genji Genji Oh okay, another method spicy. Okay then you take the the pork belly yeah okay and then wrap it yeah okay oh wow.

Oh Come What Another great combination I Love peill leaves, almost elixiry taste to it, a little bit garlicky, a little bit chili. Chase next with Kimi oh together with the the pork belly as well. same same okay oh man. so many pork combinations.

Okay, one more combination. take it together with the kimchi. Oh wow that pork is insane. Oh man and I love the different combinations.

It is just melt in your mouth fat skin meat. Combining it with the pickled vegetables and the kimchi just like lessens the the richness breaks down the richness for you. Oh man. Koreans know how to do it.

The combination bites that's without a doubt. I'm oh another another hardboiled egg. Oh she has a move too. kind of this one.

You take one of this one and you put this onto the hard boil egg. Oh What A Move that's the hardboiled egg combo move. M Mhm gives you a little like brininess. Oh yeah, this is soy sauce.

Soy sauce. Okay Korean Tradition Sauce: Okay so that's soy sauce preserved in soy sauce but also has this amazing like sour fermentation feel to it or taste to it as well. He next up for the Cabbage pickle with beetroot. Ch Ch his name is Ch Ch Shrimp CH that is a shrimp shrimp.

The fermented shrimp. Okay oh and with the pickled cabbage as well. Yeah sauce. That's a good move as well.

And that pickled cabbage is incredible. They brought it out from the back. definitely make it themselves. So crispy, so refreshing, has a sweetness I think from the beetroot and a nice fermented sour acidity.

Okay I got to try the pumpkin. Oh look at your chops. just just go into the pumpkin. It just completely melts.

Oh the pumpkin is insane I Think that just might be the greatest single bite of pumpkin I've ever had in my life. It is so soft and melt in your mouth and just completely absorbed with the smoke. Oh man. okay I will add a clove of garlic to it though.

Oh the pumpkin. I will add a clove of garlic and go Chang CH Sauce Go Chang Sauce Garlic raw cloves of garlic into the pumpkin. That's a straight up liquefying pumpkin. How do you say delicious In in Korean Mas Mas Mas Okay next up for the soybean Soybean soup.

loaded also with vegetables. Some chilies in there looks like green onions or leaks. Oh M Oh man that sh bean soup is incredible. The depth of flavor, the fermented just like miso.

So good. Okay going in for another sweet potato and I mean just being able to go from bite to bite dish to Dish bnan to bnan and then mean dish go from potato to Pumpkin to the the richness of the pork belly. just absolutely. The Joy of Eating Korean Food What a meal I mean to be honest I was almost in the back of my head I Was almost a little bit concerned that there was no seasoning on the food, but I should have known way better it would be combined with all of these side dishes that just like bump up the flavor combined with the smokiness of the steamer, this is an outstanding meal.

I mean this is straight up like a Korean Thanksgiving another bite of pork with some of the shrimp paste with some of that pickled cabbage. The barbecue smoking and steaming technique is unbelievable. Wow, that flavor that flavor. Okay I want to try this.

Eggplant pepper sauce, pepper sauce mhm and soy. Oh and soy sauce, garlic and chilies, sesame seeds. All that just melts in your mouth I Love eggplant mhm yeah I mean really the platter is incredible but all of the bunan are incredible which I'm sure they make all of them pickle all of them. you taste the quality of them and I'm sure the they even grow most of the ingredients here that they they use in the cooking from right from this region, the locality you taste the difference.

Okay next up I think the only thing I haven't tried the corn. look it's actually popped. Some of the Kernels have popped again. wow that corn is incredibly sticky, starchy and again just.

you can smell a smoke before you take a bite. The creaminess. oh man, that pork belly. and something that's totally ironic is that that kind of it's like feels like the healthiest porkbelly you'll ever eat.

I Don't know if it's because of pairing it with the the fermented sides, the acidity that breaks it down or if it was the method of cooking but like it doesn't feel o oily or heavy or greasy or like too rich just goes down so easily. you could eat a whole slab of pork belly and just be like fine afterwards. As ironic as it sounds, it's like the healthiest pork belly you'll ever try. So we also have some special kimchy here.

you can see the color of it, the transparency of it fermented for one year. then Chase with the pork belly. Okay, last one with the okay and with with Kim okay yeah that is just acidic ripened and it has this amazing crispness to it. I Have to completely be honest with you and say that when I came here I mean I was especially interested in that process because it's so unique.

it's so fascinating. I Love unique cooking Tech Techniques and underground cooking techniques I mean from around the world they they do different underground cooking techniques but all with a different style and this was something totally unique that I haven't seen before. What I was completely shocked by is how delicious the food was. I I mean I I had no expectation, it wasn't even sure and then there was no seasoning on the food.

so I was like how is it going to turn out Turned out just an unbelievable meal. Without a doubt one of the best and greatest Korean food meals that I've ever had in my life. I Want to say a huge thank you to our hosts here Paku Hun who is the chief of the village and Heidi uh who hosted us here and for taking such good care of us, their hospitality and then just this entire experience here. Uh, we are in Changan village in the mountains in South Korea and also a big thank you to the Korea tourism Organization for arranging this experience and this entire trip my entire trip here to South Korea This time this man that's a flavor I will never forget and I want to say big thank you to you for watching this video.

Please remember to give it a thumbs up if you enjoyed it. Leave a comment below I'd love to hear from you and if you're not already subscribed, make sure you subscribe now for lots more food and travel videos and keep watching this entire South Korean food. We're on a road trip around the entire country to eat the best food so don't miss any of the videos. and I'll see you on the next video.