Having an AWE-SSAM K-BBQ Meal with Kevin Woo!
By: Roseann of B2utifulRoses
For all the foodies out there that are missing their Korean BBQ kick due to COVID-19 restrictions, never fear, because Kevin Woo is here! To teach you how to K-Ssam, that is! On July 31, 2021, K-Pop artist Kevin Woo went live on Instagram to demonstrate his way of doing Korean BBQ with special guests Ashley (@ashyi on Instagram) and Cathy (@Cathythekimchi on Instagram) in Los Angeles. During the Instagram live, Kevin introduced the K-Ssam Meal Kit, which includes essential ingredients to have while eating K-BBQ, like kimchi, seaweed, perilla leaves, microwaveable rice, and ssamjang, which is a mixture of doenjang (bean paste) and gochujang (chili paste) that bring out that kick of delectable K-BBQ greatness! In addition to the meal kit, Kevin initiated the AWE-SSAM Challenge in collaboration with Korea Agro Trade Center NY (@at.newyork on Instagram and TikTok), where participants can show how to do Korean BBQ in their own unique ways. Those that tuned in to the Instagram live got to witness the mouth-watering close-ups of the samgyupsal (grilled pork belly), and some viewers (like myself) got instant cravings and yearnings for K-BBQ. Like any other dishes that you can order in restaurants (or for delivery in this case), K-BBQ can also be made at home with family and friends alike, and it’s pretty easy to make!
One of the best parts of K-BBQ is that you can put anything and everything you want! For the K-BBQ enthusiasts out there, try out Kevin’s special ssam that he made during his Instagram live, which contains intense and savory flavors that will burst at first bite! Kevin’s ssam that he made is as follows: after taking a piece of lettuce, he added a perilla leaf to protect and retain the juicy oils from the meat. Next, he placed his meat and drizzled ssamjang on the side to dip the meat. After dipping the meat in sesame oil, he placed another perilla leaf, which highlights that extra punch of flavor to his ssam, then he proceeded to dip a piece of garlic in the ssamjang. From here, you can add as many ingredients your heart desires, like kimchi, onions, and mushrooms. And finally, the most important (and fun) step in K-BBQ is to wrap it all up and try to eat it all in one whole bite! It can end up a bit messy as things may fall out of your perfectly curated ssam, but your taste buds will thank you later.
The endless combinations of ingredients that are wrapped in a ssam is what makes K-BBQ a fun meal to create and consume with company. But, given the situation that is the pandemic, it’s not easy to meet up with friends at a restaurant and have an “awessam” K-BBQ meal time, as it’s better enjoyed with others! And this is where the AWE-SSAM Challenge comes into play. Those that want to participate in the AWE-SSAM Challenge and giveaway can join in on the fun by sharing their awessam creations on Instagram and TikTok!
To enter the giveaway, participants can post a picture or a video of how they enjoy K-BBQ with the hashtags #KevinWoo, #AwessamChallenge, and #kssam and tag @at.newyork. The person that gets the most likes and most comments on Instagram will win $1,000 in cash, while the winner on TikTok can win either an iPad Mini or an Apple Watch! Nominate your friends by tagging them in your post so more people can join in on the fun that is K-BBQ. With the beauty of the internet, it isn’t rare to see appetizing food pictures and videos circulating the world wide web. Those that come across such content may try to recreate it, but access to some ingredients can be hard to find. Which is why in addition to the AWE-SSAM Challenge, 100 lucky winners will receive the K-Ssam Kit by completing a survey on Korea Agro Trade Center NY’s event page.
The AWE-SSAM Challenge ends on August 31, 2021, so make sure to share your K-BBQ awessam-ness to the world!