I love Mexican food. Back home in Minneapolis, I had plentiful authentic and wonderful options to choose from. Now, I live in Korea: land of BBQ meat, kimchi, weird fish, and Soju. While most food items do bring the spice, it just isn't the same. You do the math, foods smothered in red pepper paste just does not equate for a happy belly.
People ask me, why did you move to Korea? I moved here for a lot of reasons, but one of them being that I have never set foot on the Asian continent, more or less never have I experienced authentic Korean food. Since moving here, Korea has had its pro's and con's, but one of the negative features is that Korea is bereft of quality Mexican food. Sure, there are several restaurants in the greater Seoul area [ Vatos Urban Tacos, and Gringos] that provide the remedy to my homesick taste buds, but these businesses are either an hour or more by Subway or just ridiculously expensive. And we all know how hard it is to find quality and affordable eats.
There has to be a logical yet economical solution to my hunger pain. So, I set out on my own two feet and tackled the taco challenge.
Now, many of the ingredients came from my trek to Costco, with some coming from my local Korean supermarkets. There is a fabulous Korean HomePlus brand, Tesco, that provided the basic taco seasoning and of course I amped it up with more spices to make sure my tacos brought the heat. With my newly acquired ingredients in my kitchen, I was able to make some pretty tempting tacos...
Ingredients/Prices (won)
- Taco seasoning (packet) ~1,200
- Chicken (frozen bag) ~15,000
- Lettuce ~2,000
- Cherry tomatoes ~1,200 per package
- Cheddar cheese (bag of 3) ~5,000
- Jalapeno ~3,000 (jar)
- Wheat Tortillas (40) ~11,000
- Onion (bag) ~3,000
- Avocado (bag of 6) ~9,000
- Salsa (2 package) ~10,000
- Cumin, onion powder, crushed red pepper flake ~free
- Red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper ~3,000
Average cost per taco (40) ~1,585 or close to $1.50
Average cost of a Gringos Korea burrito? 5,500 won or $5.18 each
Of course Gringos has to charge more per burrito because they are an independent business in Korea sharing the burrito love out of the kindness of their own expat hearts; but I would much rather take the time and cost of ingredients unto my own shoulders and create Mexican madness in my kitchen at my discretion and craving. I love small business endeavors, so I will naturally support Gringos from time to time, but in the end, making my own burritos/tacos/Mexican cuisine proves to be the affordable solution.
The result in my cooking adventure?
Wonderful tacos that satiate my weird affinity for Mexican cuisine.
Nothing beats fresh tomatoes...
Red pepper beauty; inside and out.
Julienne your peppers and sautee them on medium heat for 3 minutes.
Hello, gorgeous. Fresh avocado and shredded lettuce.
Melt some cheese on top of your chicken and peppers, top with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, onions, and cilantro. Now, all that is left is pairing this beautiful creation with some chips, salsa, and a shot of tequila--hold the lime.
Feliz comiendo!
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