인스턴트
Instant (Ritual)
By(e)
미셸Michelle
When Somi Lee was old enough for all the salt and heat, her 엄마 eomma mom (informal) made her first 농심® 신라면 Nongshim® Shin Ramyun noodle soup. Watered down with an extra cup or two and split the package with her. Always, always after, her eomma cracked a raw egg that silk-ified and tossed in sliced scallions at the end to wilt. They sweated and laughed together, eating out of the same endless golden ramyun pot. Somi never forgot the first: powerful pull of spice and heat being the same; bouncing along curled Enriched Wheat Flour noodles; drinking from the Beef Stock end-broth swirling with De-now-hydrated Vegetables (Green Onion, Mushroom, Carrot, etc.) — or — the Yellow Sea of Red Chili Pepper blood, Salt sweat, Natural Flavors tears.
② Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Somi learned life, loss, and love. From her teens to thirties — women, people across, and men — intentions and in-tensions across — beckoned her, the casual call of 라면 먹어갈에? | ramyun meokgo gallae? | wanna go after you eat some ramen? A coffee, a nightcap, a morning cup of ramyun to burn you awake or asleep or dream. Water from the sink rushing into a beading pot or electric kettle // forearms turning up to roll back sleeves seriously // click of stove dial / kettle being turned ON to boil // clangs of metal chopsticks stirring up steaming soup and noodles // chops of scallions and Other Vegetables // crush of raw egg a taste-able sound // it’s ready — across languages and tables — sometimes no words but chopsticks, spoons, forks rising, falling. Pots, bowls, cups — does the shape matter as long as they hold, well up, and share. Sometimes Somi asked the same question(s) herself, invited the ramyun, made it, served the ramyun and body and meanings given and taken.
③ Remove from heat and serve.
Three ramyuns she remembered long. The first one Somi’s eomma made. The lifelong draw to umami, MonoSodium Glutamate, depending chemically on punishing spiciness, sweat as therapy, overall — the not-too-sweet dream.
Secondly, when Somi went up with someone. They turned on the living room lamp to light up the night — but not too much to ruin the mood. They set out the Shin Ramyun bag crinkled on the counter, turned to and looked at / through / with Somi.
The third ramyun her 할머니 halmoni grandma (informal) made. They were surrounded by the sea as they walked up a volcanic mountain together — all porous blacks, glistening greens, shushing shores — forever. Somi moved slowly with her, taking her elbow in like a wing, but still halmoni signed deeply like the forest she was. Halmoni had to turn back before Somi did. When Somi returned to their shared vacation condo after sunset, her halmoni had set the table. She poured already hot water into 농심® 신라면 컵라면 Nongshim® Shin Noodle Soup Cup, set out a cold Cass beer to be poured, convenience store wooden chopsticks ready to be split. Her 조카 joka niece was already drinking from her own red cup noodle. Eight and eighty years — to be in between — to return home while home to return. Somi picked up her own cup and drank deep, returning to the salt of the Yellow Sea. Thousands of miles, tens of years, oceans among, the taste as warmth does.
* TRY WITH YOUR FAVORITE VEGETABLES.
CAUTION: PRODUCT IS VERY HOT AFTER HEATING. HANDLE WITH CARE TO AVOID SPILLING OR BURNING YOURSELF.
INGREDIENTS
ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), POTATO STARCH, PALM OIL, MODIFIED POTATO STARCH, DRIED FLAKES (CARROT, SHIITAKE MUSHROOM, GREEN ONION, RED CHILI PEPPER), SALT, MALTODEXTRIN, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF ANCHOVY EXTRACT (POWDERED), BEEF BONE EXTRACT (POWDERED), BEEF EXTRACT (POWDERED), BEEF FAT (POWDERED), BLACK PEPPER (POWDERED), CARAMEL COLOR, CITRIC ACID, CORN SYRUP, DEFATTED SOY FLOUR, DEXTROSE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM SUCCINATE, GARLIC (POWDERED), GINGER (POWDERED), GUM ARABIC HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, HYDROLYZED CORN PROTEIN, MUSHROOM (POWDERED), NATURAL FLAVORS, ONION (POWDERED), POTASSIUM CARBONATE, RED CHILI PEPPER (POWDERED), RIBOFLAVIN COLOR, SODIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SOYBEAN SPROUT EXTRACT (POWDERED), SUGAR, TAPIOCA STARCH, TOCOPHEROLS (ANTIOXIDANT), YEAST EXTRACT, YELLOW CORN FLOUR.
CONTAINS WHEAT AND SOY. MANUFACTURED IN A FACILITY THAT ALSO PROCESSES FISH, CRUSTACEAN SHELLFISH, AND MILK.