This morning we read the story “Bee-bim Bop,” by Linda Sue Park. In the story, a Korean girl is ecstatic to make a special meal of Bee-bim bop with her mom for her family. From grocery shopping, preparing the ingredients, setting the table and finally enjoying it together as a family- she shares it all!
Inspired by this story and the children’s interest in Jung’s lunch, we invited the children to learn how to make Jung’s favourite Korean meal of bibimbap.
Before we began, we ensured to wash our hands throughly to maintain safe food handling and gathered at the tables. Jung explained that Bop is the Korean word for rice, and bee-bim means “mixed up” so bee-bim bop means “mixed-up rice”. For this dish, rice is topped with meat, vegetables, eggs and other toppings before we bee-bim and combine all the ingredients to make a tasty meal!
After this little introduction, we were ready to get prepping! Jung introduced us to a rice cooker and showed us how to wash and make the rice. Once the rice was cooking, we worked together to chop and season the zucchini, carrots, bean sprouts and ground chicken. We even had a little taste of all the veggies! Once they were all cooked (separately), we mixed all the ingredients together and added a splash of sesame oil and soy sauce to enjoy this special meal together for lunch.
Through this experience, we explored new tastes, textures and ingredients, building on our curiosity and expanding our understanding of different cultures and traditions. A few preschoolers devoured the meal they worked hard to make and asked for seconds, while some were just excited to have a taste and try something else. Nonetheless, we also learned to respect that everyone has different likes and dislikes, and that all foods can be special to someone. This was a meaningful opportunity to celebrate diversity, develop empathy, and appreciate the richness of cultural foods from around the world!
