I Have a Question

I Have a Question is a newsletter for people in Barcelona who are curious about food and cooking.

🖇 Versió en català

Who’s behind this newsletter?

That would be me, Janey, the founder and CEO of the Gamsunee* Inc., the imaginary food empire born from my personal cooking project of the same name.

I have a pipe dream of one day making Gamsunee Inc. into a hospitality group that includes (but is not limited to):

1. A modern Korean restaurant inspired by local produce,

2. A Korean dessert shop specialized in patbingsoo (my favorite Korean shaved ice dessert), and

3. An ice cream shop featuring Korean flavors of soft serve ice cream.

But that day is infinitely far away, so for now, this newsletter will have to do.

Where did this all begin?

Almost every meaningful food experience I’ve had has begun with one of the following questions: Where does that come from? How is that made? Can you show me?

This newsletter is my attempt to document and share all the answers I’ve received, because I believe they’ve made me a more mindful cook, consumer, and inhabitant of this planet. 🌍

But you’re not a culinary professional…?

I know, I know. 🙈 But I do know some things from:

• Working short stints in a couple restaurants in Barcelona, one Korean and one Catalan

• My mom, and doing a Korean food pop-up with her at a Lebanese restaurant in Barcelona (🎥 here)

• Hosting more dinners than I can count at home, both documented and undocumented

• Taking free cooking classes at CETT on everything from rice + paella to chocolate to seasonal cooking

• Overcoming my stinginess to venture into paid cooking classes, including my first one at Hofmann on Japanese cuisine

• The huge pile of cookbooks I’m hoarding renewing constantly from the library

And I’m excited to share all this with you!

Why subscribe?

Every two weeks, you’ll get:

• 1️⃣ short story or reflection on what I’m cooking, eating, and learning

• 1️⃣ home cooking tip (or more) I’ve learned that may help you at home, or impress your friends

• 3️⃣ Barcelona-focused pro-tips on

  • local ingredients + producers I like

  • free or cheap courses and resources (make sure you have a BCN library card)

  • food-related educational activities happening in the city

  • local volunteer opportunities I’ve found in the world of cooking/nourishing

• 1️⃣ fun food-related expression in one of the languages I’m learning

• 🚌 Updates on upcoming field trips or workshops! I’m constantly looking for ways to engage with people in Barcelona and Catalunya who are growing/catching/curating the food we eat. I’ll post about any upcoming field trips and we can go together.

On puc llegir aquest butlletí en català?

Totes les meves publicacions estan disponibles en català aquí!

And what if I’m not in Barcelona?

That’s okay! Maybe what I write here can inspire you to look for similar events, farmers’ markets, or resources in your own city. I’d love to know what you find, so please comment or reply to let me know 😇

*Gamsunee means “one who loves persimmons” in Korean, and it’s inspired by my grandmother. More on that here.