From the Heart

Built around the concept of food as memory, ritual, and sustenance, this beautiful book reflects the myriad ways Korean cuisine embraces care, connection, and belonging.

Born in Korea before she was adopted by a Belgian family, author Ae Jin Huys brings her own lived experience of displacement and reconnection to this project, gathering 26 contributors from across regions, generations, and professions, each sharing the single dish that defines comfort in their life.

From shiitake noodle soup made from family-grown mushrooms to kimchi rice porridge representing childhood remedies, the recipes unfold alongside the stories that shaped them.  The narratives open into ancestral rites, seasonal customs, fermentation traditions, and the social meaning of everyday meals, tracing how memory and collective identity meet at the table. 

Pairing food photography with portraits, landscapes, and documentary detail, the volume creates a layered visual record of people and place. An accessible cookbook for home cooks and anyone interested in Korean cuisine, the book is richly visual, filled with photographs that showcase not only the dishes and ingredients but also the people and settings of Korea.

• 75 recipes span home cooking, ceremonial dishes and contemporary cuisine.
• Offers a wide portrait of both continuity and change within Korean food culture.
• Provides insight into where specific ingredients and dishes are primarily enjoyed in Korea.
• With practical tips for sourcing ingredients and suggestions for complementary side dishes.
• A deeply personal narrative structures the book from a voice with a unique point of view.

This book serves as both a culinary guide and a warm celebration of heritage, cuisine and numerous communities that are full of heart.