Hand Taste: Cook Like a Korean Grandmother

“If Esther’s recipes were my last meals on Earth, I would die a happy man.” —Eric Kim

We all know cooks whose fingertips seem to infuse every meal with deliciousness. In Korean, that magic touch is called sohn-mat, or "hand taste"—but you don’t have to be born with it. Esther Choi picked hers up from her halmoni, or grandmother, who used her hands for everything from smearing cabbage with pepper paste to make kimchi to crumbling tofu for mandu (dumpling) filling and tossing vibrantly flavored noodles for japchae.

Hand taste starts with seasoning but ultimately describes a way of cooking rooted in heritage, intuition, and heart. Here, Choi offers delicious entry points to Korean and Korean-American cuisine, with foundational techniques alongside quick weeknight recipes and show-stopping traditional spreads.

Hand Taste is as instructive as it is expressive, with recipes like: 

• Kalbi Jjim, Japchae
• Kimchi Mac & Beef
• Halmoni's Jeon
• Korean Fried Chicken Wings

There's something for everyone—whether you know Choi from her beloved restaurants Mokbar and Ms. Yoo, her presence on Food Network, or her infectious online personality.

So much more than a guide to mastering Korean cooking, Hand Taste teaches you to trust your gut and cook with curiosity and joy.