I think my generation (90s babies) experienced the very tail end of the life of authentic street goguma vendors in Korea. Every winter, until they disappeared for a while (I think some came back to recreate the “retro” feel), there were people roasting gogumas straight up in an empty gas tank full of charcoal. Even better, some of them designed and built in small little drawers that pulled out of the side of this make-shift goguma roaster, and you paid them chun-won ($1) to have your piping hot sweet potatoes put in a paper bag to bring home, or to warm your hands in the nipping-cold winter. What a scene - so vivid in my memories that I almost, almost forgot. today I’m missing Korea and everything that I used to call home.

For those of you who don’t know, Goguma is a type of sweet potato that has a beige inside, and a sweet and nutty flavor that is distinct from American yams or sweet potatoes.

this recipe is a modern adaptation of the traditional sweet potato. Here’s the recipe.