One Meal, One Memory: The Taste of Survival in North Korean Cuisine

One Meal, One Memory: The Taste of Survival in North Korean Cuisine.

In North Korea, food is complicated. For Ae Ran Lee, it’s life and death, pain and comfort, guilt and hope. Born into privilege in Pyongyang, Lee’s idyllic childhood ended abruptly when her family was exiled to a remote village, plunging them into unimaginable hardship and hunger. Meals that once symbolized warmth became haunting reminders of loss, struggle, and survival.

In this vivid and powerful memoir, Lee brings readers into the stark reality of growing up under North Korea’s oppressive regime. Each chapter revolves around a specific meal—whether it’s the bitter, moldy crackers that sustained her during starvation, the heartbreaking luxury of fried eel eaten on the night of her family’s exile, or the simple rice bowl forever linked to the family left behind. Through these evocative dishes, Lee shares memories that are raw, deeply personal, and profoundly moving.

One Meal, One Memory captures the extraordinary journey of a woman who escaped one of the world’s most isolated countries to become a renowned scholar, chef, and activist. With rare intimacy, Lee explores how food can embody both trauma and healing, becoming a potent symbol of her lifelong fight for freedom, dignity, and reconciliation.

This is Ae Ran Lee’s North Korea—a world few outsiders truly know, told through the powerful sensory lens of taste and memory.