27 Stories of Bowls That Bring Me Joy

"When I find a dish that suits my taste, my heart races and my hands and feet get warm.
When I actually use it, my stomach feels queasy.
When I wash the dishes carefully, fearing that a disaster might occur, my heart sinks.
It is a great joy to quietly open the cabinet door in the quiet of the morning and look at the neatly organized dishes, as if I were secretly opening a treasure chest.

The book, titled "Things I Like, Bowls," and the cover illustration alone make one wonder, "What stories are hidden in these bowls?"


This book, which says, “I lived by relying on the dishes I liked,” begins with stories about slightly unfamiliar dishes such as Villeroy & Boch Burgenland, Staub Rice Cocotte, Turkish Chai Set, and Le Creuset Round Plate, but “regardless of taste, dishes are closer to us than we think.”
“We use these expressions in our daily lives: ‘You are born with your own bowl,’ ‘That person is not made for it,’ ‘A symbol is like a soy sauce container,’ ‘It’s like pouring water into a bottomless pit,’ ‘You can’t put a broken plate back together,’ etc.,” he said, adding that bowls are closer to us than we think.


This book says, “In Burgenland, things like rustic rye bread or chunky baguettes go well with cakes that are like a slushy crust.” “Basically, dishes should be clean and calm.
You can often come across sentences like, “It matches whatever you put in it and makes the thing it contains stand out even more.” “It seems that some seasons are remembered through their containers.” Reading these sentences will make you look at the containers you own in a new way and make you touch them once again.


Author Gil Jeong-hyeon, who says that whenever he comes across a dish he likes, he turns it over and fills his bag with local dishes bought at a dish shop rather than filling his stomach at a famous restaurant while on a trip abroad, says, “I want to know what is comforting to you.
If you haven't found a comforting presence yet, I hope you can lean on the rustic mug in the corner of the kitchen and find comfort little by little."


The final section also features Q&As related to dishes, such as, "Why are vintage dishes so expensive?", "Can vintage dishes be harmful to the human body when used as tableware?", and "Is there a special way to wash vintage dishes?"

I hope that I am a person who knows the value of something and can live by relying on that value, and a person who can continue to live without giving up even when things are a mess.
--- p.23

In Burgenland, rustic rye bread or chunky baguettes go well with cakes like pie crusts.

--- p.27

Just as people develop wrinkles over time, teacups also develop cracks.

--- p.41

I recently found that plain, plain looking stainless steel mini teapot I'd been looking for.
As I lived each day, letting go of my strength and letting the waves of time take over, it suddenly appeared before my eyes.

--- p.46

Basically, it is better if the dishes are neat and calm.
It matches whatever you put in it and makes the contents stand out more.

--- p.49

I quickly felt a tickle in my eye as I thought, 'Something with a strong color has appeared in my kitchen too.'
Page 51

It seems that some seasons are remembered as bowls.

--- p.59

Meanwhile, Lady Carlyle is still beautiful and pretty.
On this day, I made a very, very strong milk tea for an English breakfast.
Many thoughts disappear along with the rising scent of milk tea.

--- p.71

I quickly changed my mind and realized that I couldn't give up the pleasure of using different utensils to suit the menu and mood of the day.

--- p.73

It's not a lofty desire to enjoy the feeling of being served in a pretty dish.
Rather, it feels like a Maginot Line that says, 'At least this much must be maintained.'
Anyway, I choose the plate today too.
If you choose, it's the same.

--- p.75

It's full of cute details, so there's no time to get bored.

--- p.79

This plate, with its delicate white floral design on a bluish yet subtle gray background and silver rim, evokes a sense of calm that is somewhat different from the calm pursued by modern plates.

--- p.86

“Show me your cupboard.
Then I will tell you what kind of person you are.”
--- p.89

Most of the items that come up when you search for 'Lennox Vintage' in the search bar are pretty enough to make you go crazy.

--- p.91

In my desperation, I felt like I needed a cup that I could hold in my hand for a long time, rather than a bean that would disappear after just one sip.
Even now, when I look at this glass, I think of Portugal and that time.

--- p.99

It is truly fortunate to have something that silently accompanies someone's life.

--- p.107

Among them, the one I find particularly cute is the one with a cat sitting in the middle of a wide cappuccino cup.

--- p.116

If I have to live anyway, I want to spend a long time with the things I like.

--- p.125

I wiped away the old dust with a soft sponge soaked in kitchen detergent.
It's as clean as new.
I wiped the moisture off with a dry towel and made a tart topped with lots of red strawberries.

--- p.137

The moment when songpyeon was served in an acopal anemone was just wonderful.

--- p.141

Because life is just an endless process of becoming different people.
I, too, hold Jedit in my hand and become a different person for a moment.
Maybe that's why I keep collecting dishes.

--- p.149

But what is the value of a cup that only you use secretly?

--- p.159

My days are getting better as I can live off of this one day and get through the other days by obsessing over that one.

--- p.175

It is a great joy to quietly open the door to our cupboard in the quiet of dawn and look at the neatly organized dishes, as if I were secretly opening a treasure chest.

--- p.190