summary ofCrying in H MartBook by Michelle Zauner

first KEY POINT

A family that speaks the language of cooking

The main love language in the relationship between the famous musician and author Michelle Zauner and her mother Chongmi was acts of care, including the desire to feed each other with delicious meals.Their trips to the grocery store always turned into gastronomic tours that led to unexpected discoveries. They invented new dishes together while browsing the shelves for unusual ingredients. Their baskets became a “dress rehearsal” for dinner: mother and daughter discussed whether all the products would taste good combined.Moreover, cooking together allowed Michelle Zauner to explore her Korean heritage and deepen her understanding of her mother's culture. Both in Oregon, where Michelle spent her childhood, and in Seoul, where they flew to visit their family, they found cozy restaurants with Korean dishes.In Eugene, Oregon, where the family lived, the seasons change along with the dishes people prepare for lunch and dinner. Mother and daughter noticed which products from local farms could warm them up in the fall and give them energy in the spring. They knew which neighbors to buy fish from and who would tell them where to get the best seasonings.When her mother died of cancer in 2014, Michelle Zauner lost not only a loved one and a constant supporter but also an activity she had always enjoyed. From then on, cooking and shopping became forced activities that brought back painful memories.

Did you know? H Mart, an American chain of Asian supermarkets, takes its name from the Korean phrase “han ah reum,” which translates as “groceries that can be picked up with one hand.”