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The sounds of Jeju’s haenyeo divers after they surface from the sea.

This piece was selected as one of the winners of the AAA’s AnthroDay Student Unessay Competition . This year’s competition was inspired by the Annual Meeting theme, “On the Verge.”

Opening Bite

The Warming Ocean Soup

A local Jeju seaweed-based broth, sparsely garnished with small slivers of assorted wild shellfish, and finished with a turban snail (sora) and agar (umutgasari) seafoam cream, served warm in a volcanic stone bowl.

The warm soup and sparse toppings symbolize rising sea temperatures and the gradual depletion of marine life. The seafoam cream represents different pollutants affecting visibility underwater. As a whole, the dish presents a miniature sea that is still present, yet no longer abundant.

Small Plates

The Bulteok Communal Plate

Traditionally served for six, this oversized platter is intentionally presented with only two sets of utensils and served as individual, bite-sized portions.…