A Warm Scene of Making Songpyeon Together
As the poet Jeon Youngae described in her poem, “The scene of people sitting around and making songpyeon,” Chuseok was a festive occasion for us. When it was Chuseok, there was a “noisy party atmosphere in the neighborhood.” On this bountiful feast day, the “smell of jeon frying on the pan” and “the scene of people sitting around making songpyeon” are essential. 
The poem <Making Songpyeon on the Moonlit Night before Chuseok> by Seo Jeong-ju, depicts a beautiful scene of an entire family sitting around making songpyeon on the night before Chuseok. The cheerfulness that even “the moon break into laughter” is the abundant present that the Chuseok holiday gives us. This wonderful scene did not just stay at home. The poem <On the Morning of Chuseok> by Hwang Kum-chan describes the compassion and the warmth of Korean food culture’s sharing songpyeon with neighbors. 
This kind custom is a memory now, and Hwang Kum-chan also lamented the fact that this custom was disappearing in his poem <On the Morning of Chuseok>. 
However, just because a custom disappears, it doesn’t mean its culture is also disappearing. As we have done, our descendants will read about the footsteps and the excellence of Korean food in old literature and old cookbooks written in the contemporary time.  
 

Songpyeon, Moon, and Chuseok 
When we think of Chuseok, the first thing that comes to mind is “songpyeon.” Songpyeon is a seasonal dish that symbolizes Chuseok. It is made by grinding new rice, kneading it with hot water, and adding stuffing like sesame seeds, chestnuts, and beans.
It was steamed with pine needles to prevent songpyeon from sticking to each other. The scent of pine needles seeped into songpyeon to enhance the taste, and the naturally carved pine needle pattern adds to the style of songpyeon. Moreover, since pine needles have a sterilizing effect, they have done a fantastic job of preventing songpyeon from spoiling on a hot day.
Songpyeon, a Chuseok holiday dish, also caught the eyes of many poets, and became a subject of a poem. When I read <Songpyeon> by Poet Choi Byungyup, “Chewy songpyeon steamed glossy in a full moon shape with soft rice powder,” it feels like these songpyeons are spread out in front of my eyes, making me feel warm-hearted. From this poem, you can imagine this “glossy” taste and style of songpyeon with the scent and the pattern of pine needles as they were steamed. 
Songpyeon also contains the taste of bountiful fruits from last summer. In the poem, “Made with the Gratitude to a Bountiful Harvest,” you can fully feel the sincerity of the person who makes songpyeon.