11 - 11 Today is 빼빼로데이 - Pepero Day ♥ in South Korea and It's Also The First Day of The First Steemfest!

One of those days, I miss when I was in the Philippines teaching Koreans ESL is 빼빼로데이 - Pepero Day.

11-11 . It's Pepero day in South Korea!

Pepero is @papa-pepper's cousin just sweet - okay that one is a joke . Pepero is a cookie stick dipped or filled with chocolates and other sweet fillings.

Days before the 11th of November comes, my students told me that the supermarkets and even the streets flood with boxes of Pepero. Days before the 11th of November, I would get tons of Pepero boxes - no it's not a bribe, I wasn't teaching in a school nor giving them grades. The Koreans - when they like you - they'd share almost everything even if you refuse.
I asked one of the Moms back then about why they give Pepero sticks to each other and she told me - some teens started this gesture of sharing a snack - on this day - just because those cookie sticks resemble 11-11 - as a pact of friendship. Rumor has it that a certain company in their country adopted the idea and used it to promote their product - Peperos.

Whether it's true or not, what touches me the most is the thought that they give it only to people who are special to them.

I find the thought sweet - and thoughtful. I remember when we were kids, we also used to do this - a friendship band, ring and I even remember wearing the same Ikabod shirt with my friends as a symbol of our friendship, too. In those Korean teens' case - sharing Peperos on Pepero Day.

It's very Asian - we like giving gifts - not just any gift - sometimes grand and more than we could even afford. It's not because we are embarrassed to give cheap gifts - its because when we give gifts - we want to give the best we could to that special person we are giving it to because in Asia - unless you're special to us - you won't be getting any. Sounds mean right? I do think so sometimes - but then in Asia we keep it real - most of the time at least.

Unlike Ikabod which is a comic character written by a Filipino which no longer exists and didn't make it abroad - Pepero did and would - specially now that it's being celebrated every year. It has a date on the calendar - like that of December 25th and January 1st.

These days, they don't just give it to friends but - it's also a hit for couples, students to teachers and even the kids to their folks and grandparents.

I used to receive boxes of Pepero the whole week before and after the 11th of November. I used to have a sweet tooth so I could just finish two to seven boxes of different flavors a day. When I turned 30, I just lost my sweet tooth - I couldn't bear gorging on sweet stuff anymore. However, I didn't stop eating the things I like - right ... I still eat Pepero - just in moderation now.

When something sweet is simply ~~~ sweetlicious ...

These boxes of Pepero I bought way back when the Toko store near us still sells them lasted three months in stock. How so? I could just finish them in one sitting you might say? I just ate a stick - on days I crave them - with my black coffee. A stick - yes - you read it right. I also happen to have stocks of chocolates and other sweet stuff I also eat in moderation as a sweet pair for my black coffee - so yes, I am still taking sugar - just not as much as I used to.

I hoarded this much sweet from an organic shop when I paid Berlin a visit in 2015 and they lasted pretty long because this is how I eat my sweets.

These were the last boxes of Pepero I had and as you can see my favorite is - the Nude Peppero and those with Almond - Chocolate fillings and coatings. The Nude because then I could just dip them on apple - date jams, honey, chocolate spread or even mayo :) - the later probably sounds weird - oh I've even tried cheese and ketchup so it tasted like pizza and I loved it!

Some of my students used to customize the Pepero sticks they gave me - and that I find sweeter - so can you blame me if I won't be able to get over those people? They made my life so blessed and through them and the many Orientals, I have served one of the purposes I have in this life.

These days, they are playing a Pepero game in Korea - it's when a couple or even friends put one Pepero stick in their mouths and bite it till the last bit - its very famous for young couples. These days, it's even on tv. Which Steemian would you like to play a Pepero game with? Would you dare writing it on the comment below?

The Pepero Game

There are many other Peperos being sold all over the world and I wonder - whether you guys have ever tried a Pepero cookie stick. One thing that amazes me about it - is that - it's a cookie in a stick shape.

Writing this and looking at this Pepero Cake and knowing what's in it - is TORTURE!

If you click on the text under that Pepero cake pic - you'll find a simple recipe walk through.

When hub was saying we're going to Amsterdam for the Steemfest, I told him - yes, I'd brave the crowd if he takes me to a Korean store we went to the last time we paid Am a visit. I was planning of buying boxes of Pepero and other Asian stuff and hoping I could get to score those Korean chopsticks - I had a set but left it to one of my best friends in the Philippines. I didn't know that they don't sell that here.

Which one would you want to try ?

So, I wonder, do you also have a holiday like Pepero day in your country? It's not a public holiday but it sure is being celebrated. If you do - what's it called? Have you ever tried any Pepero stick ? Which one is your favorite?

So because writing this made me crave for sweets - this was what I had with my coffee during my coffee break and just like what one of the signs on the bakery where I bought it - says ;

HAPPY 페페로이 데이 ! .. specially written in loving memory of all Orientals I've had a privilege to get to really know - in my younger years

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I usually blog about cooking, gardening and photography and if you happen to be interested in all of those, too .

I took some of these pictures with my Samsung Galaxy A3 2016 edition and the old ones with my Samsung Galaxy Note 1 and some of the old ones may have been shared in one of my social media privately.

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