Since moving to California, I have discovered a new charm in cooking, and that is jalapeños.

At the market, I always see these green peppers, and at first, I thought, "Oh, just a spicy pepper," but as time went on, I found that I couldn't do without them.

If Cheongyang peppers are the flower of soup dishes in Korea, jalapeños have taken that place in my soups here in the U.S.

The moment I truly realized the charm of jalapeños was when I added them to doenjang jjigae.

At first, out of simple curiosity, I chopped up a jalapeño that was rolling around in my fridge, and it brought out a strange umami flavor that blended beautifully with the deep taste of the doenjang.

Just when the rich flavor of the doenjang was about to become a bit heavy, the jalapeño would pop up and refresh the broth. Since then, I always add jalapeños to my doenjang jjigae.

It also shows a fantastic flavor in Cheongukjang, but the key is to add it one minute before it's done cooking to get the best taste. If you keep boiling it, the spiciness seems to disappear.

And jalapeños are a must in Vietnamese pho, known as Phở. To eat it authentically, cilantro, lime, and thinly sliced jalapeños are essential, and after experiencing that, it became a natural habit for me.

As the warm broth spreads a subtly spicy aroma, I feel a tingling at the tip of my nose when I slurp the noodles. That taste makes me think, "Ah, this is the charm of enjoying Asian fusion in America."

It was a whole new world when I added them to clam soup. The broth is refreshing with just clams, but adding one or two chopped jalapeños gives it a taste like the sun on the beach rather than the sea breeze. The spicy yet refreshing broth is a magical combination that calls for a glass of soju.

I also tried it in bean sprout soup. Adding jalapeños to this perfect hangover soup doesn't just wake you up; it completely revitalizes you. Spicy soup is another story. It's already spicy and refreshing, but adding jalapeños brings a different kind of direct and refreshing heat compared to Korean red pepper powder.

What I learned after coming to America is that jalapeños are not just ingredients for Mexican food.

This small pepper pairs perfectly with any soup dish, regardless of nationality. Just like foreigners initially find kimchi strange but later feel it is an indispensable side dish with meat or rice, I now feel that my soups are bland without jalapeños.

Moreover, they are easily available and inexpensive at any American supermarket. In Korea, you often have to go to a Korean market to find Cheongyang peppers, but here, I can just grab a bag of fresh jalapeños from the local market, which is incredibly convenient.

Ultimately, jalapeños on my dining table are not just a pepper; they are a small happiness discovered in my immigrant life.

Doenjang jjigae, pho, clam soup, bean sprout soup, spicy soup... even if the menus differ, the flavor of the broth is renewed with just jalapeños, creating dishes that reflect my own style in this unfamiliar land called America.

Now my cooking philosophy is that wherever there is broth, there are jalapeños.