Those who have lived in the U.S. for a long time know that whether or not there is a Korean market nearby can surprisingly affect the quality of life.

While you can buy meat at American grocery stores, the problem arises on days when you suddenly crave doenjang jjigae.

If you're looking for Asian ingredients in Brooklyn, it's good to know about the Sunset Park area.

Especially around 8th Avenue, there are many Chinese residents, so there are quite a few Chinese supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.

You can surprisingly find a lot of Korean ingredients here. The variety of fish and seafood is much greater than in typical American supermarkets.

Since there are many overlapping ingredients in Chinese and Korean cuisine, if you're just making soup, stew, or stir-fry at home, there's no need to go all the way to Koreatown every time.

These days, the popularity of Korean food has improved the situation even more.

Instant noodles like Shin Ramyeon or Buldak Bokkeummyeon can easily be found at Asian markets, and gochujang, seaweed, frozen dumplings, various sauces, and snacks are also quite common.

It's no longer surprising to find kimchi or Korean products at American stores like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.

However, there is a problem. "I just want to do my grocery shopping at a proper Korean market!"

If you want to buy everything from gochugaru to anchovy sauce, shrimp sauce, perilla powder, naengmyeon, various side dishes, and Korean snacks all at once, a large Korean market is indeed convenient.

In such cases, many Brooklyn residents think of Queens. In Queens, including Flushing, there are Korean supermarkets like H Mart where you can shop in a way that feels similar to shopping in Korea. If you have a car, you can also take a trip to New Jersey for grocery shopping.

Areas like Palisades Park, Fort Lee, and Edgewater have a large Korean business community, offering many options not just for Korean markets but also for restaurants, bakeries, butcher shops, and side dish stores.

Once you go, you won't just be going to buy a jar of gochujang.

You'll end up buying rice, kimchi, a box of ramen, frozen dumplings, pork belly, and a few side dishes, filling your cart to the brim.

This is how the phenomenon of 'Korean grocery shopping trips' among Koreans comes about.

Of course, these days you don't necessarily have to move. Using Asian grocery delivery services like Weee! allows you to order Korean food from home, and you can easily find Korean processed foods through regular online shopping.

In the end, you don't have to worry too much about cooking Korean food in Brooklyn. You can buy vegetables, tofu, and seafood at the Sunset Park Asian market, while basic Korean foods like ramen or seaweed can be found at nearby stores.

And on days when you want to stock up your freezer and pantry? That's when you head out to Queens or New Jersey.

Living in Brooklyn doesn't mean you have to live without kimchi. In fact, as long as you know where and what to buy, setting up a Korean table isn't as inconvenient as you might think.