Philadelphia cream cheese.

It is an essential part of my breakfast table.

I am an ordinary dad of two living in Austin, Texas, but I take cream cheese quite seriously.

To be precise, I have become addicted to the charm of soft cream cheese.

The first time I encountered Philadelphia cream cheese was a few years ago at a bagel shop.

When I took a bite of a freshly baked warm bagel slathered with thick white cream cheese,

I was honestly a bit surprised by the soft and nutty flavor that spread in my mouth.

Until then, I had only thought of cream cheese as hard and monotonous in taste, but this was completely different.

It spread smoothly without being greasy, and the balance of sourness and saltiness was clean and harmonious.

It's not greasy, yet has a rich flavor.

I thought, this is the taste that embodies American abundance and leisure.

Since then, I became a fan of cream cheese.

I have tried it on bread, crackers, brioche, and even potato chips.

Well, it paired well with almost any carbohydrate.

Once, I made an open sandwich with avocado slices, and

the cream cheese held all the ingredients together while not overpowering the individuality of each ingredient.

The smooth and soft texture, the flavor that envelops the mouth was a taste of a different dimension that I had never experienced in Korean food.

Thinking about it, Korean food lacks this 'soft nuttiness'.

I am familiar with the salty taste that carries the earthiness of ingredients like doenjang or sesame oil, the sweet and spicy flavor of gochujang, and the fermented sourness of kimchi,

but this soft and calm 'aesthetic of dairy' was a taste world I first experienced in America.

In that sense, Philadelphia cream cheese is not just a cheese to spread.

It is an introductory American culinary ingredient that has allowed me to experience a new food culture as an immigrant.

Sometimes, I combine tomatoes and basil with cream cheese to make a brunch sandwich.

At those times, it feels like the whole house is filled with a New York vibe.

Enjoying this combination with a cup of coffee makes me feel like I am sitting in a small café in Brooklyn.

Then suddenly, I think to myself.

"Ah, this is truly a taste of America that is hard to find in Korea."

Of course, imported cream cheese is now abundant in Korea.

However, the culture of slathering cream cheese generously on bagels, and the sentiment of accepting that as part of the morning routine, still feels like a kind of 'freedom on the table' that can only be truly felt in America.

Sometimes I eat gochujang bibimbap and take a spoonful of kimchi stew, but even then, there is always Philadelphia cream cheese in the fridge.

If Korean food is my root, cream cheese is like proof that I am living here now.

On a sunny morning in Texas, looking at the cream cheese piled on a bagel on my sunny balcony, I quietly whisper to myself today as well.

"This soft and nutty taste of America."

In the end, this is where I have taken root and call home.