Series 5, Episode 8
Catherine meets husband and wife Peter and Grainne Hill whose lives are split between South Korea and Kildare. We meet Grainne Hill at the Irish National Stud, a very special place for both her and Peter, as this is where they first met! Catherine chats to her about their love for horses which is what ultimately what brought Peter all the way to live and work in Jeju Island, South Korea. Catherine travels to meet Peter and daughter Alannah in Jeju, South Korea over 9,000 km away.
Jeju, South Korea has much in common with Ireland, they too suffered a famine culture, their scenery is also dotted with stonewalls just like Connemara, they too have basalt rock formations just like the Giants Causeway, and they love Tea!
“Tastes Like Home was a wonderful opportunity to finally share our lives in a more interactive way with friends and family. For so many years, we have only been able to relate our experiences of living and working thousands of miles apart in the simplest terms, feeling that few people could really understand us. From being a part of Tastes Like Home, we both are so happy to finally be able to show just what our lives are like”, shared Peter ( S. Korea ) and Grainne Hill, (Kildare ) of their experience.
To get a true feel for South Korean culture, Catherine and Peter visit Jeju’s ‘Five-Day Market’ the island’s biggest outdoor market ‘where everything and anything is for sale. Catherine samples some of Jeju’s local cuisine from it’s world famous BBQ black pork to it’s seafood plus she does a green-tea tasting at the O’Sulloc Tea Museum. Catherine learns the fascinating story of the Haenyeo Women Divers as she witnesses women in their seventies and eighties free-dive for sea urchins and abalone.
Catherine said of her South Korean experience, “From Korean BBQ to Kimchi and a huge amount more in between, authentic Korean food is so far removed from my food experiences to date. I learned so much about all the wonderful components of a great Korean feast but one memory that stands out for me was the Tea Ceremony, to take the time and enjoy the stillness, the ritual of tea pouring and tasting was a wonderful quiet moment and maybe it’s something I should practice a bit more at home!”
Grainne lives in Kildare and works as a Nurse. Peter has been living in Jeju, South Korea and travelling back and forth to Ireland, for 25 years. He is Irish/American and all of his siblings reside in California, his father worked in Hong Kong as an architect.
Grainne describes her husband as her first and only love and they have been married over 30 years! The longest time Peter and Grainne remain apart would be for a month to 7 weeks. They take turns to travel back and forth to see each other but the recent Covid-19 outbreaks have made that more difficult than normal. Grainne and Peter are parents to two daughters. Eldest daughter Alannah is a radio announcer for the Korean State Broadcaster in Seoul and youngest, Cassie now lives and works in Vancouver, Canada.
The fifth series of Tastes Like Home is sponsored by Belling.
For further information, imagery, interviews with Catherine or participants or to receive recipes with accompanying imagery, please contact; Ann-Marie Sheehan, Aspire PR & Marketing, T : 01 827 5181 / 087 298 5569