Perilla Rice Cake Breakfast

20201212, The myths handed down to us never fail to include a stern lesson and warning for humans who destroy forests. The Epic of Gilgamesh, said to be the oldest story in human history, tells of a flood that strikes after the gods' forest is destroyed; in the Book of Genesis, humans who touch the tree of life are cast out of Eden. The myth of humanity's exile from paradise for disturbing forests and trees turns out to be our own situation too. (Kim Min-sik, The Time of Trees) The cause still hasn't been confirmed, but there's a theory that COVID-19 emerged when bats, driven from their habitats by deforestation, came into contact with humans. Others predict that deforestation, through a chain reaction, is melting polar permafrost and could release ancient viruses that have lain dormant inside it, posing an ongoing threat to human survival. Perhaps the day humanity gets exiled from this planet for disturbing its trees is drawing steadily closer. Today, let's each quietly, slowly, go digging through the deep, frozen corners of our own fridge for something to eat. #PerillaRiceCake #breakfast