Chuseok (秋夕), celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, is one of Korea’s most important traditional holidays. Its name literally means “autumn evening.” Korea remained an agrarian society for much of its history, and Chuseok has traditionally been a time to give thanks for the year’s harvest and to wish for continued abundance and prosperity. Although many Korean families still observe Chuseok through traditional customs, I have decided to celebrate the occasion in my own way, as I have a foreign husband: by making two desserts that capture the spirit of autumn’s abundance. Pumpkin pie and apple pie. Pumpkins and apples are both familiar ingredients associated with autumn in Korea, and desserts made with these ingredients are also closely associated with the autumn and harvest season in other parts of the world, particularly North America. I am always grateful that advances in science and technology have enabled far more people than in the past to enjoy greater abundance and variety in their diets. May famine and poverty continue to decline, and may abundance and prosperity always prevail.🖖 Happy Chuseok. 🌕