Shocking but relatable: aespa’s Winter just revealed a money-saving trick for her beloved mala xiang guo (spicy Sichuan stir-fry) — and fans can’t stop talking about it.
On the July 5 broadcast of JTBC’s variety show Chef & My Fridge, Karina and Winter appeared as guests. The show unveiled the fridge at Winter’s dorm, which then kicked off a 15-minute cook-off between the chefs using its ingredients.
Winter shared that their dorm setup recently changed. “Until not long ago, we paired off two members per dorm, but now all four of us share one place,” she said. “So we have two refrigerators in the dorm.”
Before opening the fridge, Winter admitted, “I try to cook when I can,” but added, “We’ve been busy around the clock lately, so I hardly made it back to the dorm for a few days. I’m still restocking, so there isn’t much yet,” expressing concern.
Inside, there were side dishes sent by Winter’s mother and a few basic ingredients. Saying she loves jangajji (soy-pickled vegetables), soy-marinated crab, and boiled pumpkin leaves, Winter added, “I’m also into doenjang, cheonggukjang, and kongguksu (cold soy milk noodle soup). I kind of have a grandma palate,” making everyone laugh.
Her delivery preferences also came up. “Lately I’m obsessed with mala xiang guo and order it a lot,” she confessed. When wide glass noodles (bunmoja) were found in the fridge, Winter explained, “If you add bunmoja in the delivery app, two lines of it cost around 5,000 won,” adding, “If I’m going to eat a lot, it’s cheaper to just buy it myself and add it,” revealing why she keeps extra on hand.
MC Kim Sung-joo praised her “great thrift,” while Ahn Jung-hwan joked, “Is aespa really that strapped?” sending the studio into laughter.
Meanwhile, aespa made their comeback in May with their second full-length album, ‘Lemonade.’