I’ve always been a good eater, never picky, enjoying all sorts of side dishes. While I love seasoned soybean sprouts and spinach, cockle salad has always held the top spot in my heart. In the market, you can see piles of cockles sold by weight, with prices ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 won. Even with 5,000 won worth, you don’t get a huge amount. Since I tend to be greedy, I always buy 10,000 won worth, and although it seems like a lot, we finish it all eventually. My father, mother, brother, and I all love cockle salad. My brother, who can be a bit picky, enjoys it because my mother used to make it often when we were kids. That’s why I always make cockle salad when he visits. Incidentally, my brother only comes home twice a year, for Chuseok and Seollal, and those days are like festivals for me. Despite being family, we barely see each other more than friends or colleagues. We meet only twice a year and rarely even talk, so sometimes it feels like we’re strangers. Enough about my brother, let’s get to how to make cockle salad. Many people think making cockle salad is difficult, but it’s really not. I’ll kindly guide you through everything, from how to prepare the cockles to how to boil them.