2014 AUTUMN VOL . 02 | Special Theme | Philosophy of Korean Food | Tasty Story | Ancestral Recipes Sun Byeong Kuk Family House K-FOOD ISSUE Asian Food Festival
CONTENTS 2014 AUTUMN VOL .02
Special Theme
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Dinner Is Served
View Philosophy of Korean Food
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Column 1 Food as Medicine: Medicine and Food Share the Same Origin
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Column 2 Korean Food and Korean Medicine
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Column 3 The Healthiness of Korean Food Catches On Worldwide
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Theme Info Introducing the Nutrients In Our Ingredients
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Tasty Story
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It Tastes Better When Shared
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Ancestral Recipes Sun Byeong Kuk Family House
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K-FOOD ISSUE Asian Food Festival
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Seasonal Recipe Autumn Fusion Korean Dishes
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International Korean Menu Guide How to Romanize Yeongyang Dolsot Bap
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Publisher: Kang Min-su Date of publication: November 3, 2014 Publishing organization: Korean Food Foundation (www.koreanfood.net, www.hansik.org) PR team: Park Sun-hee, Won Jis-uk, Lee Se-mi, Kim Bi-ni Address: No. 1306, aT Center, 27 Gangnam-daero (Yangjae-dong), Seocho-gu, Seoul Phone: 82-2-6300-2054 Fax: 82-2-6300-2055 Online: www.koreanfood.net, www.hansik.org, twitter.com/hansikkorea, facebook.com/hansikkorea, weibo.com/thetasteofkorea Planning, reporting and design: EEPOP (www.eepop.co.kr), 82-2-514-7567 This <HANSIK> can also be found at the KFF’s official website (www.koreanfood.net, www.hansik.org). You can also view the magazine(Korean version) on your smartphone in a digital format by downloading the Korean Food app from the Apple App Store or Android Play Store or by scanning the QR code on the left. Keywords are Korean food, Korean Food Foundation, Korean food globalization, the Korean food magazine.
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Philosophy of Korean Food:
â&#x20AC;&#x153; Yak Sik Dong Won : Medicine and Food Share the Same Originâ&#x20AC;? Korean cuisine maintains the philosophy known as yak sik dong won, which literally means that medicine and food originate in the same place. This idea is derived from the dietary habits that our ancestors have learned and practiced from a long time ago. For this reason, a dish that achieves harmony with nature can be said to faithfully capture the thoughts and philosophy that our ancestors have cultivated thus far. Cooking and styling by Lee Yun-hye (Food Studio Saigan) Photographed by Kim Na-eun Location Geumseongdang Shrine, Important Folklore Material No. 258 (Eunpyeong-gu, Jingwan-dong in Seoul)
In the past, Koreans used to believe that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Food is in itself the medicine.â&#x20AC;? This belief in the medicinal qualities of food was so strong that our ancestors even incorporated staple Korean ingredients into their medicine, resulting in medicinal rice, drinks and snacks. The foundation of such a belief system lies in the overall pursuit of harmony: our ancestors believed that if people got sick after eating food, it was because the harmony among the food, seasons and physical constitution had been broken.
The problem with modern society lies in eating too much, a perspective firmly rooted in the belief that medicine and food are not separate, that mind and body are one and that food intended to achieves harmony with nature is in itself a medicine. In this issue, we revisit the simple yet profound philosophy of Korean food.
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Food as Medicine: Medicine and Food Share the Same Origin
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The primary reason that people ingest food is to survive-that is, to provide our bodies with the necessary nutrients to sustain themselves. The second reason is simply for the pleasure of eating. If this joy was to be missing in one’s life, they might be missing out on some of the great delights of the human experience. Hence, we should eat the kind of food that we can relish with all of our senses. The third reason for consuming food-the one that many people seem to have forgotten-is to prevent or cure disease. If this is the case, what kind of food can help us to self-medicate? In short, restorative medicine does not necessarily have to be something out of our reach. On the contrary, the food we eat every day can be the best medicine for us. Written by Lee Won-jong (Professor of Department of Food and Nutrition at Gangneung-Wonju National University)
Eating the way people used to in the old days, maintaining the taste of nature In Minongjeon, or The Tale of Old Man Min, a short story written by Park Ji-won over 200 years ago, there is a passage that goes like this: To live long, Old Man Min refused to eat regular meals and only consumed restorative herbal medicine such as wood fungus, ginseng, boxthorn and the like, only to find himself feeling more exhausted and drained. When an old lady in the neighborhood came to visit and saw this, she lamented, “Your illness can be cured by nothing else but the five grains.” What this passage seems to direct a criticism at is the sort of people who, both then and now, go looking for some sort of special, miraculous medicine while neglecting the importance of everyday meals. For thousands of years, Korean people have survived on the nutrition provided by Korean traditional food. As such, Korean bodies has changed and developed to fit our dietary habits. However, during the past few decades, Western ingredients, products and preparation styles have been imported to Korea, turning fast food into a trend and pushing traditional food out. One of the consequences of such trends is that we now witness people who are eating plenty of food but still suffering from malnutrition. One may wonder how this sort of deficiency is possible in an age where food is so superfluous, but this phenomenon is more common that one might expect. This is not to say that modern-day malnutrition is the same as that of the past. While previous generations experienced overall nutrient deficiency due to food shortages, people these days are lacking in very specific nutrients due to imbalances in their diet. In Korea, there is a sentiment that is growing in popularity, the notion that to be healthy, one must eat the way people used to in the old days. When Koreans think of the past when the food was scarce, boritgogae, or the past generations’ experience of scarcity just before the spring barley harvest, comes to their mind. It may be hard to imagine today, but there was once a year when Koreans suffered through a spring famine before the barley harvest in the early summer, a spring when weather was poor and their harvest from the previous fall ran out. During that time, people had to subsist on mixed grains like sorghum and millet and crops like sweet potato and corn. After these resources were exhausted, Koreans were forced to appease their hunger by consuming the wild greens they had gathered from the mountains and fields, such as dandelions and plantain. Also, until not too long ago, it was not uncommon to hear of street vendors selling buckwheat jelly or sticky rice cakes at night. These Korean traditional foods-jellies made from buckwheat or acorns, sweet potato vines, dried radish leaves, pumpkin leaves, all sorts of wild greens, fermented soybean paste and kimchi-are considered by some to be the true diet of Koreans, food that is both good for the body and imbued with the spirit of the Korean people.
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The answer lies in the ingredients with strong vital force Given that modern societies have resulted in polluted environments exposed to air pollution and toxic heavy metals, the food consumed by modern people is often contaminated by antibiotics, food additives, pesticides and agricultural fertilizer. Along with pesticides, the heavy metals in question-lead, mercury and aluminum, among others-are often fat-soluble, meaning that, once consumed, they get stored in fatty tissue and are not easily excreted. In light of this problem, what sort of food can help us eliminate such toxic matter from our bodies? The wild greens that grow in Korean fields or mountains, an exhaustive list including mugwort, dandelion, plantain, sow thistle, bud of aralia elater, prickly castor-oil tree, bracken, chamnamul, bonnet bellflower, balloon flower root, Korean lettuce, wild chive and shepherd’s purse, are high in antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E, selenium and flavonoid. Thus, they have the effects of eliminating toxic substances in the body and boosting the immune system. The other reason these native greens are so nutritious is that, having developed in the wild, they have a level of tenacity that dwarves that of vegetables cultivated in a relatively sheltered environment. Wild greens are exposed to the elements-the cold, heat, rainy seasons and drought–and survive the fierce competitions within the ecosystem. The consequence of these harsh growing conditions is that the plants are forced to produce their own defenses-namely, nutrients and a certain level of heartiness-which results in their medicinal qualities for humans. There is, however, a cooking technique that, when applied, is known to produce a completely different type of benefit for humans: fermentation. Two well-known examples of traditional foods in Korea that incorporate this time-tested method are soybean paste and kimchi. Put simply, fermented food contains various kinds of enzymes. A healthy person’s body can produce enzymes naturally, of course, but as we get older, the body’ s secretion of enzymes becomes less active, leading to poorer health or a decline in one’s digestive system. Fermented food also contains leaven and lactic acid bacteria, which are beneficial to our body because they prevent harmful germs from growing in our intestines, synthesize vitamins and degrade carbohydrates and proteins by promoting enzyme secretion. Modern scientists consider fermented food to be the nourishment that will guarantee our health in the future, supplements that promote wellness rather than just being one of the things that we eat. I am proud of our ancestors’ wisdom, having made and consumed such nutritious food for thousands of years. Among the different types of fermented foods available, Korean traditional condiments, such as ganjang (soy sauce), doenjang (soybean paste) and gochujang (red chilli sauce), which are all made from fermented soybeans, are not only important parts of Korean tradition but also play a key role in keeping generations of Koreans healthy. Soybean paste, in particular, is arguably the best food–and medicine-that was passed down to modern Koreans by their ancestors. As the mixture ferments, the nutritional content of the processed soybeans becomes easily digestible and a diverse array of beneficial substances is produced, making the sauce’s nutritional value even higher than the original soybeans.
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Traditional food, a shortcut to healthy regimen that comforts the mind and invigorates the body For our food to contribute a healthy diet, it must first and foremost be made with sincerity. Sincerity can make the same food have a different effect on our overall well-being. Namul muchim (seasoned wild greens) is the first thing that comes to mind when I think about food made with sincerity. As much as the ingredients determine the dish’s flavor, many Koreans believe that the taste of namul muchim is determined by the touch of the person who prepares them. Both namul muchim or doenjang jjigae (soybean paste soup) with wild greens are typically mixed or cooked by the loving hands of one’s mother, and are no doubt medicinal foods. The invisible ingredient that sets our mother’s cooking apart from the food we eat at restaurants is the sincerity that is added to each dish. Traditionally, our mothers cooked food with sincerity using the ingredients that our fathers grew in the vegetable gardens with the intention of feeding his loving family. The family shared that food with gratitude: every item on the table was meaningful and contained the heart and soul of those who were involved in its making. Even today, the thought of such food still comforts our minds and invigorates our bodies. This traditional cuisine is the kind of food that can keep our body healthy and cure disease. A healthy body is not something that is just given but earned through ceaseless effort. To maintain a healthy body, we must pursue a simpler way of life, exercise regularly and consume Korean traditional food made with ingredients that have not been polluted or contaminated. Although we understand the importance of eating traditional food that is best fit for our body, this goal is not easy to put into practice. Instead, we resort to instant food, thinking that the time spent cooking and eating a formal meal is a waste. We must keep in mind, however, that there is no shortcut to a healthy regimen other than purchasing quality, uncontaminated ingredients, even though they may be more expensive, and eating the traditional food that provides us with the nutritional balance necessary to nourish our bodies.
The author Lee Won-jong graduated with a B.A. in Food Science and Biotechnology from Seoul National University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from North Dakota State University majoring in Food Science. He is currently a professor in the Department of Food and Nutrition at Gangneung-Wonju National University. Known as the ‘Farming Professor,’ he takes interest in balanced dietary habits that can maintain bodily harmony and writes columns for diverse media. As an author, his titles include Medicine and Poison are Separated by Knowledge and Ignorance, Rough Food That Saves the Table in Crisis, Balanced Table that Brings Health and Longevity.
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Korean Food and Korean Medicine Korean food and Korean medicine share similarities by destiny. The first and most obvious commonality is the easiest to overlook: their name. Both have the word“Korean”attached to their titles, indicating that they are somehow related to Korean culture. Prior to the late Joseon period (the late 19th century), or more simply put,“Western impact,”there was no need to specify that food or medicine was“Korean.”Since the arrival of Western influence, however, applying the word“Korean”now refers to ingredients, practices and philosophies that Koreans have relied on daily for thousands of years to maintain their lifestyles. Written by Lee Yeong-jong (Professor of College of Korean Medicine at Gachon University) Photographed by Choi Jae-in
Korean food, valuable assets accumulated for thousands of years Natural science in the modern period has been dominated by sciences that have been established in the West. Knowledge and technology that have been traditionally accumulated in the Eastern society could not survive the competition against Western science and disappeared from the center stage of history. However, Korean medicine has managed to take a firm stand and secure independent territory in the face of the remarkable progress of Western medicine. In addition, no matter how rapidly people’ s lifestyles continue to change, traditional food culture remains the same. Moreover, Korean food and Korean medicine are no longer confined to Korea-they have expanded worldwide, disseminating the valuable assets that have been accumulated on the Korean peninsula for thousands of years. Medicine and food have long been inseparable in Korean tradition because they are believed to share the same origin, which is embodied in the phrase yaksik dongwon. With medicine acting as food and food acting as medicine, it is meaningless to differentiate between the two. In the courts of the Zhou Dynasty, in china there were four types of doctors: the food doctor, the disease doctor, the skin doctor and the veterinarian. A food doctor was someone who looked after the royal family’s health through everyday dietary habits. Disease doctors, by contrast, were the equivalent of today’s physicians, whose purpose was to treat diseases using medication. Addressing far more than simply dermatology, skin doctors fulfilled a similar function to today’s surgeons, treating external wounds incurred from arrows, spears or swords. And finally, veterinarians were the ones that took care of the wellness of animals, livestock especially. Among these specialists, the food doctor held the highest status, since maintaining one’s health through daily nutrition was thought of as being the most important and the most challenging.
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Yak sik dong won, the wisdom of life Both Korean medicine and Korean food share their roots with traditional Oriental regimens. According to the Oriental belief system, the human body can be viewed as an independent microcosm. It is said that, given the nobility of human beings, the cosmic rules that govern the universe in harmony and order and without a single error should apply to the human body as well. Just as the sun, moon and stars are in the sky, there are eyes, ears and a nose on our body; accordingly, just as there are mountain ranges and rivers running across Earth, there are bones and veins in our body. Thus, in order for the human microcosm to live a healthy life, it should not go against the order of nature, the macrocosm, but rather align itself with it. Next is the idea of treating one’s illnesses before the symptoms begin showing or a disease manifests itself-in other words, preventative medicine. Among the many characteristics of Korean food, it can be said to be seasonal food, fermented food and food for invigoration, three approaches to nourishment that are all in line with the ideas of preventative medicine and seeing the human body as a functioning microcosm. Koreans’ emphasis on seasonal food is the first step toward adapting to a more natural lifestyle. In Korea, the distinctions between spring, summer, winter and fall are quite clear. Since the plants, animals and humans living and breathing on this land have all adjusted to Korea’s unique climate over the past thousand years, they all share a similar energy. As a key component of this system, Korean food faithfully follows the seasonal cycle and is made from the seasonal ingredients; hence, it complements what may be lacking in human body at any given part of the year. The wild greens that grow in the spring, such as wild chive, shepherd’s purse and sow thistle, are served to invigorate those who were unable to eat fresh vegetables during the colder months, those whose blood may be murky and energy may have been blocked after a long winter of indoor life. The merits of fermented food, a staple part of Korean cuisine, are too numerous to count. With a list that includes kimchi, pickled fish, chilli paper paste, soybean paste and soy sauce, the fermented foods that Koreans have grown accustomed to over the years will keep their place on the table and not be easily pushed out, even if our diet becomes more westernized. Lastly, in the Korean culinary tradition, there are energy-boosting foods that are prepared to correspond with each season, a practice that is once again connected to the overall philosophy of preventative medicine. These foods are especially beneficial when it comes to illnesses that arrive in summer and winter when the body is more likely to become ill due to extreme heat or severe cold, respectively. In the midsummer heat, past generations developed the tradition of eating ginseng chicken soup and croaker soup as a means of keeping cool and maintaining good health. Even on its own, the ginseng used in ginseng chicken soup is an excellent cooking ingredient that often leaves people feeling invigorated. In addition, the croaker’s air bladder-the air socket used to make the fish’s signature sound-is also a medicinal ingredient known to have invigorating effects. These are both examples of food and medicine serving a common purpose, and ginseng and croaker are not the only foods with this trait. Almost all of the ingredients that often appear in Korean dishes-vegetables such as radish, eggplant, squash, potatoes, bean sprouts, scallion, garlic and ginger, and fish such as yellow corvina and pollackare in fact frequently used in Korean medicine for their unique medicinal effects. Thus, Korean medicine and Korean food are partners with the same origin that help us on our path to a healthy life.
The author Lee Yeong-jong, graduated from Kyung Hee University with a bachelor’s degree in Korean Medicine and went on to receive a Ph.D. specializing in Herbology. He is currently a professor in the College of Korean Medicine at Gachon University teaching herbology. He coauthored Herbology and Formulas and wrote Table Laid with Food Therapy Fit to Korean People’s Constitution, MT Korean Me
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The globalization of Korean food has generated ongoing discussion in some culinary circles, with claims being made that Korean food is simply superior to other national cuisines. But when you look at each nation’s food as its own cultural form with a long and distinct history, it is difficult to pinpoint one superior food. Rather, it would be more correct to say that the medical and nutritional superiority of Korean food, along with its roots in natural ingredients, are now beginning to attract greater interest worldwide. Written By Chung Hae-Kyung (Professor of Department of Food and Nutrition at Hoseo University)
The Healthiness of Korean Food Catches On Worldwide Koreans have thought of food as medicine for many years. The idea of yaksik dongwon, meaning that food and medicine share the same origin, was a philosophy that was actually put in practice in Korean food: the word for medicine (yak) was attached to sweet rice snacks (yak-sik), sauces (yak-gochujang) and dried beef (yak-po) even alcohol (yak-ju). This philosophy of health that permeates Korean food ended up moving audiences worldwide through the TV drama, ‘Daejanggeum’ (2003~2004), leading Korean fare to take its place among healthy cuisines of the world, as much as Mediterranean cuisine.
The scientific research behind Korean cuisine’s claim to healthiness In truth, Western schools of thought have had a negative perspective of Korean traditional cuisine for many years. In recent years, however, it has been suggested that fermented foods such as kimchi, doenjang (soybean paste), gochujang (red chilli sauce) and jeotgal (salted seafood), foods once overlooked by the supposedly sophisticated or modernized palate, are now being touted in Western academia as being effective defenses against chronic disease, cancer and obesity. However, even while admitting the health benefits of Korean food, many people don’t really know what it is about Korean food that makes it healthy. For this reason, let us examine the scientific research behind the alleged healthiness of Korean food, which is, among others things, one of the characteristics that has made Korean food appealing to the rest of the world. Rice is the most central food in Korean cuisine, which means that most meals involve rice being complemented by various side dishes and soup. According to Western notions of nutrition, the essence of a healthy diet is ‘balance’ and ‘variety.’ In a typical Korean meal, the ratio of vegetables to meat is generally 8:2, with vegetables serving as the foundation of the meal and with every meal featuring various side dishes. Korean food also fulfills the requirements of being both a balanced and varied diet, and is in this sense an ideal, natural and healthy cuisine. The reason the golden ratio of 8:2-with emphasis on the vegetable element-was originally possible was because in Korean cuisine, soybeans were used as a source of protein. Recently, these foods were discovered to contain Vitamin B12, which is essential for both vegetarian diets
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and general longevity. Thus, a traditional rice-and vegetable based meal contains little fat and plenty of fiber, vitamins and minerals; offers just the right amount of protein; and, compared to Western eating patterns, is nutritionally balanced-hence, the widely accepted belief among nutritional experts that Korean cuisine can have preventive effects on chronic disease and obesity.
Korean cuisine is at the center of healthy food In the United States, which is now called the empire of obesity, the government has released new dietary guidelines that focus on filling half the plate with fruit and vegetables. When reviewing these recommendations, it is not an exaggeration to say that Korean cuisine fulfills these guidelines almost perfectly. Moreover, it is rare to find a national cuisine that uses quite as many vegetables as Korean cuisine. Found in both the fields and the mountains, vegetables were the lifeline of our nation, and have recently been recognized as being effective at preventing cancer. A list titled “54 Foods that Fight Cancer” released by the Korean Society of Cancer Prevention and the Korean Nutrition Society contains Western foods such as broccoli, tomatoes and olive oil, but many of the foods on the list are foods that our ancestors consumed traditionally. Ssuk (mugwort), chwinamul (Aster scaber), sseumbagwi (Ixeridium dentatum), gondeure (Cirsium setidens) and perilla leaf, among numerous other vegetables, as well as sesame oil, perilla seed oil, and a variety of foods that our ancestors enjoyed-or other foods that are being pushed out of our diets due to increasing Western influence-were introduced as having outstanding anticancer effects. These effects also appear in clinical trials, as seen in one recent university research project that compared Korean cuisine such as bibimbap to Western food and demonstrated that Korean food had superior preventive effects on cardiovascular diseases as well. When the team published their results, they also claimed that the rice-based Korean diet has beneficial effects on hyperlipidemia and other lifestyle-related diseases. Moreover, according to research from the Rural Development Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which observed the effects of American test subjects consuming Korean food, Korean food was shown to be more effective in preventing chronic illnesses relative to American food.
The health of Korean food, moving minds around the world Overconsumption of meat, processed foods and fast foods in recent years have not only led to an overall deterioration of health around the world, but have also threatened the environment. Worldwide slow food and local food movements have stemmed from a recognition of these problems, and concerned citizens around the world are beginning to participate. Korean food is, in essence, what these movements are aiming for: by putting heavy emphasis on vegetarianism and fermented foods, it has beneficial effects on preventing chronic illnesses, and even in Western science, which has formerly rejected Korean cuisine, Korean food is being celebrated as the basis of a healthy diet. Observing such phenomena, one is prompted to rethink the frugal food philosophies of our ancestors, who saw food not as simply materials, but as part of nature, and as something to be loved rather than excessively consumed. The spiritual and physical healing effects of Korean cuisine arise from this sense of nature. Korean cuisine looks to establish itself as a world cuisine that heals the world, an answer to a global culture that is increasingly distanced from natural ingredients and made ill by excessive consumption of meat. The author Chung Hae-Kyung graduated from Ewha Womens University’s Food and Nutrition Department and also received her Ph.D. in the natural sciences from the same university. She is currently a professor at the Food and Nutrition Department of Hoseo University, and on the board of examiners of the Food Industry Promotion Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as on the consulting board for the Korean cuisine globalization project at the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation. She is the author of several books, including The Food Culture of Seoul, What Rice Is to Koreans (co-authored), and A Record of 1000 Years in Korean Cuisine.
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Theme Info No to Vitamin Supplements!
Introducing the Nutrients in Our Ingredients Many people take dietary supplements along with their daily meals. This is the plight of the modern man and woman, who do not have time for a balanced diet, but must instead fulfill their daily nutrition requirements with a few small pills. However, the rice and side dishes that we eat are already packed with a variety of vitamins and nutrients, with nothing to lose to dietary supplements. Reference Encyclopedia of Gangneung
Stop colds!
Vitamins A and C in Daikon radish
Its vitamin A content is highly beneficial to increasing the immunity of the respiratory system. In the days when winter vegetables were hard to come by, the daikon radish was also a valuable source of vitamin C. Its outer layer contains 2.5 times as much vitamin C as the inside, and dried radish has additionally positive effects.
Better Vision!
Anthocyanin in Eggplant The purple color seen in an eggplant’s skin comes from a pigment known as anthocyanin. Anthocyanin has superior abilities when it comes to defending against deteriorating eyesight and aging, and also has the effect of suppressing carcinogenic substances such as aflatoxin and benzopyrene.
Essential for Growing Children!
Essential Amino Acids in the Croaker The Korean word for croaker , jogi , means ‘ fish that replenishes energy .’ As evidenced in the meaning of its name, croaker is rich in essential amino acids and vitamins A and D, highly effective in boosting energy. Moreover, because the fish is also rich in iron and calcium, it's an excellent food for young children.
A tonic hidden in the Earth!
Saponin in the Deodeok Deodeok, or sasam, is one of the osam (five major types of ginseng), along with insam, hyeonsam, dansam, and gosam. Deodeok is rich in saponin, a substance also found in the root of ginseng. Saponin has beneficial effects on male virility, and is also good for menopausal women.
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Tasty Story 16 20 24 26
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It Tastes Better When Shared
Ancestral Recipes Sun Byeong Kuk Family House K-FOOD ISSUE Asian Food Festival Seasonal Recipe Autumn Fusion Korean Dishes International Korean Menu Guide How to Romanize Yeongyang Dolsot Bap
Tasty Story Ancestral Recipes
Nourishment For The Mind & Soul Sun Byeong Kuk Family House
Almost smack in the middle of the South Korean peninsula sits a massive century old estate on it is very own island. Under the deep blue sky a meandering river flows down from Mt. Sokri in the north into a valley, splits in two and then reunites again a little ways to the south forming a triangle shaped piece of paradise. But the significance of this location for the Sun family went deeper than aesthetics. This new, smaller island would be symbolic of Geogum Island, the home they left far behind oďŹ&#x20AC; of the coast of Goheung in Jeollanamdo province. Written and photographed by Gregory David Samborski Food and location Kim Jeong-ok (wife of the heir to the Sun Family)
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Meet The head residence of Bosung Seons Boast the grandeur of 99 rooms The Sun family made the move from Goheung to Boeun in 1909. Over the next 12 years their home would grow to over 99 rooms covering 6,600ă&#x17D;Ą, half of their total land. The property survived Japanese colonization, bombings and floods and has since been established as an official national heritage site by Korea. These days the estate caters to more than just tourists. Since the foundation was laid a century ago, scholars looking to enter competitive fields such as law could check in for a few days, or a even few years. The absolute serenity and strategically designed menu gave them the focus and energy needed to study effectively. Today the gracious Mrs. Kim Jeong-ok prepared for me the typical students meal is served after they have met their study goal, usually an allotted number of chapters in a text. Included on the menu are three dishes the family is particularly well known
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Tasty Story 종가의 맛
the typical students meal
for, beef tartare, beef jerky and hollow songpyeon.
skill that seems to have been forgotten in today’s
I sit cross legged at our tiny table surrounded by
modern-day dwellings.
ornate architecture, gardens abuzz with life and beautiful views chatting with Mrs. Kim while sampling the spread in front of me.
Taste Mrs. Kim’s cooking skill
Mrs. Kim shared with me that her home was not built in traditional hanok style as concrete was
I pick up my chopsticks and ask Mrs. Kim to tell me a
used for parts of the construction which was quite
little more about the food I am eating. Typical Korean
unconventional back in the day. Interestingly, there
songpyeon is usually filled with sugary beans, seeds
also used to be laws limiting the number of rooms
or chestnut. The songpyeon between my chopsticks
a dwelling could have. Essentially, peasants were
was left intentionally hallow, the hope was that by
allowed the fewest and nobles the most. Being
doing so, the POP on the first bite would remove any
fairly high up on the socioeconomic ladder, the Sun
mental blocks the scholar was facing. These foods
family was permitted to build many rooms - and did
however are not the traditional food of Mrs. Kim’s
so! Thus the project being as grandiose as it was,
family, that cuisine would be more coastal and fishy,
attracted Korea’s top tradesmen and they took great
but they have been served to the scholars over the
pride in showing off their superior craftsmanship
last century. My favorite dish was the sugar glazed
skills. One can clearly see the attention to detail
ginger; so much so that I’m contemplating going for
that was given to the buildings on the property, a
my Ph.D in astro physics just so I can eat more.
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Aside from overseeing the students and the five million visitors that pass through her gates annually Mrs. Kim also teaches classes on how to make Korean spices, sauces and pastes at famous Department Stores and Markets around Korea. One of the family’s most famous and perhaps most expensive products is their soy sauce. When asked why the answer was quite simple, it’s about three to five times more concentrated than your big brand varieties.
Take a walk Mrs. Kim’s jangdokdae
pots, in the background a thatch roof hut, persimmon
Following our meal I wandered the property with
hard to find a more quintessential Korean scene.
Mrs. Kim. I asked her to choose her favorite room out
As the sun set deeper into the west and the light
of the 99 that were surrounding us. She said it was
became soft and golden the beauty of the location
the main building or ‘Anchae’ as it is called in Korean.
only intensified. It was clear to see why the Sun
There the sliding hanok doors on the east and west
family chose to live here, why students chose to study
side allow her to take in both the sunrise and sunset
here, why the government chose to protect here and
from the same room. While my visit didn’t coincide
why we chose to visit. If you have the chance, make
with either of these phenomenon, the view from the
the trip out, you won’t regret it.
tree and mountains reaching to the sky. It would be
anche was stunning nonetheless. The rest of the Sun Byeong Kuk estate was equally beautiful. Mrs. Kim took me to the fermentation garden (Jangdokdae), another of her favorite areas. Vast rows of clay pots sat on a bed of small stones, flowers overflowed into the yard from every direction. Mrs. Kim strolled by in her Hanbok amongst the
The writer and photographer of this column is Gregory David Samborski, a photographer and writer from Canada. He enjoys writing and photography, and has been viewing Korea's people, objects and landscapes through his lens for the past seven years.
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Tasty Story K- FOOD ISSUE
10 Asian Countries, Becoming One through Food!
Asian Food Festival At long last, Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest sports festival, the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, is over. The site of the festival boasted a variety of cultural events, with each area celebrating a different facet of Asian culture. Among the many well-attended events was the Asian Food Festival, which was intended to showcase the diversity of cuisines found in Asian countries. The festival also served as an introduction to Korean food and Korean culture, receiving a warm response from locals and foreigners alike. Written by Han Kyung-hee Photographed by Choi Jae-in
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A mammoth 16 day festival connecting the 450 billion
to the visitors of the Games, as well as to tell the world
residents of Asia, the 2014 Incheon Asian Games finally
about Korean food culture.
reached the finish line on Oct.4, its final day. But as much as the Asian Games are a contest of athletic ability, they are also about communication and cultural pride. In pursuit of this theme, the gathering also featured secondary events around the sports arena that provided visitors with the opportunity to experience the cultures of various Asian countries firsthand.
The curtain rises on the Asian Food Festival as the bapsangbo is spread
The opening ceremony o f t h e A s i a n Fo o d Festival was held on Sept. 19, just before the opening ceremony of the Asian Games.
The Asian Food Festival, which opened in the northern
The event featured
plaza at the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main stadium in Incheon, was also
remarks by Kim Yeong-su, head of the Incheon Asian
an occasion for cultural exchange and harmony between
Games organizing committee; Kang Min-su, chairman
the various countries of Asia. From the start of the
of the Food and Culture Festival; Kang Gi-heung,
Games on Sept. 19 to its end 16 days later, the Korean
vice president of the Korea Tourism Organization;
Food Foundation and the organizing committee of the
Kim Yong-jung, chair professor at the Corea Culinary
Incheon Asian Games hosted the Asian Food Culture Festival, which was hugely successful. The goal of the festival was to satisfy all five of the senses, presenting an excellent opportunity to introduce Asian food culture
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1. Asian Food Festival Event Hall 2. A unique ribbon-cutting ceremony involving bapsangbo, representative of Korean food culture 3. A traditional wedding event staged at the event hall
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Officer Occupational Training College; Venerable
the embassies and cultural centers of each country were
Daean, Buddhist monk and head chef at Balwoo
present to show off their national cuisine. In the Korean
Gongyang; and Edward Kwon, CEO of EK Food; as
Food Zone, a restaurant known as Balwoo Gongyang,
well as famous chefs from each of the countries.
run by the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism and
The ribbon-cutting ceremony in particular attracted the
affiliated with the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism,
attention of many visitors; instead of cutting an actual
was the main draw, presenting temple food such as
ribbon, the ceremony consisted of untying a long chain
Jpapnese lunchboxes, lotus leaf meals and soy cutlets. In
of multiple bapsangbo, or protective food cloths, that
addition, Chef Kim Yong-jung, one of South Korea’s
had been knotted together. For the uninitiated, the
most venerated chefs as well as the chair professor at the
bapsangbo is a cloth that is spread over a meal so that
Corea Culinary Officer Occupational Training College,
dust does not get into the food you've laid out for your loved ones. By incorporating this very sentimental
presented Korean traditional foods such as a bulgogi, galbi tang (short rib soup), herbal samgye tang (ginseng
item into the ceremony, this event expressed the
chicken soup) and bibim bap. The event also featured
determination to demonstrate the same level of
luxury dishes from Japan’s Yoshimura restaurant and
consideration and care towards the Asian Food Festival.
China’s Huaizawen restaurant, as well as Asian foods
The ceremony, with its five-color bapsangbo-the cloths representing the organizers’ hope that the Asian Games
that are otherwise not as readily available, such as dishes
and the Asian Food Festival would be a success-was also well received by the foreign chefs in attendance.
from Thailand, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, India, Sri Lanka, Iran and Vietnam, all of which attracted a lot of interest from the visitors. The event hall was filled with things to see and enjoy,
After the opening
The varied Asian food experience areas, the luxury halls of food and event
many of which being thanks to the hard work of the
ceremony came the
Korean Food Foundation. The varied programs, which
tour through the experience areas,
encompassed exhibitions, experiences, sights and feasts,
consisting of the
visitors. It was the experience halls introducing kimchi,
satisfied the senses and were immensely popular with the
L u x u r y Fo o d H a l l
korean traditional alcohol and traditional tea tastings
and the Event Hall,
and lessons, as well as a mandu(dumpling)making
featuring various exhibitions and displays. The Luxury
session, that received particular attention, especially
Food Hall was where the unique dishes of 10 countries-
from foreign visitors. There was also an exhibition hall
Sri Lanka, Iran, India, Indonesia, China, Japan,
that offered a variety of information about Korean food,
Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Vietnam and Korea - were introduced and sold, and famous chefs recommended by
such as the past, present and future of Korean food,
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the varied designs of Korean food containers and the
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globalization of Korean food. The events the visitors could participate in directly, such as the ‘Healthy Foods You Can Cook with Daddy Contest’ and a genuine ‘cooking concert’ featuring famous chefs including Im Jiho and Hong Shin-ae, were also enthusiastically received by the visitors.
One visitor, who claimed to have come to taste the food from each country, conveyed his excitement about the festival, saying, ‘There is so much to see in the event halls and I’ m going to take it slow and see each one.’ A middle-school student with his classmates from an institution nearby said, ‘I eat Korean food every day, but seeing it presented this beautifully was
Seeing, listening, tasting and enjoying: An enjoyable festival you articipate in
The Asian Food
new and surprising to me. And the various exhibitions
Festival prese-nted
and information on Korean food were interesting,’
not only food but also
expressing his positive feelings about the event.
traditional experiences and exhi-bitions,
The Korean Food Foundation, which hosted the Asian
including chances to try on hanbok (Korean traditional clothes) or practice traditional games such as tuho (throwing arrows in a bucket), yut (a Korean traditional board game), tteokmechigi (the process for
Food Festival, contributed to the further globalization of Korean food by introducing Korean food to many Asian countries and providing an opportunity for visitors to try things for themselves.
making tteok) and more. From middle-aged men at their wit’s end learning the nuances of tteokmechigi to excited grandmothers playing tuho and mothers and fathers watching, satisfied, as their children formed rice mandu(dumpling) with little hands, the visitors who went into the event area were able to participate in a variety of highly involved programs and have an enjoyable time.
1. The Korean food zone in the event hall 2. Minister Lee Dongphil, of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, who participated in the tteokbokki-making experience event 3. Visitors gathering in front of the luxury food hall to taste Asia’s foods
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Tasty Story Seasonal Recipe
Full of the Richness of Fall
Autumn Fusion Korean Dishes Jumbo prawns and lotus root salad It is now or never when it comes to sampling some of the season’ s finest jumbo prawns. Read on to see how we combined these succulent and fragrant prawns with a crisp pine nut sauce for a healthy and delicious dish.
• Ingredients
3 jumbo prawns Clear rice wine, to taste of a cucumber ½ of a bamboo shoot 2 chestnuts 1 radish Lotus root (slight amount) Sauce: 2 tablespoon pine nuts ¼ of a pear Salt, to taste
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• Preparation
Step 1. Devein the prawns with a skewer, make a couple of small slits on the underside of each prawn and arrange them on a frying pan. Drizzle clear rice wine over the prawns and steam over medium heat. Step 2. After steaming, remove the shells and slice the prawns into bite-size pieces. Step 3. Cut the cucumber into 3 ㎝ pieces. Thinly slice the radish. Step 4. Keeping the comb pattern of the bamboo shoots intact, cut them into the same-sized pieces as cucumber. Cut the lotus root crosswise. Blanch the bamboo shoots and lotus root together in boiling
water. Peel the chestnuts and slice. Step 5. Make the sauce by grinding the pine nuts, pear and salt. Step 6. Toss all ingredients together and serve. 1
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Autumn is a time of richness. The mountains, ocean and fields all offer their best harvest for the season. Let us revive your summer-weathered spirits with some fall specialties incorporating nutrient-packed autumn fruits, nuts and seasonal seafood, all blended in perfect harmony. Recipes and food styling by Lee Yun-hye (Food Studio Saigan) Coordinator by Leem Sung-eun Photographed by Kim Na-eun
Braised abalone and gingko nuts Lusciously fat abalone and gingko nuts blend with soy sauce in this lightly braised harmony of sea and mountain fall favorites: a nutritious dish that is simple yet worthy of serving to guests.
• Ingredients
4 fresh abalones 1 teaspoon rice wine 12 gingko nuts 1 shiitake mushroom 4 cloves of garlic 1 red gochu(chilli) Sauce for braising: 1 teaspoon ganjang(soy sauce) 1 teaspoon oyster sauce 1 teaspoon cooking wine 1 teaspoon oligosaccharide 1 dried red gochu(chilli) Sesame oil, to taste
• Preparation Step 1. Clean the abalone thoroughly and separate the meat from the shell . Make incisions with a knife and drizzle with rice wine. Step 2. Blanch the abalone in boiling water . Blanch the gingko nuts and remove the inner layer of skin. Step 3. Add all the ingredients for the braising sauce except the sesame oil to the pan and boil. When the sauce starts boiling , add shiitake mushrooms and garlic, and after they have braised, add abalone and gingko nuts. Step 4. Cut the braised abalone into bite-sized pieces and place in a serving
dish. Garnish with gingko nuts. Step 5. Slice the red gochu into thin slices, soak in cold water and serve.
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Tasty Story Story International 종가의 맛 Korean Menu Guide
A Bountiful Autumn with Korea’s unique Autumn Delicacies How to Romanize Yeongyang Dolsot Bap (nutritious stone pot rice) On the Korean Peninsula, autumn is known as the season where ‘the sky is high and horses get fat.’ In other words, it is a time when the weather is clear and perfect for outings, and the harvest is plentiful for all to eat. After months of lighter summer fare, our appetites return in the fall for this season’s wide array of heartier offerings. These days, there are many foreign visitors coming in search of Korean culture. Let’s take a look at the vocabulary related to this season’s representative dishes: yeongyang dolsot bap (nutritious stone pot rice)
marmite en pierre. Une fois ce plat consommé, on verse de l’eau au fond de la marmite pour obtenir le Nureungjibap, soupe réalisée à partir du riz restant.
Italian Riso nutriente in tegame di pietra Una miscela di riso, vari cereali, castagne, semi di gingko e pinoli cotti in tegami di pietra individuali. Dopo che si è consumato il contenuto, si versa dell’ acqua nel tegame di pietra rovente, che trasforma il fondo croccante di riso in un nurungi bollente (riso bruciacchiato bollito).
〘〙 Yeongyan Dolsot Bap
돌솥에 멥쌀과 잡곡을 섞어 담고 밤, 대 추, 은행, 콩 등을 넣어 즉석에서 지은 밥 이다. 다 먹고 나면 바닥에 눌어붙은 밥 에 물을 부어 눌은밥을 만들어 먹는다.
English Nutritious Stone Pot Rice Rice, multi grains, chestnuts, ginko nuts and pine nuts cooked and served in individual stone pots. After the contents are emptied, hot water is poured on to the crusty layer of rice to make nurunbab (browned rice tea). Japanese ヨンヤントルソッパッ（栄養釜飯） 石釜に白米、雑穀、栗、銀杏、松の実などの堅果類 を入れ、 一人前ずつ即席で炊く。 ご飯を食べ終えたら水を加え、ヌルンジ（おこ げ） をふやかして食べる。 Chinese 营养石锅饭 石锅中放入可供一人食用的大米、杂谷、板栗、银 杏、松籽等新鲜食材煮制而成。吃完饭还可在石锅 底留下的锅巴中加入水，制成锅巴汤食用。 French Riz “nutritif ” servi dans une marmite en pierre chaude Riz nature, céréales et fruits secs (marrons, fruits de ginkgo, et pignons) cuits à la vapeur dans une
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Spanish Arroz nutritivo en olla de piedra Una mezcla de arroz, varios granos, castañas, nueces y piñones de ginkococinados en una olla de piedra de porción individual. Después de comer o vaciar los contenidos, se vierte agua en la olla de piedra caliente transformando la capa inferior de arroz crujiente en nurungi caliente (arroz hervido quemado). German Nahrhafter Steintopfreis Reis, Vollkorn, Esskastanien, Ginkgonüsse und Pinienkerne werden gekocht und in individuellen Steintöpfen serviert. Nachdem das Gericht verzehrt wurde, wird heißes Wasser auf den am Steintopfboden verkrusteten Reis gegossen, um Nurunbab (gerösteten Reistee) zuzubereiten. Vietnamese Cơm dinh dưỡng trong nồi đá Cơm, các loại hạt, hạt dẻ, hạt ginko và hạt quả thông được nấu và sắp trong các nồi đá riêng rẽ. Sau khi ăn xong, nước nóng được đổ lên lớp cơm giòn để làm thành nurunbab (trà cơm cháy). يرجح ءاعو يف يذغم زرأArabic ربونصلاو ةكنجلا روذبو ءانتسكلاو ةعونتملا بوبحلاو زرألا نم طيلخ، دحاو صخشلّدعت يرجح ءاعو يف ةخوبطم. ءاملا بص متي تايوتحملا غارفإ دعب ىلإ عاقلا يف ةصمحملا زرألا ةقبط لوحتتف يرجحلا ءاعولا يف نخاسلاNurungi، صمحملا زرألا ياش وهو.
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Cover Story Jang, the Taste of Healthy Fermentation In Korea, there is a saying that, ‘The taste of jang (fermented sauce) determines the flavor of a dish .’ Jang refers to the range of fermented sauces that are essential to seasoning Korean food, a category that includes ganjang (soy sauce), doenjang (soybean paste) and gochujang (red chilli sauce). These condiments represent a few of the fermented foods that are representative of Korea, and also some of the first ingredients that get mentioned whenever the healthy aspects of Korean food are brought up. In the fall issue of Hansik, the Taste of Korea, we discuss the philosophy of Korean cuisine, yaksik dongwon, literally meaning that medicine and food share the same origin. Jang is the embodiment of this idea, one that should be preserved and passed down to future generations.