April 03, 2008
Korean food's cultural qualities appeal to global taste

Le Cordon Bleu's Asia Director Charles Cointreau	Mushrooms and tomatoes a la grecque de kimchi and chocolate cake with kimchi might sound strange to many ears, but such menu items are being cooked up. In fact, they may be served to the public in the near future, along with the already-famous Korean barbecue and soy bean paste soup.  Le Cordon Bleu, a Paris-based international culinary school and hospitality education institution, last year published "Korean Kimchi & Le Cordon Bleu" in cooperation with the Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corporation.  Subtitled as "A meeting of flavors, tastes and cultures," the book aims to apply modern culinary techniques to kimchi and show its versatility.
Charles Cointreau, the Asia director and head of Le Cordon Bleu Korea, says it was an "interesting and daring project to make the representative of Western gastronomy and traditional French symbol and the Korean national symbol meet together."  "Nothing like this had ever been done. We were willing to receive lots of criticism, questions and doubtful reviews. But it was, in a way, opening the mind of people and making them think out of the box," Cointreau said in an interview with the Korea Policy Review.  The seemingly difficult project was made possible as numerous developers at Le Cordon Bleu kept one thing in mind: keep the fundamentals right.  "As long as Koreans keep the fundamentals of their food right, they could apply any cooking technique to their food," he said.  In terms of Korean food's potential in the global market, Cointreau chose to stand on positive ground. He, however, said that Korean food first needs to have its identity firmly established. "Korean food doesn't have a big identity yet. The government should figure out what message they want to sell with the food," he said.
Cover of Korean Kimchi & Le Cordon Bleu  He said Korean food's image as a healthy "well-being" food could only work in a particular segment of health-savvy people. It might not, however, be recognized as attractive in general.  Instead, Koreans should find their heritage and uniqueness in the social factor the food provides, according to Cointreau.  Citing the increasing number of Korean restaurants in Europe, he said the main factor of this recent phenomenon has to do with the special cultural qualities of Korean food, which the director called "the most outstanding features of Korean food."  "The delivery format of food -- whether it's multiple plates or barbecue on the table or sharing food -- it's the unique social factor that people enjoy. It's something to have good time with and they've got stories to tell," he said.
The French-born director recalled his first encounter with Korean food "exciting and fun." His Korean friends, whom he met during his school days in Australia, took him to his first Korean restaurant in Sydney, where he had Korean barbecue and drinks.  Seeing the nation's growing reputation on the global stage, Cointreau said that the recent Korean Wave has provided a new brand and positioning of its food.  "It's just like the Olympics and World Cup, which gave a global initiative to Korean food. If Korea's cool, its food is cool, too."  He expressed his caution toward Koreans' concern over globalizing its food. "The real royal cuisine and regional food sometimes are forgotten because of the focus on the mass market and globalization," he said.  What made French cuisine famous around the world was the richness of its regional food, the label of quality and historical heritage, he said. He advises that Koreans should "keep those in place" when trying to globalize their food.  "People should know about their heritage and promote them inside Korea, too. It is also the government's job as well in promoting them worldwide."  The question of commercial success again goes back to having the fundamentals right, he said.  "Look at pizza today. It's all around the world. But Italians might think that they are not real pizza, but the world likes the image of the product it reflects. It is always about the balance of quality and the public's expectation."  In closing the interview, he hinted about the school's next project, which will focus on the development of traditional Korean alcoholic drinks and delicacies such as dry seafood.  "Korean alcohol has tremendous opportunity yet it is very underdeveloped. And not many cultures in the world have developed delicacy that could accompany drinking so well like the dry seafood. It will do well in the global market."  Source: Korea Policy Review April 2008

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Feb 16, 2008
Exploring Korean cuisine: Past & future
By Margaret Dickenson

As my aircraft descends through the clouds, I am greeted by a fairytale image of friendly mountains where valleys lined with buildings playfully resemble loose yarn strung through the landscape below. It's a familiar sight. I smile. It's wonderful to be going back to Korea which, for three years, our family called "home" in the early 1980s when my husband was the second-in-command at the Canadian Embassy. And am I not lucky to have been one of a dozen food experts from Asia, North America, and Europe invited to participate in a four-day "2007 Korean Food Workshop" on Korean Royal Cuisine and Regional Cuisine. The Korea Foundation and the Korea Society of Food Culture have very generously organized a "super-charged" program for us on Korea's royal cuisine and regional cuisine.  The first day proves to be a remarkable introduction to Korean Royal Cuisine and Korean cuisine in general. It is not only fascinating but enlightening. Imagine a definitive culinary culture already well established in the Joseon Dynasty (1300s), one that the Korean government has proudly designated as an important intangible cultural asset.  After an inspiring demonstration of surasang (royal table) conducted by none other than the current president of the Institute, Han Bok-Ryeo, it is our turn to don aprons for a hands-on experience. The noise level clearly indicates that everyone is having fun. And then we dine! We stimulate our appetite with luscious tarakjuk (rice and milk porridge), petit hors d'oeuvre-like oiseon (cucumber stuffed with beef, mushroom, and egg), daehajjim (king prawn, meat, and cucumber salad drizzled with an innovative crushed pine nut sauce) - and the menu continues.  This four-hour experience at the Institute has made my entire 24-hour journey to Korea worthwhile. I always have appreciated and enjoyed Korean cuisine. It is simple in terms of ingredients, yet the flavors of particular dishes can be counted among the best in the world. I did not realize that a yin-and-yang and “five-elements” theory existed in Korean food culture. There are five tastes which seasonings help create: sweet, salty, bitter, hot, and sour. The taste of food is also enhanced by five colors: green, yellow, red, black-blue, and white.  That evening, the participants receive a mesmerizing welcome to an 18-course Royal Cuisine dinner! Everything is oh so elegant and delicious!  Our second day takes us to Yonsei University, where the participants have the opportunity of meeting a number of key members of the Korean Society of Food Culture, as well as an auditorium filled with attentive food students, all gathered to hear presentations from four members of our visiting group. Peter Hyun, a freelance journalist from New York, is very direct in his comments on "Food for Thought on Korean Food Culture." After pointing out that although Korea is everywhere internationally, Korean food remains a rarity in Western countries. Peter suggests that a serious commitment should be undertaken to put Korean food on a "culinary level", giving it a different, more enticing presentation without "fusing" it with Western foods.  On the topic of Korean Cuisine in New York City, former editor of the New York Times, Gwin Joh Chin, acknowledges that Korean food remains a mystery for most non-Korean diners. She is convinced that surprisingly, it has been left behind as the public has moved from Japanese to Thai, and now to Vietnamese food. She points out that the health-related advantages of eating Korean food could be the focus of a strategic public relations campaign.  Professor John Nihoff of the Culinary Institute of America, emphasizes the nutritional value and disease-prevention qualities of Korean food as well as its simple and basic cooking techniques. Toshio Doi, President of Food Service Professional College, of Japan, offers his views on "Korean Food Culture through the Eyes of Foreigners."  When other delegates are asked for their views on how to facilitate the globalization of Korean food, we agreed that marketing should be directed toward an emerging international "health conscious" society. In addition, Korean food must be more "doable" and enticing, perhaps by reducing the number of side dishes and adopting a Western style of plating, presentation, and garnishing.     Participants enjoy Korean cuisine during the tasting and demonstration sessions.  On our third day, a visit to Jeonju begins with a culinary adventure at the very popular Gogung Restaurant and Bibimbap Exhibition. Following a tour of the second floor museum devoted to the history of bibimbap, we simply cross the hall to indulge in yet another magnificent Korean feast. Bibimbap is a deep bowl of various vegetables and nuts, mushrooms, yellow mung-bean jelly, raw beef, and egg, plus seasonings, arranged on top of cooked rice. This dish, consisting of a stunning presentation of the five cardinal colors and five tastes, mixed together with red pepper paste, is extremely tasty and nutritious as well as attractive and practical.  Our culinary adventure of Jeonju continues on to the Korean Life Experience Park as we all enthusiastically chop, slice, and stuff, while accompanying a most competent instructor in the making of a marvelous stuffed kimchi.  Understanding the thought and generous attention to detail obviously given to planning and organizing this four-day workshop, we the participants should not have been surprised that the final event would make this Korean culinary experience truly memorable. Welcomed by Cha Jung-geum to the Jingkwang Culture Center in Bosung, we first witness with intrigue the making of green-tea food. Then, we are off to participate in an authentic tea ceremony (using Jingkwang local wild tea) majestically performed in a traditional Korean home. Another highlight of our stop, is observing a remarkable demonstration of the making of the famous onggi earthenware by one of its masters. And, finally, during lunch at the Center, all of what we had seen seems to have been brought together.  Indeed, Chef Park Jongsook and her assistants mesmerize our palates with a Jingkwang green tea, "terroir" menu (using ingredients grown locally or taken from waters nearby). Imagine starting with Jingkwang green tea and tofu salad as well as spicy green tea octopus, and completing this extraordinarily creative parade of culinary treats with a most delightful citron ball stuffed with green tea rice cake.  The "2007 Korean Food Workshop" was absolutely remarkable and everyone (organizers included) worked in perfect harmony. We, the participants, are now all "ambassadors" for the promotion of Korean cuisine internationally.