A Korean meal for two world leaders

‘Preparing for the recent summit was one of our most important events ever.’ - Chun
November 26, 2009

Bibimbap, above, was one of the six main dishes served to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President Barack Obama at their summit last week. Provided by the hotel
When First Lady Kim Yoon-ok recently invited hallyu (Korean wave) star Bae Yong-joon to the Blue House for tea, the topic of their conversation was food, specifically, the globalization of hansik (traditional Korean cuisine). It was a natural conversation for both figures, who are avid promoters of Korean culture. It was also the perfect opportunity for Kim to solicit Bae’s advice on which dishes should be served for U.S. President Barack Obama’s luncheon with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul last Thursday.

Food can be used as a form of diplomacy, and officials say they used the recent summit as an opportunity to promote Korean food.

The dishes that were eventually selected for the first and only luncheon Obama attended during his less than 24-hour stay in Seoul must have been a hit with the U.S. president, because he was heard to have said throughout the meal that it was “delicious.”

The menu for the full-course traditional Korean meal served to the 20 South Korean and U.S. officials who attended the luncheon that day was extravagant and presented in the Korean tradition.


U.S. President Barack Obama, left, met with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak last Thursday in Seoul. [YONHAP]
The main courses were: fresh seafood and ginseng served in mustard sauce; sinseollo (a hot pot with seafood and vegetables); bulgogi (marinated beef) made with hanwoo (Korean beef from Andong, North Gyeongsang); barbecued beef made with U.S. beef; bibimbap (mixed rice and vegetables) and bukeo dubu tang (dried pollack and tofu soup).

These were accompanied by six side dishes: kimchi, mulkimchi (water kimchi); spinach; tangpyungchae (seasoned herb with mung bean starch jelly); beef jangjorim (beef brisket marinated and pickled in sweet soy sauce and ginger); and fried kelp.

Dessert included pears, soft persimmons, peanut ice cream and green tea from Boseong, South Jeolla.

Foreign Ministry and Blue House officials participated in creating the menu, and the final selections were made by President Lee and First Lady Kim.

Of the dishes served, Obama seemed especially fond of the assorted spinach and the peanut ice cream, Chun Duk-sang, head chef at Mugunghwa, the Lotte Hotel’s Korean restaurant, said. Chun is one of the chefs from the hotel’s culinary team that created the final menu under the direction of Lee Byung-woo, the hotel’s executive chef.


Chun Duk-sang, Head Chef Mugunghwa, Lotte Hotel
“It was a relatively short lunch, but the tastes will linger for a long time,” the chef said, recalling last week’s lunch, for which he and the culinary team started work at 4 in the morning.

Chun and his team began by going to Noryangjin Fish Market, Korea’s largest fisheries wholesale market, located in Seoul, to select fresh seafood such as lobster and scallops, which sources said were foods Obama likes. Then the team packed up the cooking utensils and other ingredients and put them in the 10-ton truck that eventually took them to the Blue House.

“We often prepare banquets for important events or summits like the recent one,” the chef said. “There is only a refrigerator and a gas range at the Blue House, so we have to take the rest, including knives and napkins, to the Blue House with us.”

The culinary team usually brings its own china and serving dishes as well, but the Blue House decided to use its own traditional dishes.

“Preparing for the recent summit was one of our most important events ever,” Chun said, noting that they only used the best ingredients.

“At most summits, it is rare for leaders to ask for a second serving of a particular dish, but this time they asked for more bulgogi,” the chef said. “It was so popular that we almost ran out of it.”

Fortunately, the team had prepared double the amount necessary, just in case.



The chef also said he used mild vegetables to make the bibimbap, such as gosari (fern brake), while avoiding vegetables with a strong flavor.

Sinseollo, which according to the chef was one of the dishes the first lady had selected that morning, was also popular among the assembled guests.

At first, the team hadn’t considered serving the dish but the weather was chilly that morning and the first lady said it would be better to serve the guests something warm. They had considered serving japchae, but there was a risk that the noodles would turn cold during the meal.

Lest Michelle Obama feel left out, First Lady Kim sent her counterpart a cookbook titled “A Book of Korean Recipes” compiled by the Institute of Traditional Korean Food.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2913051

By Lee Eun-joo [angie@joongang.co.kr]

U.S. President enjoys Korean feast
Date: November 20, 2009

http://www.korea.net/News/News/newsView.as..._no=20091120005


Sinseollo, a Korean Royal PotThe best of Hansik, traditional Korean cuisine, was served to U.S. President Barack Obama during his state visit to Korea for a summit with Korean President Lee Myung-bak from Nov. 18 to 19.

Some of the notable dishes presented to the U.S. President and his aides for Thursday's luncheon were sinseollo, a clear stock made up of nine pan-fried delicacies; bulgogi, marinated grilled beef; bibimbap, a rice dish with assorted vegetables and beef; japchae, glass noodles with assorted vegetables; and dubu-bugeotang, a dried pollack soup with tofu.

The food was prepared by Lotte Hotel chefs and staff and the menu carefully selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae. The final list for the cuisine was decided by President Lee and First Lady Kim Yoon-ok with Kim adding sinseollo at the last minute.

Sinseollo, also known as Korean Royal Pot, is one of the most colorful Korean dishes, containing pan-fried beef, kimchi, shrimp pancakes, king trumpet mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms among other things. The dish was initially not considered due to possible complications while serving and eating, but the First Lady insisted, saying there's nothing like a good hot soup in a cold weather.

For the main salad, there was susam-haemul-gyeojachae, or seafood (crawfish and scallops) mixed with ginseng and mustard sauce.

Obama, for his part, showed how comfortable he was with chopsticks and repeatedly complimented the dishes served as “delicious.” When he commented that he is gaining weight due to the many Asian delicacies he has enjoyed on this trip at previous summits in China, Japan and now in Korea – Lee assured him that Korean dishes are low in calories.

Kimchi, favorite side dish of KoreaA total of six basic side dishes accompanied the main dishes; kimchi, water kimchi, assorted spinach, tangpyeongchae (mung bean jelly mixed with vegetables and beef), jangjorim (beef boiled in soysauce with egg) and dashima-toegak (dried kelp fried). Spinach was included as it is known to be the favorite side dish of U.S. Ambassador to Korea, Kathleen Stevens.

The most popular dish was bulgogi, with many guests requesting more. A Californian wine appeared on the table for the toast. Cheong Wa Dae staff considered makgeolli in the beginning but decided to go for something more comfortable for the U.S. officials, even though the thick, milky Korean rice wine is becoming more and more popular at home and in neighboring Asian nations.

After the meal First Lady Kim presented training clothes for the visiting U.S. President Couple. She also handed to U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama a booklet on the top 100 Korean dishes, with due consideration of her American counterpart's interest in low-calorie, health food and to better introduce the world of Korean cuisine.

By Kim Hee-sung
Korea.net Staff Writer

First Lady demonstrates wonders of Korean food
Date: October 20, 2009

http://www.korea.net/News/News/newsView.as..._no=20091020003


First Lady Kim Yoon-ok (left) shows how to make Korean foods to a CNN reporter at Cheong Wa Dae on Oct. 19.“Cooking for my husband and promoting Korean dishes overseas are all part of my efforts to help the President,” First Lady Kim Yoon-ok of Korea said upon her special interview with the U.S. round-the-clock news channel CNN on Monday (Oct. 19). Kim was explaining the background for globalization of Korean food or “Hansik.”

“The taste of Hansik begins with a sincere heart and cooking experience,” said Kim, who is also the honorary chairman of a group that works for the globalization of Korean cuisine. “We (Koreans) always believed that love comes from a mother's hands cooking food.”

The First Lady especially stressed that the biggest charm of Hansik lies in being a healthy food, reflecting the philosophy that food and medicine have the same origins. “Hansik is a health food that uses natural ingredients and environment-friendly cooking methods,” she said. “Hansik, which contains the very essence of Korean tradition and history, will delight foreigners who love to enjoy the rich diversity of cultures.“

Kim then went on to give a demonstration of cooking japchae, a Korean glass noodle dish, and bindae-tteok, Korean fried pancake with meats, vegetables and other ingredients.

“You can't do without japchae in every special ceremony in Korea, be it a birthday, marriage or hwangap (celebration of one's 60th birthday). The dish also well represents Korea's tendency to mix with others well.” With its five-colored ingredients (yellow yolk, egg white, spinach, carrot and mushroom), the noodle dish is said to represent the old eastern philosophies of yin, yang and the five primary elements.

Kim also prepared a full table of Hansik centering on samsaekjeon (tri-color fried flour pancakes) as well as the President's favorite, a cooked mackerel. Of the many types of Korean feast, she introduced chilcheop-sang, or table with seven colorful side dishes to enjoy with rice.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout, who hosted the show, expressed awe at gujeolpan, an octagonal platter that contains eight Korean delicacies with small and light wheat pancakes in the center. The delicacies include Korean vegetables seasoned in various ways, meats, mushrooms and even seafood. Several ingredients are wrapped up inside the little pancakes and eaten.

Reminding viewers that Korea was once one of the poorest nations in the world and a recipient of international assistance, Kim said that sending food to countries stricken with famine and disseminating easy ways to cook is one way for Korea to repay the world.

The interview took place at the Presidential residence Cheong Wa Dae on Friday, Oct. 16.

This is the first part of a CNN special feature “Eye on South Korea” that highlights various economic and cultural features of Korea, including its surprise comeback from the economic crisis, its green growth policy and unique food culture. The interview is expected to be aired three or four times this week.

By Kim Hee-sung
Korea.net Staff Writer

First Lady and Hallyu star chew fat over Korean food
Date: November 11, 2009



http://www.korea.net/News/News/newsView.as..._no=20091111007
First Lady Kim Yoon-ok (left) and actor Bae Yong-joon (Photo: Yonhap News)First Lady Kim Yoon-ok invited actor Bae Yong-joon, Korea's major heartthrob to the presidential residence Cheong Wa Dae to exchange opinions on the promotion of Korean food abroad on Tuesday (Nov. 10).

This was the second meeting between Kim and Bae, after he attended the launching ceremony for the government's steering committee for the globalization of Hansik (Korean traditional food) last May. The First Lady was named as the honorary chairwoman of the committee.

Actor Bae became one of the most well known “Hallyu” (Korean Wave) stars across Asia after starring in the hit drama “Winter Sonata” in 2002. Recently he published a book entitled "Journey in Search of Korea's Beauty" in Korean and Japanese. He is also a goodwill ambassador for the Korea Tourism Organization's “2010-2012 Visit Korea Years.”

“I was a homemaker for 38 years, so although I may not know much about complex, traditional food I'm well acquainted with regular meals,” she said. “I'm interested in how to promote these dishes abroad.”

“Deciding on which foods to promote is very important,” Kim said as she retold her episodes on serving Korean dishes to leaders from overseas. “The guests all liked sinseollo (hot pot with vegetables and meat). The president of Bulgaria, for one, had sinseollo with rice and kimchi, too. I heard that U.S. President Obama had japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) and bulgogi (marinated beef) when he was in Hawaii and I'm thinking hard about what to serve him.”

Kim expounded more on her ideas about Hansik, such as developing a set menu, since most people take side dishes for granted.

When the conversation turned to Hanok, a Korean traditional building, she recalled her own experience living in a Hanok after President Lee Myung-bak retired from his former post as Seoul's Mayor. “We lived in a Hanok in Gahoe-dong, Seoul. The place was not too well soundproof but graceful in beauty and mood,” she said. She added that she had lately received a pamphlet advertising an exhibition of dishes in that building.

When Bae jokingly asked whether she felt “trapped” inside the presidential residence, Kim admitted that she sneaks out sometimes to see musicals or enjoy her time at her daughter's place.

The First Lady then went on to mention her Japanese counterpart, Miyuki Hatoyama, the wife of Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. “I met her in Thailand and she talked about you.” Bae had met the First Lady of Japan during his Japanese tour in late September.

Meanwhile, Bae recalled an article relating an encounter between Kim and Hatoyama. “I read that when Ms. Hatoyama came to Korea, she asked for a bowl of rice after trying some kimchi – in Korean,” he said, complimenting the First Lady on her efforts to promote Korean food and culture.

Bae also told her about his Korean restaurant “Goshirae” operating in Tokyo, Japan. “Although I wanted to introduce young Korean chefs there, the existing law limits the visa issuance to only those with at least 10 years of experience,” Bae said. “Those young and with quick sense can prepare many stylish dishes, yet it is so hard to invite them overseas.” On hearing this, the First Lady promised to seek ways to improve the regulations.

Kim has long shown an interest in Bae's individual promotion of Korean culture overseas, including the promotion of Korean dishes. She even considered visiting Bae's Korean restaurant in Tokyo while she was accompanying her husband to Korea-Japan summit talks in June, but gave up due to an escort problem.

By Kim Hee-sung
Korea.net Staff Writer

How Korean Food Is Perceived Abroad Korean food is unpopular and considered overpriced in the U.S., a survey shows. But it is widely popular in China and Japan, where it is seen as cheap.

The straw poll was conducted among 2,000 foreigners, 500 each in China, Japan, the U.S., and Vietnam, by consulting firm Accenture for the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

With Americans, Korean food ranked only eighth in popularity among 12 cuisines -- Korean, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Thai, Vietnam, and others. They enjoyed Italian and Mexican food most, followed by Japanese and Chinese. Asked why they do not enjoy Korean food, the biggest group of 18.5 percent cited a limited menu, followed by sanitary issues (15.3 percent), spiciness (13.2 percent) and price (12.5 percent). Americans in the upper income bracket earning no less than US$8,700 per month said Korean food should taste more Korean, while those in the lower income bracket with an average monthly salary less than $2,900 thought that flavor and ingredients should be adapted to American palates.

The consultants recommended that upmarket Korean restaurants in the U.S. should adhere to traditional flavors while cheaper restaurants would be well-advised to adapt to local tastes.

Asked which dish comes to mind when they think about Korean food, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese selected kimchi while Americans said galbi or grilled beef ribs.

In Asia, Korean food was one of the most favored dishes. In China Korean food was the most popular foreign cuisine over Japanese or Italian dishes. It was the second favored foreign dish in Vietnam and the third in Japan.

In China, a Korean meal cost an average of $8 per customer, the lowest price among 11 foreign cuisines surveyed and only a quarter of French meal, which was $37. Accenture pointed out that there are scores of Korean restaurants run by a Chinese without a proper knowledge of the cuisine and serving poor-quality dishes. It warned that the perception of Korean food as low-price and low-quality might persist.

The image of Korean food was not much better in Japan, where a meal cost on average $10. But In Vietnam, Korean meals were the second most expensive with an average $5.60 per person, following Italian food with an average price tag of $5.94.
englishnews@chosun.com / Mar. 16, 2010 07:33 KST

“韩餐世界化”任重道远韩政府对中美日越实施外国食物倾向性调查
朝鲜日报记者 崔炯硕 (2010.03.15 15:59)
目前，纽约、洛杉矶等美国全境共有1600多家韩餐馆。但其中拥有韩餐厨师资格证的只有293家(18%)，余下的1300多家都是由不具备资格证的人在烹饪韩餐。甚至还有不少美国人掌勺的韩餐馆，他们只是粗略地向经营韩餐馆的店主学习过基本做法。中国境内的韩餐馆同样存在这一问题。中国有2032家韩餐馆，但1828家(90%)的厨师没有韩餐资格证。有分析指出，水平不够专业的海外韩餐馆已成为韩餐走出去的绊脚石。

这是本报14日获得的韩国政府报告《关于韩餐世界化的信息调查及营销战略树立》的部分内容。韩国政府去年4月委托跨国咨询公司“埃森哲”进行调查，报告形成于去年末。报告对美国、中国、日本、越南国民共2000人实施了外国食物倾向性调查。结果发现，韩国政府正在推进的“韩餐世界化”任重道远，尤其是喜欢吃韩餐的西方人非常少。


◆韩餐馆龙蛇混杂

据调查，美国境内不具备韩餐资格证的韩餐馆占59%，拒绝回答的也占了20%。报告认为，“不回答”极可能意味着没有资格证。中国境内的韩餐馆仅有9%回答“有证”。越南有206家韩餐馆，其中65%没有证。

这意味着，符合世界人口味的、标准化韩餐烹饪方法并未普及。海外韩餐馆只有一半左右在使用韩国产调料，其余的都是就地解决。主食材使用韩国产材料的也仅为3~10%。

农水产品流通公司韩餐世界化组长Kim Dong-muk说：“调查显示，很多韩餐馆不懂得焯、煮等韩餐传统烹饪方法，其制作方式与日本料理、中餐基本一样。”

外国人也很少光顾来历不明的韩餐馆。在美国境内的韩餐馆，韩裔顾客占一半以上的有61%，甚至有20%的店9成顾客是韩裔。也就是说，顾客大多是韩裔。

◆美国机场鲜见韩餐

据调查，在芝加哥奥黑尔、洛杉矶、丹佛等10个机场里，韩餐仅在肯尼迪机场一处落户。但同属亚洲的中餐馆和日式餐馆却分别达到了16家和12家。食品饮料企业CJ相关人士说：“机场的租金很高，开韩餐馆让人担心能否盈利。入驻机场要投标，可相关信息跟不上。”

◆选定韩餐特色大学和高中

专家们指出，促进韩餐世界化，韩餐的烹饪标准化和外语名称标准化是当务之急。同时，要像日本料理中的“寿司”一样，开发出符合世界人口味的简易食品。报告建议，应在口味、服务、卫生等方面推进韩餐馆认证制。为推广韩国食材，还应减少流通环节的成本。

韩国政府将选定专门教育机构，积极向世界推广韩餐。今年上半年之前，韩国政府将把2所大学和2所高中选定为韩餐烹饪特色学校，并给予总共18亿韩元的资金支持。



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韩餐在美国“失宠” 在亚洲则“以价取胜”
朝鲜日报记者 崔炯硕 (2010.03.15 16:05)
据一项调查显示，韩餐在美国人眼中是“价格高、品种单一”的食品，并不受欢迎。而在中国和日本尽管颇受欢迎，却被视为“廉价食物”。

由韩国农林水产食品部和农水产品流通公社委托跨国咨询公司埃森哲（Accenture）针对2000名美国、日本、中国及越南人（各500位）进行有关外国食物倾向性问卷调查。其结果显示，韩餐在美国受欢迎的程度在12个被调查的国家料理中仅排在第8位。不喜欢吃韩餐的理由是，回答“品种单一”的占大多数，为18.5%，然后依次是“不卫生”（15.3%）、“太辣”（13.2%）、“价格高”（12.5%）等。在美国月平均收入达到8700美元以上的高收入群体对韩餐的意见是“韩餐的传统风味应该再浓厚一些”，而月平均收入不到2900美元的低收入群体则表示“风味和食材应该实现当地化。”另外，日本、中国和越南人心目中最具代表性的韩餐是“泡菜”，而美国人则更多的选择了烤排骨（20.8%）。

与在美国不同的是，韩餐在日本、中国和越南等亚洲地区非常受欢迎。但在中国，韩餐的顾客人均消费却只有8美元，在11个被调查的食物中卖得最便宜，仅为最贵的法国餐的四分之一，法国餐的人均消费高达37美元。埃森哲指出，对韩餐一知半解的中国人经营的低价韩餐馆非常多，因此很担心韩餐会被烙上“便宜没好货”的印迹。在日本的5大海外餐饮中，韩餐的人均消费只有10美元。
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_________________

First Lady Meets Bae Yong-joon to Discuss Globalizing Korean Food First lady Kim Yoon-ok talks with actor Bae Yong-joon at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Tuesday. First Lady Kim Yoon-ok met with actor Bae Yong-joon at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday to talk about how to expand global awareness of Korean food. Kim, who is an honorary chairperson of a government-led committee on the globalization of Korean cuisine, said that a good menu is needed to make the dishes better known.

Bae, the so-called "Korean Wave" icon and honorary ambassador for the Visit Korea Year campaign, noted that Korean food should be able to take advantage of the global trend of eating healthy.

The Presidential Office says the two also talked about the growing popularity of makgeolli, a traditional Korean rice wine, and the beauty of hanok, or traditional Korean houses.
Arirang News / Nov. 11, 2009 11:25 KST

What Makes Jeonju Bibimbap So Special Jeonju is considered as the home of bibimbap, the famous Korean dish of rice with vegetables and beef. The rice used for bibimbap in Jeonju is cooked not in plain water but in beef broth so it looks and tastes better.

Bean sprouts, a key ingredient in Jeonju bibimbap, are Rhynchosia volubilis from Imsil, North Jeolla Province. Even if cooked for a long time, they do not get too mushy but retain their crispiness.

Bean sprouts are usually cooked in the last stage of rice cooking, and Jeonju bibimbap is usually served with clear bean sprout soup. Other vegetables like spinach, balloon roots, drop water and shiitake mushrooms are also included along with raw marinated beef and red pepper paste. This makes the dish healthy food, providing all the key nutrients in one bowl.

englishnews@chosun.com / Feb. 22, 2010 12:54 KST
Related Articles

Frenchman Brings Korean Cuisine to the World Benjamin Joinau "The best of Korean cuisine is regional specialties," says Benjamin Joinau, talking about doenjang jjigae or soybean paste stew he tasted recently in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. The Frenchman has been traveling all over Korea since November last year, when he started his own show introducing Korean cuisine to English-speaking audiences in Korea and abroad, "Tasty Trail with Benjamin," on Arirang TV.

The concept of the show -- traveling far away from the stuffy studio -- comes from Joinau's belief that the core of Korean cuisine can be found in the provinces, not in Seoul. He made kimchi at the Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and had traditional bibimbap or rice with mixed vegetables in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province and temple food in Gangneung, Gangwon Province.

"I can't forget this small restaurant in Gangwon Province. There were just a few side vegetable dishes, soybean paste stew and a bowl of rice. It was simple but so delicious. People think of fancy, fusion Korean dishes when hearing about Korean cuisine going global, but I believe the real stuff is in simple dishes you eat every day that are true to fundamentals," he says.

During a doctorate program in anthropology at l'École des hautes études en sciences sociales (School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences), Joinau chose to teach in Korea in lieu of compulsory military service in 1994. He taught French and Latin for five years at École Française de Seoul and Hongik University.

It was Korean food that persuaded him to stay. He had become a fan as he made kimchi, soy sauce, soybean paste, and red pepper paste himself, and concocted dishes with vegetables from the mountains.

Yet initially he had a hard time getting used to it. "It was difficult for me to get used to the smell of sesame oil everywhere. I ate too much trying to get used to it for the first two or three months after I arrived in Korea. In the end, I got sick so I had to stop eating Korean food. But the problem was there weren't many restaurants in Korea that served foreign food at the time. I had to start eating Korean food again in order not to starve. But from then on, I had no problem eating and digesting Korean food," he recalls.

He now plans to publish a book about taking Korean cuisine to the world, comparing the history of Korean and Western cuisine and situating Korean food in a wider global context. He also wants to be more aggressive about the publishing house he set up in 1998, specializing on Korean culture.

"I set up a publisher with five French friends, and have published 12 translated books in French. We're making guides and magazines about Korea. More Europeans take an interest in Korean culture, but there are not many readable books," he says. In his fluent Korean, he adds, "It concerns me that books don't sell well, but I do it all because of the emotional attachment I feel to Korea."
englishnews@chosun.com / Jan. 25, 2010 07:12 KST

Which Korean Dishes Do Americans Prefer? A special event was held at the Institute of Traditional Korean Food in downtown Seoul on Tuesday featuring some of the most popular Korean dishes among Americans. U.S. Ambassador to Korea Kathleen Stephens and other prominent Americans living in Seoul came to sample 40 dishes that are the top menu items at 20 Korean restaurants in New York and Los Angeles.

"Preferences differ between diners in New York and Los Angeles," said Yoon Sook-ja, the director of the institute. "New Yorkers tend to favor dishes that accentuate the flavors of individual ingredients. They also like sweet and soft dishes, such as pumpkin porridge.”

Los Angelenos enjoy sea food and chicken dishes, Yoon said. "Diners in L.A. also enjoy spicy dishes, which seems to reflect the prevalence of Asian and Mexican foods in that part of the country as it has a large population of immigrants," Yoon added.

Yoon Sook-ja (center), director of the Institute of Traditional Korean Food, poses with U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Stephens (second from right) and other guests. /Yonhap englishnews@chosun.com / Dec. 30, 2009 11:22 KST
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Gov't Standardizes Foreign Names for Korean Food The government is standardizing the names of Korean dishes to help foreign diners know what they are ordering.

The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said Thursday that it has come up with recommended spellings and descriptions for 124 Korean dishes in English, Japanese and Chinese.

The ministry said the English names were proposed by the Culture Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, the Korea Foundation and the Korea Tourism Organization, and reviewed by linguists and food experts.

For more information, visit www.foodinkorea.co.kr.
englishnews@chosun.com / Nov. 06, 2009 10:34 KST