To Mark This Year’s ‘Kimchi Day’ celebrations in New Delhi, Korean Cultural Centre India Organised Vegan Kimchi Making Workshop with IHM

Vivek Sharma

New Delhi:Korean cuisine has become extremely popular in India and the rest of the world in recent years.The delightful taste of Korean food with its emphasis on bold flavours and fresh ingredients makes the cuisine very healthy.

To celebrate this cuisine,

Korean Cultural Centre India organised an event to introduce high-end Korean cuisine to Indian audiences and celebrate ‘Kimchi Day’.

A three-day Korean food event in New Delhi was organised from November 20th to 23rd to showcase a luxurious and elegant Korean set meal along with vegan kimchi.

The vegetarian menu was specially designed for the Indian audience by Korean Chef Jang Yun Jeong and included a delectable six-course meal, involving (i) Chestnut Porridge with Napa Cabbage Kimchi, (ii) Gujeolpan (Traditional Korean platter with 9 different ingredients), (iii) Burdock Japchae, (iv) Grilled Sanjeok, (v) Bibimbap with Side Dish and Soybean Soup; and (vi) Korean Afternoon Dessert.

The event was planned to introduce high-end Korean food culture to Indian guests including executive chefs from five-star hotels in New Delhi.

The exquisite food was enjoyed by everyone present at the occasion,and the Burdock Japchae, in particular garnered much attention for its unique texture and combination of colorful ingredients, while Korean desserts were the highly appreciated for their neat plating.

In addition to the original taste of Korean food ingredients, the event showcased visual beauty using the motif of Obangsaek–white, black,blue,red and yellow, and continued interest in the cultural meaning and background of each food,conveying cultural value beyond Korean food.

Korean Cultural Centre India in association with Institute of Hotel Management,Catering & Nutrition located in Pusa,an autonomous body under Ministry of Tourism, organised a special workshop on ‘Vegan Kimchi Making’.

In this special workshop,Korean Chef Jang Yun Jeong narrated the stories behind Korean food and explained the principle of pickling cabbage,the core process of kimchi,to about 120 college students who will be the next generation of chefs in India.

The event was also be graced by Mr.Kamal Kant Pant, Principal,Institute of Hotel Management.Catering and Nutrition, Pusa, New Delhi.

As Chef Jang Yun Jeong began the Vegan Kimchi demonstration, the curiosity of the students rose with the addition of each ingredient.

Vivek Goel,a student of Diploma in Food Production at IHM Pusa, who was attending the workshop was interested to know if the kimchi could be prepared with Indian ingredients and spices.

Another student,Aditya Meshram,taking part in the kimchi-making workshop,was interested to know the maximum shelf life of the kimchi that was being prepared.

“If you can preserve it well without exposing it to air, then it will remain fresh for over three months.In Korea,I have kimchi that has been prepared more than one year ago.

We store it in large jars, and these jars are kept underground,”said Chef Jang Yun Jeong.

Director of Korean Cultural Centre India, Mr Hwang Il Yong said,This event is planned to introduce refined, authentic,and luxurious Korean food to the Indian audience.

With the expertise of Korean chefs, we hope to show how Korea’s most traditional cuisine can be harmoniously incorporated into Indian society.

We hope that this event will help spread the word about Kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented food, in India and provide an opportunity to understand the cultures of our two countries more deeply.”