At the invitation of the Korea Tourism Organization (Korea Tourism Administration), a group of reporters recently conducted a line of interviews in South Korea from north to south. Wherever they went, they not only fully experienced the hospitality and simplicity of the Korean people. Folk customs, and have a very deep feeling and understanding of the charm of Korean traditional food culture. One of the three unique things: kimchi forms a unique culture

In China, when it comes to Korean food, most people only have kimchi in their minds, and only spicy cabbage. In fact, this is a huge misunderstanding. Indeed, kimchi has a very special status and significance in Korean food. Whether in bustling Seoul or in the countryside, it is unimaginable not to see large and small kimchi jars in residents’ residential courtyards or balconies.

Kimchi is one of the most important dishes in Korea, and the variety and deliciousness of Korean kimchi are definitely beyond the imagination of ordinary foreigners and people who have never been to Korea. According to research, Korean kimchi has a history of more than 3,000 years. In the Chinese Book of Songs, the word "菹" appears. In the Chinese dictionary, the word "菏" is interpreted as pickled cabbage. Koreans believe this is the first time in the world that kimchi has been produced. Documents documenting kimchi. Due to the cold and long winters in Korea's geographical location, in ancient Korea, the large amount of lactic acid bacteria produced during the pickling process of kimchi was a way for Koreans to obtain necessary nutrients from food. The original kimchi was just to pickle vegetables with salt. By the 16th and 17th centuries, the introduction of chili peppers revolutionized the making of kimchi. Due to the large amount of sea in Korea, chili peppers removed the fishy smell of kimchi made from fish, so it was used as a spice. Since then, countless types of kimchi have been produced.

When the press group arrived in Gwangju, it was just as Gwangju City was holding the annual and massive 2002 Gwangju Kimchi Festival, with hundreds of thousands of Koreans and a large number of foreigners pouring into Gwangju. During the three-day festival, Gwangju City will hold various large-scale performances, rich kimchi tasting sessions, various kimchi making competitions, various exhibitions, various folk activities and experiences, etc.

The reporter was also eye-opening here. He was surprised to see that Koreans can use kimchi as a filling to make hamburgers, sandwiches, pizzas, sushi, dumplings, and siomai; kimchi can be made into various raw materials. , colors, and cleverly made into various snack decorations in the shape of various fish, animals, plants, and flowers; the raw materials of kimchi include octopus, sea cucumbers, shrimps, and crabs; the raw materials also include various fruits, leaves, ginseng, etc. Counting, there are no less than a thousand types of kimchi.

According to reports, Korean kimchi is currently making a big move into Asia, targeting the whole world. Joint venture factories have been established in Beijing and Guangzhou. This time, 150 Chinese representatives came to Guangzhou to participate in kimchi negotiations.

The second of the three best rice cakes is so delicious that you can’t bear to eat

Glutinous rice cakes can be regarded as the mainstay of festival food in traditional Korean diet. Eating rice cakes is almost a custom in Korea. As long as eating cereals has been around. Koreans make cakes to pray for peace on birthdays, homecomings, children's 100th and first birthday, marriages, and sacrifices. Festival cakes are also made during festivals such as the Spring Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival. Azalea cakes are made on the third day of the third lunar month, and waffles are made during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Many Korean food cultures are very similar to China, such as eating five-grain rice on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and drinking chrysanthemum wine on the Dragon Boat Festival.

Glutinous rice and japonica rice are both raw materials for making Korean rice cakes. The making of rice cakes is similar to that in China. There are "steamed cakes" and "baked cakes". Korean rice cakes are mostly made into sweet cakes and various fancy snacks. Most of the sweet cakes and snacks have fillings with fresh, salty, sweet and other flavors. The sweet cakes are also pasted with flower petals on the outside and fried on a pan. In the past, Korean nobles attached great importance to eating rice cakes during festivals. In the Korean Museum and the Korean Traditional Food Research Institute, archaeological excavations of exquisite porcelain used by nobles to eat rice cakes hundreds of years ago and folk crafts are on display. Special utensils for rice cakes. The reporter saw and tasted a variety of exquisite rice cakes in Korean markets, at the Korean Traditional Food Research Institute in Seoul, and in Lok An-eup City, Suncheon, Jeollanam-do, and even faced those that were colorfully made and The exquisite plum blossoms, grapefruit flowers, peach hearts, mulberry leaves, peaches, pears, apples, persimmons, small watermelons and other rice cakes are hard to bear to eat.

Korean rice cakes (glutinous rice cakes) are made with wooden molds similar to Chinese pastries (the wooden molds for rice cakes are very small, and the rice cakes made are generally only the size of walnuts. The wooden molds are made of ceramic and There are two kinds of wooden ones), and you can get a variety of snacks in various shapes. Rice cakes are indispensable when giving gifts during festivals, especially to parents’ families. It is said that rice cakes also contain the meaning of sincerity, love and filial piety. When moving, it is also customary to make rice cakes and share them with neighbors. In the unearthed murals in Korea, there is a scene of making rice cakes in Korea during the Silla era (676 to 935 AD). During the Joseon era (1392 to 1910 AD), South Korea's rice cake culture reached its peak.

The third best thing about Suwon is the grilled pork ribs in Suwon.

The Korean escort Lao Liu told us that if someone comes to Korea and does not eat the grilled pork ribs in Suwon, then his The trip to South Korea was undoubtedly a big discount.

When we arrived in Seoul on the first day and were full of praise for the Korean barbecue, Old Liu said with disdain: This is nothing. When we go to Suwon City to eat barbecued ribs, that will be the best in Korea!

The "Sam Father and Son Spare Rib Shop", which has been open in Suwon City for more than 60 years, is the most famous. The number of diners here can reach 500 to 600 people every day, and the peak number has exceeded 2,000. Each restaurant in the three-story building is elegantly decorated. The chef first performed his specialty rib making in the garden in front of the hall; the silver-haired and dignified proprietress gave a detailed technical explanation beside him. Suwon Spare Ribs uses the bone-in part of the sirloin of the finest beef. Use a knife to slice the meat into thin slices of 50 cm, 10 cm wide, and 2 to 3 mm thick (only one bone remains at the end of the slice, indicating that it is a rib). Then sprinkle with salt, sesame oil, and sesame seeds, fold and marinate for 2 days in preparation for roasting. When served, the ribs are grilled until tender and fragrant, and then eaten with mustard sauce or bacon sauce, or with condiments made of sesame oil, sugar, juice, and honey. When eating Suwon grilled pork ribs, you can also eat it with radish strips, lettuce, cauliflower, spicy crab, pickled garlic, various Korean kimchi, miso soup, etc. according to your personal taste. The delicious taste can be imagined.