Source : http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/08/135_29379.html

08-14-2008  Uniqueness of Korean Cuisine (III)

By Chad Meyer
Contributing Writer

This is the third part of a series focusing on the benefits of Korean cuisine. We will continue to explore the Korean diet and its effect on longevity and health.

A rich history and strong country pride have inspired generations of Koreans to enjoy traditional cuisine. While many of the traditional meals are rich in flavor, some Westerners have found that Korean meals are lacking in taste. I am convinced that with an understanding of local history, culture, and health, their cuisine will gain appreciation and grow in appeal. A diet merging meals from Korean and Western cultures is proven to yield higher body nutrition.

Rice cake, or ddeok, is a traditional Korean food holding numerous dietary benefits. Ddeok is recorded to have been eaten in the year 57 BC during the Three Kingdoms of Korea. When the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) later unified the Korean Peninsula, ddeok became a commonly consumed food. Finally, during the Chosun Kingdom(1392-1910), two hundred different types of ddeok were documented to have used a total of ninety different ingredients. However, as Western cultural influence grew in the 20th century, interest in ddeok slowly began to wane. It eventually became a traditional food served onl　y during the Lunar New Year Day, birthdays, and weddings.

In 2002 the first rice cake cafe opened in Seoul spawning national interest. Around 2004, a health craze for traditional Korean meals kicked off and interest in health food exploded. Today, rice cakes have become an important part of the Korean diet. Found in supermarkets, department stores, public markets, street vendors, and even subway station kiosks, it is a food that has penetrated all locales.

Unlike the dry Western version, Korean rice cakes are slightly moist and appetite satisfying. They can be served alone as a meal or enjoyed as a dessert. As a dessert, rice cakes are very different from the sweeter Western cakes. The Korean variety is made from rice and onl　y naturally sweetened with red beans and assorted fruits, and decorated with raisins, ginger, or sesames seeds.

As a low calorie meal, ddeok is a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. As an ingredient in soups and stews, rice cakes are a soft and chewy nourishment for your body. The taste of rice cake can vary and is a function of the preparation method used. For example, ddeok that is pounded flat becomes very chewy.

Rice cakes have also become a Korean consumable art form and a feast for the eyes. In May, the sixth annual Ddeok Exhibition and Beautiful Ddeok Contest showed off the best creations Seoul has to offer. The Institute of Traditional Korean Food uses this festival to promote ddeok. Using a palette of natural food colorings, Korean chefs have elevated rice cakes to new heights by designing museum-worthy masterpieces.

Another famous traditional health food is jook, or Korean porridge. Historically, a meal of juk was served during the longest night of the year, the winter solstice. ``Dongji patjuk'' is a type of red bean juk eaten on this day. Korea's Confucian society believed that the red color of the beans warded off disease spreading spirits. This special red bean juk was even thrown at the front door to prevent these bad spirits from entering the home.

Today, juk is prepared for family members who are sick, have stomachaches, or other digestion problems. Juk is a comfort food known to warm your stomach while not upsetting your digestive system. Common types are: seafood, tuna and vegetable, beef and mushroom, pumpkin, chicken and ginseng, and pine nut. It is otherwise served unseasoned.

Korean porridge is also eaten for breakfast or as a late night snack since it is not heavy or greasy. Elderly people who are sensitive to body changes also choose it. And for a Korean baby, a diet of jook begins six months after birth.

Juk begins life in a rice cooker. After normal cooking, the rice is mixed with six to seven times more water in a stove pot. Over low heat, the rice is cooked and slowly expands. Considered a slow food, juk is a labor intensive meal requiring constant stirring to prevent the rice from burning. Total time for preparation is about an hour.

In Korea, Hyun Juk is one　 of the largest chains with locations in most Seoul neighborhoods. I interviewed the owner of the Yangjae-dong location to uncover some of the mysteries of this meal. First, I learned that seafood and tuna jook are the most popular dishes served. Seafood, such as salmon and tuna, are high in Vitamin D. A recent American study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that deficiencies in vitamin D can lead to cancer, diabetes, and immune system problems affecting longevity.

The owner also said that many patrons return to the restaurant onc　e or twice per week to enjoy Korean porridge. During the workday, a majority of the customers were young working females. At night, more men enjoyed jook. She said that Korean females are normally cautious about their diet and therefore plan on healthy meals such as jook. Korean men on the other hand, suffer from high stress levels from Korean living which brings them to the restaurant for dinner. As stress can give people upset stomachs, juk serves as a cure for indigestion.

Chad Meyer is a robotics engineer working in Korea with a passion for Korean food. He can be reached at: food.korea@hotmail.com

Source : http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/08/135_28564.html

07-31-2008 Uniqueness of Korean Cuisine(II): Kimchi
By Chad Meyer
Contributing Writer

This is the second part of a series focusing on the benefits of Korean cuisine and nutrition. We will continue an exploration of the Korean diet and an examination of culture, health, and longevity.

The average lifespan of Koreans continues to rise, according to the 2008 Korean Health Data Report issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Koreans are now living 79.1 years, above the OECD average lifespan of 78.9 years. The data links longevity, among other things, to health care expenditure per capita. But South Korea goes against the trend. According to the report, Korea, with an above-average lifespan, ranks 28th out of the 30 OECD countries in terms of health care expenditures, based on GDP. Is Korea's diet the key contributor to longevity in the Land of the Morning Calm?

Korea has one　 of the smallest pool of doctors of the 30 OECD countries. Koreans live longer lives and spend far less on health care than other leading countries such as Japan. And although Japanese live slightly longer, they are spending significantly more public and private money on healthcare. While individual health care spending in Korea is rising, it remains below the OECD average and well below that of Japan. South Koreans also work more hours than all the members of the OECD. With elevated stress levels from longer work hours, why do Koreans require less health care while living longer lives?

Korea may one　 day boast to having the oldest and longest living people in the world. The climate and geography of the Korean Peninsula have led to a land strong in agriculture. Local cuisine primarily consists of vitamin-rich vegetables and fruit, thus minimizing the harmful effects of a meat-based diet. The Korean diet is also high in antioxidants that promote longer living and is a reflection of a healthy culture.

Speaking with Koreans reveals their lifestyle of well-being. Nutrition and healthy ingredients are their primary sustenance. Until recent years, there was little demand for foreign foods in restaurants and supermarkets. The youth of today have developed tastes for pizza and fried foods, but the local demand still favors traditional foods. Both urban and rural areas of Korea continue to have a limited number of foreign restaurants curtailing the effects of excessive meat consumption. This kind of diet has allowed Koreans to avoid obesity and heart disease.

U.S. researchers have found that people who eat two portions of beef per day are more likely to develop long-term heart conditions and diabetes. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average American eats 66 pounds (30kg) of beef per year. Koreans consume 16 pounds (7.25kg) of beef per person per year, less than ¼ of the American consumption rate.

A staple of the Korean diet is kimchi. Kimchi is a fermented mixture of ingredients such as red pepper powder, cabbage, green oni　on, radish, and garlic. Its efficacy is well known, and Koreans consume 22-33 pounds (10-15kg) of kimchi per person per year. According to the Korean Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MIFAFF), kimchi is highly nutritious, strengthens the immune system, prevents cancer, lowers blood cholesterol levels, and delays the aging process promoting longevity. The MIFAFF also states that Kimchi contains ingredients providing antibiotic effects, preventing hyperacidity, and restricting the growth of undesirable bacteria in the intestines.

A medicinal ingredient in prepared kimchi is garlic. Garlic assists in preventing cancer, reducing the risk of heart disease, and minimizing the effects of aging. Garlic is known to lower cholesterol levels in the body. It can help maintain lower blood pressure levels by thinning our blood. Thinned blood deters plaque build up in arteries and veins. It is known that regularly eating garlic can add up to four years to a person's lifespan.

Cabbage, another ingredient in kimchi, also has numerous health benefits. Cabbage is low in calories and sugar. It is high in fiber and vitamins A, B, C, and E. The high fiber content, as well as iron and sulfur, aid in digestion preventing problems in the intestines. Cabbage can inhibit infections and is known to prevent ulcers.

My personal favorite, out of the hundred or so different kimchi types that I have tried (and there more that I have not yet tried) is ''ggaktugi.'' It uses the daikon radish as the base of the kimchi, rather than cabbage. Ggaktugi shares many of the health benefits provided by the more widely eaten cabbage kimchi.

Koreans are living longer than ever thanks to nutritious traditional food such as kimchi. Kimchi slows the effects of aging and reduces the risks of disease. If Koreans continue to resist the temptations of a Western diet in favor of traditional diets, the trend in the country's growing longevity will continue. And as the benefits of a Korean diet become internationally known, traditional dishes will explode into the restaurants of the world.

Chad Meyer is a robotics engineer working in Korea with a passion for Korean food. He can be reached at: food.korea@hotmail.com

Source : http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/07/135_27387.html

07-10-2008 18:41   Uniqueness of Korean Cuisine (1) By Chad Meyer Contributing Writer Korean foods and cuisine have been refined and adapted since the Gojoseon Kingdom 4,300 years ago. While Western foods have evolved to rely mainly on salt and sugar for taste, Korean foods remain simpler, lighter, and healthier. There is also a uniqueness that differentiates Korean cuisine from many of its Asian neighbors. And with onl　y 3percent of the Korean population over the age of 15 overweight, clearly there is something to be taught. The international demand for Korean cuisine is growing, but still continues to be an undertapped export absent from many Western palettes. This series of articles will examine the distinctions and benefits of a Korean food diet. In the course of this exploration, we will also observe that Korean foods assist in preventing wrinkles, remaining thin, and living above the OECD average life expectancy. There are numerous reasons why Korean food remains unpopular and under-appreciated by Western diners. Poor perception is one　 of them. Just as American food can be oversimplified to hot dogs and hamburgers, Korean cuisine can be oversimplified to very hot spicy dishes without flavor. Korean food is also unhelpfully sandwiched between Chinese and Japanese cuisine. To some degree this is unavoidable. Geography, climate, and history determine the types of vegetables and roots that are grown and consumed. Visit any Korean department store food court and you will find a selection of Japanese and Chinese foods. Certainly these foods are popular here and have influenced local cooking. And while some traditional Korean dishes have evolved from recipes of these two countries, you will find substantial differences. Chinese food is more heavily seasoned and stronger in taste, while Japanese food usually consists of seafood and is milder in taste. For those of us that have experienced Korean food, we know that it is much more than just fish soups, chili peppers, beans, and fermented vegetables. Korean cuisine is distinct in its color, texture, and flavor. It is a labor intensive creation that requires the preparation of numerous dishes that are both harmonizing and distinctive. The effort required to prepare Korean food towers over cuisine from other countries. It can take days to prepare a single meal. And so, Koreans have built a cultural pride in their food that has prevented family recipes from dying. The defining constituent of Korean culture is the rich heritage of food. Many foods are cooked in exactly the same ways as they were long ago. The methods for preparation, preserving, and pickling remain unchanged. Red peppers are used as they were when they first arrived on Portuguese trade ships in the 17th century. Kimchi, which originated in seventh century Korea, also remains largely unchanged and is consumed with every meal. Recipes for meals like Dwenjang jjigae and cheonggukjang are hundreds of years old and are served as they were to earlier kings and queens. Korean food is especially unique when compared to North American and European food. Western cuisine relies on dairy products to provide rich flavor. Koreans consume significantly smaller portions of yogurt, milk, and butter as local meals do not require dairy products. Milk is consumed as a drink and butter is limited to use in baked goods. Cheese, a staple of European food, remains an expensive luxury import in Korea. Prices for dairy products, in general, are nearly double that of other countries. And although you can find cheese on pizza and other foreign dishes, the local variety of cultivated cheese is generally bland and poor in quality when compared to its European counterpart. Another unique aspect of Korean cuisine is the complimentary side dishes. Patrons of international restaurants have experienced small complementary dishes of food upon arrival at their table. Mexican restaurants, for example, offer free nacho chips and salsa. Italian restaurants provide bread. Korean restaurants instead offer a complementary selection of side dishes called banchan. You will find that the variety and selection varies from place to place, as does the quality. Generally, more expensive multi-dish course meals include premium banchan featuring beef, noodles, Korean pancakes, and exotic vegetables. Less expensive restaurants offer more basic side dishes such as bean sprouts, radish, and kimchi. A trip to the Insa-dong neighborhood of Seoul will demonstrate what I mean. There, you will find a selection of traditional restaurants that offer dozens of side dishes. If you happen to find a side dish that you like, do not be afraid to ask for more. It's nearly impossible to leave a Korean restaurant without a full stomach. Koreans pride themselves in their cooking skills and deserve to be recognized for their talents. Don't forget to comment on the food if you enjoy it. Through uniqueness in color, flavor, texture, and taste, Korean food provides a glimpse into the cultural heritage of Korea. And with a rich history and tradition in food, there will be enough Korean dishes to keep you exploring for years to come. The writer is a robotics engineer working in Korea. Although he can cook Italian and American foods, Korean food remains his favorite. As Columbus discovered America, so did Chad discover the uniqueness of Korean cuisine. He can be reached at:food.korea@hotmail.com

2008 JIMFF on 14 August 2008.

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