Chef startled to find that some like it hot
Chef Na Eun-sun, right, works with Simon Bureau in the kitchen of the Grand InterContinental Hotel in Seoul. By Jeong Chi-ho
“In general, Koreans including myself have a perception that foreigners have a difficult time getting used to the spicy taste of spoonfuls of chili paste and chili powder,” she said. “But as I run into more foreigners as time passes by, I come to recognize that foreigners are in fact attracted by the spiciness of Korean food.”
“The culinary team from the hotel, including myself, made fried rice using kimchi, bacon and onion, and people there just loved it,” she said. “The people there kept coming back for more [as it was a buffet event introducing Korean food]. Maybe Korean food being spicy isn’t necessarily a barrier to globalizing the cuisine.”
Bureau agrees.
“It’s not only Korea that has spicy food. Indian and Mexican cuisines are also spicy,” he said. “So many people are used to the taste. Promoting Korean food is really about how the dishes are presented in such a way that they can attract people’s attention.”
For example, Na said, the dish that Bureau made with Chef Na - spicy stir-fried samgyeopsal and octopus - might appeal to foreign palates, as the dish comes with lettuce and sesame leaves.
“Wrapping up the spicy meat and seafood with layers of vegetables will alleviate the spice, but the overall taste would be savory,” Na said.
By Lee Eun-joo [angie@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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