Gimbap is ready to roll for next Korean wave

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Gimbap is ready to roll for next Korean wave

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Sean Rodrigues and chef Kim Jae-sun make gimbap at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul. By Oh Sang-min


As chairman of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea, Sean Rodrigues believes Australia is going Korean.

“In Sydney, everywhere, when you’re walking downtown in the capital city, you hear people speaking in Korean because there are a lot of students and immigrants,” Rodrigues said. “If you ask any Australian to name five brands they know, Hyundai, Samsung and LG will be there.”

Rodrigues said that of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development nations, Australia is the highest per capita consumer of Korean products after than Hong Kong and Singapore, where imports of Korean products get exported again.

“Korean restaurants can be recognized the same way,” Rodrigues said, noting that it will take time. “Twenty years ago in Australia or elsewhere like the United States or Europe, there were no Japanese restaurants, but today they’re everywhere. The lesson is that when you’re trying to become international in terms of food, it’s a long-term project. It’s not only a project for a country’s first lady but for the whole country.”

Rodrigues said that when foreigners visit Korea, they should be encouraged to experience Korean food.

He also recommended that celebrities who have helped globalize Korean cuisine in Asian countries as part of the hallyu (Korean wave) take their act to the West.

“The wave needs to go to a second level to Australia, the United States and Europe,” he said. “But within that, Korea needs to find some famous dishes that they can offer that foreigners will like so they can get used to the food.”

Gimbap, the Korean food he made for this series, would work best, at least in Australia, he said.

“People are always becoming busier with their work in Australia so food needs to fit into their schedule,” he said. “Gimbap is something you can eat anywhere very quickly and it is easy to make like sandwiches and baguettes.”

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