Ambassadors' spouses experience the beauty of Korean royal cuisine

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Ambassadors' spouses experience the beauty of Korean royal cuisine

Published: 27 Nov. 2024, 15:18 Updated: 27 Nov. 2024, 16:37

LEE SOO-JUNG
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Spouses of foreign ambassadors to Korea listen to a tour guide's explanation at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on Tuesday. [LEE SOO-JUNG]

Spouses of foreign ambassadors to Korea immersed themselves in Korean traditional royal cuisine and learned tales and rules of in-palace dining during a culture program on Tuesday.

The Korea Heritage Service gave the spouses of 18 foreign ambassadors in Seoul a guided tour of Gyeongbok Palace and a special exhibition titled “Joseon’s Royal Cuisine: A Table for Food, Reverence and Sharing “ at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul. The culture program also included a tasting course to amplify their memories and understanding of Korean traditional culture.

Spouses of foreign ambassadors to Korea enjoy the exhibition ″Joseon's Royal Cuisine: A Table for Food, Reverence and Sharing″ at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

The tour began with a docent’s explanation of showcased artifacts, which included drawings showing male chefs known as suksu preparing meals and dinnerware used by members of the royal family of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The spouses also learned that Joseon kings used to have an average of seven side dishes in addition to rice and soup per meal.

The docent said the royal court prepared meals twice a day, even for royal ancestors, with specific kinds of food that they preferred during their lifetime.

Some participants appeared surprised by how the Joseon court served food to deceased kings as if they were alive and the amount of daily effort this remembrance required.

Upon entering the second chamber of the exhibition, the spouses appeared captivated by nine tables of food replicas decorated with flowers. The docent explained that those foods were served for celebratory occasions such as the birth of a prince or to honor the current king's reign.

“On such an occasion, Emperor Gojong was given 63 side dishes as he had nine alcohol tables with each having seven side dishes,” the docent said.

The spouses’ experience at the museum concluded with an interactive activity where they designed their own sura, or royal cuisine, by dragging and tapping ingredients displayed on digital screens.

Spouses of foreign ambassadors to Korea build and design their own meal using an interactive display at an exhibition ″Joseon's Royal Cuisine: A Table for Food, Reverence and Sharing″ at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul on Tuesday. [LEE SOO-JUNG]

The second part of the tour continued in a compound of Gyeongbok Palace. The spouses enjoyed seasonal and tranquil royal scenery with autumn leaves falling and no other visitors.

The palace’s tour guide, surnamed Kim, explained about an official banquet pavilion called Gyeonghoeru and a smaller pavilion called Hyangwonjeong on the way to a space storing fermented food and a royal kitchen. When Kim said Emperor Gojong and his wife saw a figure skating performance on the frozen pond surrounding Hyangwonjeong in winter, some spouses raised their eyebrows in disbelief.

Spouses of foreign ambassadors to Korea listen to a tour guide's explanation at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on Tuesday. [LEE SOO-JUNG]

In an area called janggo, where fermented food was stored, the foreign spouses expressed astonishment about the size of the jars containing the food. Some said that the jars were “huge."

Then they headed to the sojubang, which prepared everyday meals for the royal court. Kim explained that court ladies working in the sojubang usually started their careers as kitchen assistants in their teens and later became chefs in their 40s or older.

Wintery wind and raindrops did not stop their passion and interest in the history of the Korean royal kitchen and cuisine. Even when Kim finished the tour, the spouses kept asking questions about traditional kitchen rules and royal cuisine.

Spouses of foreign ambassadors to Korea enjoy traditional royal delicacies and tea at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on Tuesday. [LEE SOO-JUNG]

When the palace tour ended, the most-awaited time arrived. It was time for the spouses to taste Korean royal desserts and enjoy how good they were.

A cup of warm tea made of pears and peppercorns, or baesuk, was served to each as a welcome beverage. Assorted desserts — two kinds of rice cakes and four sweet snacks in different colors — were prepared on a wooden tray placed in front of every seat.

After careful sips and bites, some spouses studied the menu, which included explanations of ingredients and recipes written in English. Their gestures seemingly came from their curiosity about how the specific flavors were created.

Korean royal desserts and a cup of tea served to spouses of foreign ambassadors to Korea on Tuesday at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on Tuesday [LEE SOO-JUNG]

“It was inspiring that old Koreans managed to keep the memory of things that had happened many years ago alive,” said Chaba Mavura, spouse of the Tanzanian ambassador and vice president of the Ambassador Spouse Association, noting kitchen utensils used by the Joseon court.

“I thought the exhibition was really powerful and appreciative of the cultural foundation that built Korea today. You cannot develop nor empower anything if you do not appreciate where it came from.”

Regarding cuisine, Mavura said that rice cake seems to be a staple of Korean food, noting that her country, Tanzania, has its own rice cake called vitumbua, which she served to her Korean friends.

Spouses of foreign ambassadors to Korea pose for photos at an exhibition ″Joseon's Royal Cuisine: A Table for Food, Reverence and Sharing″ at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]