Korean Cultural Center in Brazil Opens Korean Food Festival
Scheduled from September 1st to October 6th with exhibitions, cooking classes, lectures, and more -
The Korean Cultural Center in Brazil (Director: Kim Cheol-Hong), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Korean Food Promotion Institute, and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, announced that it will host a Korean food festival in São Paulo, Brazil, from September 1st to October 6th, spanning five weeks.
The Korean food festival will offer a wide range of programs, allowing Brazilians to experience the tradition and the latest trends in Korean cuisine through exhibitions titled "<Korean Food: Traditional Jang and Kimchi>," cooking classes under the theme "<Traditional Korean Food and Trendy Korean Food>," lectures on "<Korean Food's History and Culture>," and Korean food tastings.
The ongoing exhibition "<Korean Food: Traditional Jang and Kimchi>" offers visitors the opportunity to taste Korean food made from traditional jang and kimchi, along with traditional beverages such as makgeolli and sikhye. In addition to popular Korean dishes among Brazilian Hallyu fans, like tteokbokki and kimchi pancakes, special dishes like "ssambap with doenjang" and "bibimbap gimbap" have been prepared for this exhibition. Notably, to cater to the high demand for vegan food in the local Brazilian context, visitors can also try "vegan gimbap with gochujang," featuring gimbap with a twist.
Furthermore, to conduct cooking classes and demonstration events, a Korean food instructor from the Korean Food Promotion Institute, Lee Eun-young, will stay in Brazil for four weeks, providing specialized Korean culinary education. The weekly "<Traditional Korean Food and Trendy Korean Food> cooking classes," held on Fridays and Saturdays, will cover six traditional Korean dishes rich in Korean flavors and six trendy Korean dishes popular among Koreans today, totaling 12 Korean recipes. Additionally, every Sunday, lectures on various topics related to Korean cuisine, ranging from kimchi and kimjang culture to royal court cuisine and street food in Korea, will be presented under the title "<Korean Food's History and Culture>."
The pre-registration for the cooking classes received tremendous attention and response from Brazilians, with over a thousand applications within a week, showcasing significant interest in Korean cuisine even before the festival began.
To participate in the Korean food festival held in São Paulo, Brazil, visitors must make advance reservations for admission tickets (free). Starting from August 26th, admission ticket reservations for each week's event will be available every Saturday.
Director Kim Cheol-hong stated, "Following the inclusion of 'Kimjang Culture (2013)' as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, we planned this year's Korean food exhibition with a theme centered around traditional jang and kimchi in anticipation of the upcoming inclusion of Korean traditional jang culture (expected in 2024)," and added, "We hope that this Korean food exhibition will provide an opportunity for Brazilian citizens to experience both the tradition and modern trends of Korean cuisine."
