Long lines were seen at Zabeel Park in Dubai on Nov. 27.

People were lining up to learn more about Korean food and cuisine at Dubai's first-ever K-Food Fair.

The city's residents, including women wearing headdresses and parents with children in tow, all showed their interest in Korean cuisine and food products, including japchae stir-fried noodles, tteokbokki, or rice cake seasoned with a spicy sauce, and dumplings, or mandu.

Visitors also enjoyed other events, such as a raffle, trying on traditional Hanbok attire, and playing tuho, the traditional arrow-throwing game. Many people also quite enjoyed the samulnori percussion performances and the pop music dancers.

One visitor to the festival, Patrica Nicele, said that it was the first time for her to ever try Korean dishes like tteokbokki, japchae or gimbap rice rolls. “Everything was tasty,” she concluded, saying that she hopes to try more Korean food in the future.




This is the first food fair held by the Korean government in the Middle East. It was composed of a food tasting and then export consultations. The export consultations were attended by 22 Korean firms that produce agricultural products, health food products, tea, beverages and snacks. These Korean companies discussed exports with domestic UAE buyers worth about USD 12 million.

In regard to the potential for Korean food exports to the Middle East, one local buyer named Anil Kumar said, “As people of various backgrounds live in the UAE, the popularity of all things Korean is growing among the younger generation here. This leads to increased interest in Korean cuisine.” He also predicted that halal Korean food would be fairly competitive in this market, as it's edible by many UAE customers.



Finally, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said that both the Korean government and the UAE’s Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology have been working together to officially certify certain Korean corporations and Korean food items as being officially halal, part of the overall cooperation that goes on between the two governments.

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
arete@korea.kr