The Korea Traditional Food Culture Center Eeum opens near Gangnam Station in Seoul on Dec. 22. The first floor of the center is a gallery space for a wide variety of traditional liquor, available for purchase.
Eeum, a new cultural center that connects the past, present and future of traditional Korean cuisine, has opened its doors in southern Seoul. The word eeum (이음), meaning "to join and piece together," aptly describes the union of Hansik and traditional liquor in this new multicultural space for people from all walks of life.
On Dec. 22, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs opened the Korea Traditional Food Culture Center Eeum just a short walk away from Gangnam Station. The three-story building houses the Sool Gallery (전통술 갤러리), featuring traditional liquor on the first floor, and the Korean Food Masters' Center (식품명인체험홍보관) on the second and third floors.
The Sool Gallery is the second location for the gallery of the same name in Insa-dong, which launched in Feb. 2015. The Insa-dong gallery has attracted more than 25,000 visitors since the opening, but due to limited space, there were constraints on the number of educational programs that could be offered. With the opening of the new gallery, there will be more opportunities available for visitors to participate in classes on traditional Korean liquor. The gallery also features a wide selection of liquor bottled at microbreweries across the country, all of which are available for purchase.
Traditional tea and snacks are served at the Myeongin Cafe, on the second floor of the Korea Traditional Food Culture Center Eeum.
The Korean Food Masters' Center is located on the third floor the Korea Traditional Food Culture Center Eeum. Cooking classes, lectures and other food-related events are held on this floor.
On the second floor is Myeongin Cafe (명인카페), where visitors can enjoy traditional tea and snacks. The cafe and the adjoining meeting rooms are available for reservation by third parties.
At the Korean Food Masters' Center on the third floor, visitors can browse a variety of traditional food products made by master chefs from each province. The center has food sampling sessions and cooking classes for adults, students and foreigners, offered twice a day. Reservations are needed for the cooking classes. There are also lectures and cooking classes offered every Saturday at 2 p.m., with a different type of regional delicacy spotlighted each week.
"When introducing traditional cuisine to customers, it's important to provide them with a full sensory experience," said a representative at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "In that sense, the Korea Traditional Food Culture Center Eeum is a space where people can fully appreciate the wonders of traditional Korean cuisine."
More information about the Korea Traditional Food Culture Center Eeum can be found at the links below.
The Sool Gallery: www.facebook.com/thesoolgallery
Korean Food Masters' Center: www.facebook.com/thesoolgallery
By Lee Hana
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Korea Traditional Food Culture Center Eeum
hlee10@korea.kr