Members of the Master Chefs of France (MCF) from March 17-21 will visit Jeollanam-do Province to experience the culinary culture there. Shown are MCF members learning about Korean ingredients. (Jeollanam-do Province)

By Hong Angie

Chefs trained in French cuisine from around the world will visit Jeollanam-do Province, the birthplace of Hansik (traditional food).

The southern province's office on March 9 said about 200 members of the association Master Chefs of France (MCF) from 11 countries will visit Jeollanam-do from March 17-21 for a familiarization tour of the region's culinary culture and ingredients.

To mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and France, the program was organized as part of an MCF world congress slated from March 15-17 in Seoul, the first Asian city to host the event.

The conference will include an inaugural global contest of premium ingredients of Korean food in which MCF members will directly judge entries on taste, quality, innovation and suitability for the European market. The province said this will be an opportunity for its food producers to advance overseas.

Products that pass the first round will undergo testing in the European market at the K Plus Festival in May in Paris. The winning entry will get exclusive access to high-end restaurants and premium retail outlets on the continent.

Also during the conference, a promotional booth will introduce Jeollanam-do's ingredients and cuisine, along with programs themed on the philosophy of Buddhist temple food with Venerable Jeong Kwan from Baekyangsa Temple in Jangseong-gun County.

MCF members will visit seaweed and abalone farms in Wando-gun County to see the production of the province's pristine ingredients. They will also sample the traditional white tea baekunokpancha from Gangjin-gun County to experience traditional tea culture, as well as learn about the history and cultural value of the region through visits to the Korean Minhwa (Folk Painting) Museum and Haenam Uyangri Dinosaur Museum.

"More than just simple travel, this tour will serve as a historic opportunity for the province to imprint its cuisine, ingredients and tourism on the world," said Choi Young-joo, director of the provincial government's Tourism and Sports Bureau. "Jeollanam-do will prove itself as the 'home of taste' representing Korea and serve as a definitive bridgehead for our ingredients to expand into the global premium market."

shong9412@korea.kr