The 25th Cheongyang Pepper and Wolfberry Festival was held from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 at Baekse Health Park in Cheongyang-gun County, Chungcheongnam-do Province. Cheongyang chili pepper is one of the country's spiciest. Developed by Yoo Il-Woong at a domestic farm lab in 1983, this chili pepper is named after the names of the two counties, Cheongsong and Yeongyang, in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.

By Hong Angie

Despite the scorching summer heat, Baekse Health Park in Cheongyang-gun County, Chungcheongnam-do Province, on Aug. 31 was packed with visitors for the Cheongyang Pepper and Wolfberry Festival. 

Tents lined up along a flowing river sparkled in the sunshine like an installation work with interactive and promotional booths, sample tryout tables, agricultural produce market and food corner.

In line with the theme of this year's event, "Crazy for Cheongyang, Crazy for Cheongyang Chili Pepper and Gugija (Wolfberry)," programs highlighted the spicy taste of the famous chili pepper, unique sweetness of wolfberry and one-of-a-kind flavor of each regional specialty, allowing visitors to watch, touch and taste them. 

The first eye-catching thing was the sales booth for dried chili pepper, showing off the vivid and shiny red color of the vegetable in a visual feast. The intense aroma stung the eyes and nose enough to imagine the depth of spiciness, following the saying, "A good-looking rice cake tastes good." Dried peppers there cost a reasonable KRW 16,000 for 600 g.

Another popular item was red pepper powder, which came in regular and spicy flavors and quantities from 500 g to 3 kg, to give more options to customers who anticipated making delicious kimchi with it.

Free delivery of purchases plus an additional discount for buying peppers on site got many to open their wallets without hesitation.

These scenes are from a national cooking contest held on Aug. 31 on the second day of the Cheongyang Pepper and Wolfberry Festival.

The annual National Cooking Contest was a highlight of the festival. Applicants showcased their culinary prowess by using and interpreting produce in new ways. Visitors lined up to sample the food while holding paper cups and chopsticks. They appreciated experiencing unique flavors made with regional ingredients by enjoying creatively made food with their eyes and mouth. 

The most popular dishes were dakbokkeumtang (chicken stew) and spicy galbijjim (braised beef short ribs). In addition to the savory taste that stimulated the tip of the tongue, the hot spicy taste filled one's mouth combined with the sweetness of wolfberry, with the intense aftertaste simply unforgettable.

An elderly woman on Aug. 31 stuffs chili pepper in a bag at the event "Grab Peppers for KRW 1,000 of Happiness" at the Cheongyang Pepper and Wolfberry Festival.

At 2 p.m., a long line formed for the event "Grab Peppers for KRW 1,000 of Happiness." Contestants frantically stuffed the vegetable in a plastic bag after the whistle blew to start. Elderly visitors put peppers in their bags in a quick and skillful manner, as surprised onlookers laughed and cheered. Soon, their bags were packed with peppers in a fun and exciting event.

An event to make a 99 m-long gimbap (seaweed rice roll) with wolfberry was another crowd pleaser. Anyone could take part by wearing a cooking hat and disposable gloves on the table. When the host signaled to start, over 200 contestants immediately joined. 

Since this was an effort to make the Guinness Book of World Records, participants engaged in cooperation while making the roll. They concentrated on making the roll while working with others to put each ingredient on the table. This roll was thus not just food, but also a bridge connecting people.

This is the making of a 99 m-long gimbap (seaweed rice roll) at the Cheongyang Pepper and Wolfberry Festival.

Other events included the stacking of a chili pepper pagoda, wolfberry storytelling, and K-pop and national Cheongyang song contests to provide a festive mood.

Some 80,000 visitors attended the three-day festival, according to the Cheongyang-gun county, resulting in sales of KRW 1.3 billion from dried pepper (KRW 450 million), chili pepper powder (KRW 100 million), other agricultural produce (KRW 450 million) and food (KRW 400 million).

The county said all visitors fell in love with the region's unique charm and taste in a special experience, adding that efforts are needed to attract more foreign attendees.

The table below contains ratings of the festival by Korea.net:

*Tips to enjoy festival

- A variety of free programs were planned. Attending the festival with family made it more fun.   

- Tickets for the leading event "Grab Peppers for KRW 1,000 of Happiness" went on sale from 11 a.m. on first-come, first-served basis. Visiting in the morning was also advised for securing delicious Cheongyang chilli peppers. 

- Foreign visitors trying Cheongyang chili peppers for the first time might struggle with the spicy taste. In this case, eating food that is not so hot or drinking neutral drinks such as milk or juice is advised.