Main entrance of Seongbuk Global Food Festival, Nurimasil in Seoul's Seongbuk-gu District

By Jeong Euiseok
Photos = Jeong Euiseok

Hansung University Station in Seoul's Seongbuk-gu District on June 7 around lunchtime was packed with crowds visiting the Seongbuk Global Food Festival, Nurimasil.

Marking its 18th year, the event is a representative gala of cultural diversity in Seongbuk-gu District, incorporating into its content the traits of the Seongbuk-dong neighborhood where embassies and residences are concentrated. This year's event saw a record 26 embassies take part to showcase their traditional foods and cultures.

The national flags of Korea and Austria on June 7 decorate the venue of the Seongbuk Global Food Festival, Nurimasil in Seoul's Seongbuk-gu District.

On the way to the venue, flags from around the world including those of Austria, Angola and Azerbaijan fluttered in the wind to create an exotic and festive atmosphere. Upon entering the entrance, the street, closed to traffic, was packed with visitors.

The rest area inside the venue has a wide selection of international dishes. The Croatian Embassy booth (lower left) featured traditional jams and that of the Hungarian Embassy (lower right) sold the traditional deep-fried flatbread Langos.

Rest areas for dining or resting were set up inside the venue, and it was difficult finding an empty seat there. The sights included heartwarming scenes of children eating their food on mats with their families.

The programs at this year's festival included World Food Chefs (cuisine from embassies), Seongbuk Best Chef (food from the neighborhood) and Coexistence Chef, a climate gastronomy zone, as well as parades, performing arts and cultural experiences.

Inside the venue, embassies had booths featuring their respective country's cuisine, and the unique aromas blended with the sounds of excited visitors.

The booth for Cuba, which forged official ties with Korea in 2024, stood out. I tried to order bread, lemonade and pina colada juice out of curiosity but they were sold out, proving their immense popularity. In the end, I had no choice but to turn to another booth.

This year's Seongbuk World Food Festival, Nurimasil featured ordering via QR code. On the right is a tandoori noodle set and mango lassi that the Korea.net reporter ordered.

This year's festival saw its inaugural use of a QR code-based ordering and payment system. The method was to scan a QR code with a smartphone, select the restaurant and food, verify one's phone number and pay. Since a waiting number was also displayed, there was no need to stand in long lines.

I ordered a tandoori noodle set, which was particularly popular. Due to the flood of orders, it took about 30 minutes to receive the food.

The noodles, with their slightly rich yet sweet flavor, were easy to eat and enjoyable and paired well with tandoori chicken, which was light with a nice texture. Mango lassi tasted like a sweet mango-flavored yogurt that was not too thick.

To keep prices reasonable, the organizers instituted a ceiling of KRW 8,000 for all foods. In consideration of the environment, meals were served in reusable containers that could be simply returned to designated boxes installed nearby.

This year's Seongbuk World Food Festival, Nurimasil went beyond cuisine to feature booths for drawing and selling caricatures and accessories (top photo). The main stage (bottom two photos) presented performing arts like an orchestra and ballet (bottom).

In addition to highlighting global gastronomy, the event also stimulated all five senses. Caricature booths, an interactive zone for traditional world costumes and accessory market highlighting the unique qualities of countries captivated visitors; it was also fun just browsing.

Breakdancing, orchestral and ballet performances were held throughout the day to raise the festive mood. The ballet show also allowed visitors to try following the movements.

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