By Honorary Reporter Jeremie Paula from the Philippines

On a trip to Busan with Korea.net Honorary Reporters on Nov. 13, we went to Bupyeong Market to join our Korean cooking teacher for a culinary lesson. Along with my fellow Honorary Reporters, she led a food-themed walking tour there and introduced a variety of ingredients and seafood found only in Busan.

Our teacher
Born and raised in Busan, Jang Hee-young has always been passionate about food. While doing volunteer work, studying, traveling and going on business trips around the world, she got to experience a variety of culinary culture. Yet she never forgot her Korean roots and always shared the greatness of Korean food. So she eventually decided to become a chef specializing in Korean cuisine.

Cooking class
Everything was well prepared in our cooking class. Homemade welcoming tea, ingredients, utensils, English-language instruction sheets and aprons were sitting pretty while waiting for us. The class offered four dishes with one on the menu being a surprise.

I feel like I was on a cooking TV show while Jang was demonstrating how to cook the Korean way. She first explained the flavors of condiments and went on to cook miyeokguk (seaweed soup), yeongeun jorim (stew lotus root), nakjibokkeum (spicy stir-fried octopus) and Dongnae pajeon (Korean-style pancakes). We got to eat our meals after cooking them and had the chance to taste makgeolli, a milky rice wine. We ended the day with a tea ceremony performed by our teacher.

Cooking a dish made with the freshest seafood in Korea was the best part of this class.


What I learned

Through this cooking class, I learned not only the proper way of handling Korean food and cooking meals but also the story behind each dish. I also learned that pajeon was a staple food on the royal dining table during the Joseon Dynasty, and more importantly, that I need to practice flipping pancakes more.

The flavors and quality of Busan cuisine are unique and interesting. There is so much more to discover about the city's rich food culture, so I recommend taking a class taught by Jang. You will learn not only about authentic Busan delicacies but also Korea’s highly regarded food culture. For more information about the class, click the following link: www.busancookingclass.com.

chaey0726@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.