Korean chef introduces healthy dishes to Laos

Korean chef Jung Sung-jin visited Laos this week to promote his country’s popular dishes and cooking styles.
He demonstrated the preparation of bibimbab and kimchi to Lao and foreign officials so that they could try making these healthy dishes at home.
The demonstration was organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Laos, to encourage the wives of Lao and foreign officials to learn about Korean dishes.
Kimchi is the signature dish of Korea and is known worldwide for its healthy properties.
Before making kimchi, embassy guests watched a promotional video about kimchi, and the places that export the spicy dish to markets in Korea and abroad.
Kimchi has been praised for its effectiveness in cancer prevention and nutritional value, and there are numerous variations with diverse flavours.
The most common type of kimchi is made by mixing salted cabbage with a sauce made of red pepper powder, garlic, spring onions, radish, ginger, fish sauce and other ingredients.

Chef Jung Sung-jin shows the kimchi he made earlier.

Kimchi can be eaten fresh but is normally consumed after fermenting for several days.
The ingredients vary according to each region and its local produce and traditions.
Seoul, for instance, is famous for gunjung kimchi (royal kimchi), bossam kimchi (wrapped kimchi), chonggak kimchi (whole radish kimchi) and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi). It is generally known that there are 200 types of kimchi in Korea.
Kimchi is a low calorie, high fiber and nutritious side dish, and contains a range of vitamins such as vitamin A, BI, B2 and Vitamin C.
Kimchi, made from healthy vegetables such as cabbage, radish, garlic and ginger, helps to regulate the immune system. The wealth of strong antioxidants and healthy bacteria in kimchi encourage the production of collagen, which aids in improving skin elasticity, delaying skin ageing and promoting healthy skin.
It is also rich in essential amino acids and minerals, such as iron, calcium and selenium. It has an impressive assortment of powerful antioxidants and provides the healthy bacteria, Lactobacillus, which helps digestion and prevents infections.
The ingredients used to make bibimbab are three cups of rice, a medium-sized green pumpkin, a medium-sized carrot, a medium-sized onion, 10 shiitake mushrooms (or other mushrooms), 120 grams of beef, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, pepper and eggs, as well as gochujang sauce.
This sauce consists of seasoned red pepper paste (gochujang paste), sugar or starch syrup, water, sesame oil and ground sesame salt, whose preparation was demonstrated by chef Jung Sung-jin.
The chef was happy to demonstrate these traditional dishes to the wives of Lao and foreign officials at the Korean ambassador’s residence. One of the guests, Ms Khamphao Erntavanh, said she appreciated having the chance to learn how to make kimchi and it was good for women and housewives to understand how to cook Korean dishes. She said she loved kimchi, which she always orders when eating at Korean restaurants.

By Sisouphan Amphonephong
(Latest Update November 10, 2018)