Celebrating Kimchi Day with Korean Cultural Centre in India at India’s Biggest Kimchi Festival
2024-11-25The Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) in India on Nov. 23 celebrated ‘Kimchi Day’ by hosting an exclusive hands-on Kimchi-making workshop as part of the biggest Kimchi festival in India—the ‘Korea Kimchi Festival 2024,’ held at the Yashabhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi. This event stood out as the largest celebration of Kimchi ever held in India, offering participants an unparalleled opportunity to engage with Korean culinary culture on such a grand scale.
The workshop saw the special participation of Mr. Lee Dong-hwan, mayor of Goyang City; Mr. Abhishek Gupta, popularly known as Lucky in Korea, a well-known television personality and business owner who has appeared on various popular Korean variety shows; Mr. Bongyoung Park, a globally renowned dancer and choreographer from 1 Million Dance Studio; Korean YouTube sensation Go Toe Kyung; and the Director of Korean Cultural Centre India, Mr. Hwang Il Yong. Together, they prepared various batches of Kimchi under the guidance of Kimchi-making instructor Masterchef Jang Yun Jeong, a culinary expert and owner of Daily Sangdammi restaurant in Seoul. Masterchef Jang coordinated the entire event and provided participants with invaluable advice about the Kimchi-making process.
‘Kimchi’ is a traditional Korean delicacy and a savoury Korean ‘soul food’ that Koreans take great pride in. A side dish that accompanies every Korean meal, which has now gained international popularity and is also known for its various health benefits, it is made of fermented and salted vegetables, mostly using napa cabbage or Korean radish. The workshop shed light on Kimjang which is the process of preparing batches of Kimchi in Korean households before winter arrives. The Korean government first proclaimed Nov. 22 as Kimchi Day in 2019 as November typically marks the ideal time for ‘Gimjang’ or ‘Kimjang’ The cultural importance of Kimjang has been even recognized by UNESCO which listed the tradition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013.
The workshop also featured a thoughtful cultural adaptation—‘Vegan Kimchi’ was prepared during the session to respect Indian dietary preferences. Made with ingredients such as napa cabbage, radish, and red pepper powder, the Vegan Kimchi offered participants a chance to enjoy the essence of Kimchi while keeping it 100% vegetarian.
The event which featured an introduction to Kimjang and the experiential workshop of Kimchi making also saw the participation of over 300 enthusiastic participants and cultural aficionados like me, who wanted to get an immersive experience of Korean culture and cuisine by being a part of the Kimchi making process. After the kimchi-making session, we even took home our creations as souvenirs.
The participants from the event expressed their gratitude to the Korean Cultural Centre India for organising this workshop and for commemorating Kimchi Day on such a grand note. Acknowledging that, for many of them, the event served as an introduction to the tradition of Kimchi making, they eagerly looked forward to savouring the dishes of this delicacy and reaping its numerous health benefits and expressed anticipation for future opportunities to delve deeper into the traditions of Korea.
Hwang Il Yong, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI), emphasised that the Korea Kimchi Festival 2024 aimed to introduce the richness and authenticity of Korean cuisine to Indian audiences. Reflecting on the event’s purpose, he remarked, “We wanted to showcase how Korea’s most traditional dish, Kimchi, can find harmony within Indian society, while also deepening cultural ties between our two countries.” Thanking the participants for joining the event, Hwang Il-yong, director of the Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI,) mentioned that they celebrated Kimchi Day with this event to introduce the global significance of Kimchi, acknowledged as a cultural value for the Korean community to the Indian people, acknowledging their area of interest expanding to Korean food, reflecting the increasing interest in Korean culture among Indians, with a particular emphasis on the popularity of Kimchi. Drawing a parallel with UNESCO's designation of Korea's shared and co-prosperous 'Kimjang' culture as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity, he expressed the hope that the event would enable the sharing of warm hearts with people as they prepared for the cold winter together.
As a participant of the event, the Kimchi-making experience was fun-filled and an enjoyable cultural immersion for me. The event served as a gateway for me to understand the cultural significance of Kimchi beyond its flavours, fostering a deeper appreciation for the meticulous techniques and cultural nuances embedded in the art of Kimchi-making as it continues to encapsulate a rich journey of tradition and heritage.
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