[HanCinema's Digest] Food and Culture

"Fusion Cuisine In Seoul"...

In 1825, less than year before his death, the French politician and gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin proclaimed: "Tell me what you eat, and I'll tell you who you are". This famous aphorism still applies to day, and through it Korea is looking might modern with its rise in fusion foods. It's a tempting trend that speaks to the influence of foreign flavours, as well as the intriguing innovation of modern Korean cooking and culture.

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And while Korea's traditional dishes are still the main attraction for the country's thriving food tourism (rightfully and deliciously so), there are a growing number of restaurants, street stalls, and outlets specialising in fusion foods that are (if Mr Brillat-Savarin is to be believed) defining new customers with their contemporary, sometimes curious, culinary combinations.

More traditional and popular dishes like bulgogig, dak galbi, jjigae, bibimbap, and kimchi are simply must-chow treasures when touring, but as Korea rolls into tomorrow, don't be surprised if you find a little taste of home mixed with some awesome foreign flavours!

Here's what Marius Oczon's (writing for The Korea Blog) had to share about his experience with Korea's fusion phenomenon:

"Korean cuisine has already been getting a good rap in the international food scene. Having been to the Land of the Morning Calm for more than 10 times, I always look forward to authentic restaurants offering hansik (한식, Korean food), homemade meals prepared by the moms of my Korean friends, and street carts selling sumptuous delicacies. So during my last trip in Korea, I did a detour from my usual food "pilgrimage" by checking out the fusion food scene in Seoul..."

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