A state-run research center for kimchi opened Wednesday with the aim of developing technologies concerning the spicy-pickled vegetables into a more promotable item worldwide along with many other fermented dishes.
Located in the Korea Food Research Institute in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, the organization will spearhead efforts to set up a foundation for development and promotion of traditional Korean food, or ``hansik,'' the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.
Bundang? Bundang doesn't even have a Korean restaurant, and except for what they serve with the steak, pasta, and pho, hardly have any kimchi, either. This is a terrible blow to the pride of Gwangju, the Hub City of Asian Culture and not only the self-proclaimed Hub but also the Mecca of kimchi research in Korea, a city that just played it safe by using both. This development means Gwangju's English-language radio station will need to divert all its resources to talking about the Photonics Expo *cough* Then I read, like, two more paragraphs:
The center will move to Gwangju with the completion of a larger facility by 2011. The southwest city is currently pressing ahead with the construction of an integrated research center for kimchi.
Okay, that's good. Getting the World Kimchi Research and Development Center was no small feat; from a Korea Times article last year:
``Gwangju faced intense competition from other cities to house the new R&D center. We decided in the end to give Gwangju this unique privilege because it is a region that prides itself on superior expertise on kimchi,'' said Prof. Roh Jae-sun of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development at Seoul National University. Roh headed a state committee organized to select the venue of the institute.
Wanju of North Jeolla Province, Goesan of North Chungcheong Province and Geochang of South Gyeongsang Province also applied to the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to house the institute.
I think just for fun Shimane Prefecture should build one. Gwangju spends a lot of energy promoting its connection to kimchi, and about the biggest annual event is the Kimchi Festival held each fall.
A piece of the awesome kimchi pop art at the festival last year. Read the accompanying post to see what I had to say about it, but basically I said that quirkly stuff like this, stuff that "foreigners" will get a kick out of, will raise the profile of kimchi overseas, a side dish that really will never outgrow a niche market.
KBS has more commentary on the center, explaining the significance, among other things:
The research center bears great significance as it makes it possible to study Korea’s signature dish in a constant and systematic way. It will contribute greatly to boosting Korea’s position as the homeland of Kimchi. It is also expected to help establish the scientific foundation necessary for modernizing Korea’s traditional fermentation industry and making the country a global Mecca of fermented food. In addition, it is expected to play an important role in developing the domestic food industry as a future growth engine.
As if there was any question about Korea's position as the homeland of kimchi. I'll close with the best news associated with this research center, something I read last year in the Korea Times:
The Gwangju institute will also work closely with the Secretariat for Kimchi Globalization[.]
I can't tell you why I was never named Secretariat for Kimchi Globalization, but I think it had something to do with my visa. You can read more about the 세계김치연구소 via Naver. It will be set up in Gwangju's Imam-dong in Nam-gu next year.
5 comments:
I was utterly baffled that one of the purposes of the research center is to develop new dishes and ways to use kimchi. Like there aren't already 52 million dishes centered around types of kimchi.
Reminds me of something commenter brent said on this post about how some are trying to make a new consumer holiday on November 11th, replacing Pepero Day (based on a Japanese snack) with one based on a rice product:
"I like that- raise consumption of rice. These people eat rice three times a day. How much more can they possibly eat?"
I vote for a research center only for maple syrup in Canada...yup yup yup...
"Make maple syrup part of your EVERY meal, we'll replace ketchup and BBQ sauce...Also, we'll find a way for bees to produce Maple syrup instead of honey"...
Kim chi tastes good, but it ain't no cure for cancer (well is it...?)
I wonder if they'll devote any "research" to the claims by other scientists that kimchi is linked to gastric cancer. Seems like probably the most beneficial way to utilize the research center considering Korea's gastric cancer rates are ten times higher than that of Western nations. Then again, why research matters pertaining to health when you could find yet another way to promote nationalism.
On the notion of Kimchi globalization
Is Korea prepared for, say, California style kimchi to become the kimchi the world thinks of when it thinks kimchi?
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