THE PROCESS OF FERMENTATION The cornerstone of the Hansik cuisine is the thousand-year old technique of food fermentation. Starting from the philosophical concept behind this process, the phenomenon of fermentation is compared to the ‘creation of life’: the breakdown of the organic material originally used undergoes a process of synthesis and creates new elements. More simply, in practice, fermentation in water and salt transforms the sugars present in the organic matter. Traditionally, fermentation takes place in typical huge jars, the onggi, always present in every Korean home just like, in modern times, refrigerators have widespread in the rest of the world. The onggi, which in South Korea are usually smaller and rounded while in North Korea they are leaner, facilitate fermentation thanks to their porous surface that lets in air and light. There are two reasons why the fermentation method, still used today, spread throughout the country. The first is that once fermented, foods can be preserved for a long time; the second is that during the process of sugar transformation, lactic cultures are produced, which, as we know, are ‘good bacteria’ so precious for the body’s wellness. Soya beans, fruits, vegetables, fish, and meat: any food can be preserved and transformed using fermentation. This technique is, among others, in the diet of various Eastern countries. It is known, for instance, that 6000 years ago the men who built the Great Wall of China were fed with fermented sauerkraut, and that in Japan, one of the most popular side dishes today is tsukemono, vegetables soaked in brine usually served with rice. Some of the most popular fermented dishes in Korea are: kimchi, dish of marinated vegetables (usually made from Chinese cabbage, Korean radish or more rarely, cucumber), put in salted water with ginger, garlic, onion and chilli. There are many variations to this dish; it is served as a side dish or as an ingredient in soups and rice-based dishes; different banchan (side dishes), which through fermentation, become more savoury (sour, salty or spicy) and can be preserved for a long time; stews, or jjigae, also consumed as side dishes and usually served in glazed ceramic bowls. The most common version is the doenjang jjigae, a stew of soya cream, made in numerous variations. The common ingredients in this dish are: vegetables, fish and tofu; nuruk, or a fermented barley, wheat and rice mash; meju: a mash of soya grain, fermented too; makgeolli, a traditional rice wine from South Korea, prepared by mixing rice, wheat and water and fermenting all this until a 5-8 % alcohol content is obtained. The taste of this wine is sweet and its colour and texture resemble that of milk. 89 88 Korea has so much to teach the world in terms of food: wholesomeness and beauty in the presentation of dishes and tastiness come together in a unique concept that goes far beyond the simple idea of ‘food’. Discovering the origins of Korea’s culinary tradition means today not only the chance to know an excellent cuisine but, above all, the chance to find a new way to live nutrition. A more symbolic, more conscious, and healthier manner. This ancient food culture is based on a great philosophical concept, which is identified with the expression Hansik - a term which contains the way of life of the Korean people in the sense of unity between man and nature. Hence, first of all, the existing equivalence between food and medicine in Korea. “Korean food,” says Young-Sil Han, president of Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, “is health”. This concept explains the use of many typical products (from sesame oil, beneficial for a variety of vital functions, to rice, rich in vitamin B) and the care given to the consumption of pure and genuine ingredients, grown naturally, which contributes to a healthy diet, rich in proteins and low in fat. Ingredients in the kitchen are combined considering that foods and medicine have the same origin, and thus mixed in the same meal to contribute different health properties. Here then, rice with medicinal herbs, candied ginseng with honey, various soups with several compounds. Hansik is also an originally rural cuisine, which follows the successions of seasons, full of fresh vegetables but also namul (baby wild herbs). In short, a truly effective cuisine to prevent diseases and keep good health. But Korean cuisine is also ‘beauty’ since a distinctive feature, visually speaking, is the wise combination of the five cardinal colours: blue, red, yellow, white and black. Colours are associated and presented in a dish through a careful search for beauty and colour balance, and also to please the eyes. And as regards a balanced composition, in Korea refinement in the combinations also refers to five flavours: spicy, sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Nothing is left to chance; every dish is an ode to the care for details. The Hansik philosophy also encompasses the belief that the act of eating is a time for sharing and, consequently, food comes in as star in the significant moments of each family. Korean cuisine is therefore a ritual, a philosophical cuisine, visually attractive, carefully thought of, that does so much good to your health. It is the result of the interchange of various factors - economic, political, religious, trade with other nations, over centuries. But if we just praise Korean cuisine ‘only’ for these reasons, this would not be fair; last but not least, we must emphasise the delicacy of its dishes. in fermento in Ferment
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