By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Confucius (551-479 B.C.) is generally known for being a philosopher and educator, who had a pr influence on Chinese society and neighboring countries right up to the present century.
What is less know is the impact he had on cuisine.
The Westin Chosun Seoul's Chinese restaurant Ho Kyung Jeon reenacts a typical Confucian family residence banquet with some of representative dishes from the time-honored fest. To offer authentic Chinese dishes at the highest level, the restaurant has invited a specialist in the subject.
``The main feature of the dishes from the banquet is letting quality ingredients maintain their own tastes without spoiling them,'' chef Bingyi Gao said. ``But the manner in which each dish is prepared, served, presented and enjoyed is regarded of paramount importance.''
Chinese cuisine is well known for its many regional variations such as of the Cantonese and Peking variety with different main ingredients of various seafoods and meats.
The Confucian banquet dishes geographically belong to Shandong on the eastern edge of the North China Plain but they have their own particular characteristics, Gao said.
``They are not pungent. They are not spicy, sour and salty. I can say they are something unique, very different from typically known Chinese dishes.'' Gao said.
A Confucian family's residence banquet was originally celebrated for family-oriented occasions such as birthdays, marriages and funerals. But it later developed into a special high-grade banquet where distinguished guests such as such as government officials and even royal family members were received.
As many of the ladies in Confucian families were from distinguished well-to-do families China which all had their own special cooking styles, the banquet was also able to develop continuously by combining different features of the various schools of cooking.
The dishes were classified in various grades and ranks suitable for different occasions. There are over 100 different kinds of dishes traditionally used in the Confucian banquet of which the promotion at the Chosun will feature some 30.
The promotion will offer the most distinguished dishes from the banquet to help guests sample the core taste of the traditional banquet, Gao said.
``Every dish has its own meaning. So it is important to learn what cultural and traditional elements lie behind each dish had and how to appreciate them,'' the chef said.
The promotion will continue through Nov. 30. The set menu price is 250,000 won.
For more information, call (02) 317-0494.