Taste of royal cuisine

By Shim Hyun-chul

The finest ingredients from every corner of the land were brought to the royal palace and the ladies of the court with the best culinary skills prepared food for the king.

The royal meal is a combination of earnestness and devotion, in consideration of the king's taste, constitution and physical condition.

The art of traditional Korean cuisine was revived at the Royal and Aristocrat's Traditional Food Festival, from Tuesday to Wednesday at Unhyeon Palace in Jongno, central Seoul.

Hosted by the Institute of Traditional Korean Food, the festival features a variety of dishes from dignified royal cuisine to the dining table of aristocrats and ordinary people.

This year's festival features more healthy food, reflecting the recent focus on the importance of eating well.

The dishes were re-created based on historical documents such as "Singnyo Chanyo" (Dietetic Treatment Book) and "Donguibogam" (Exemplars of Korean Medicine).

King Sejong, the fourth king of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), preferred a meaty diet including beef cooked in a casserole with vegetables, slices of boiled beef and striped beef with mustard was often served. The king suffered diabetes from his 30s and medical officers advised him to eat chicken, pheasant and lamb instead of beef.

For more information about royal cuisine, visit www.kfr.or.kr.