INTERVIEW Shinsegae bridges traditional flavors to dessert, banchan

A set menu of semi-dried yellow croaker with side dishes at Jaju Hansang at Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam in Seoul / Courtesy of Shisegae

By Ko Dong-hwan

• Published Aug 1, 2026 12:00 PM KST

Food laboratory led by Han Hee-jung preserves subtle, seasonal tastes behind global K-food boom

The current global popularity of Korean foods might be propelled by Buldak instant noodles, fried chicken and tteokbokki, but the history of Korean cuisine was not always characterized by the same flavors.

Instead, Korean food was traditionally driven by seasonal and regional diversity, using traditional fermentation and preservation methods over artificial additives, and favoring subtle, mild flavors as often as strong, pungent dishes. Historically there were many books focused on cooking, with the oldest dating to 1450, helping to detail the development of Korean food and gastronomy.

Major department store group Shinsegae operates a food research organization dedicated to preserving and modernizing traditional Korean flavors. Led by Senior Vice President Han Hee-jung, the Korean Food Laboratory runs three consumer brands to showcase authentic Korean flavors.

The Grocer of Korean Delicacies is a retailer for traditional Korean refreshments, including cooking ingredients, fermented pastes and sauces, side dishes, beverages, rice, tea and snacks. All ingredients are locally sourced and made, some by Korean food masters designated by the government.

Han’s team regularly visits suppliers to check the manufacturing conditions and quality and ensure their suppliers meet the qualifications for the department store’s high standards. The Grocer of Korean Delicacies can be found at 10 of Shinsegae’s 13 department stores nationwide.

Jaju Hansang is a restaurant at Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam specializing in Korean food, particularly full course meals including rice, soups or stews and a variety of side dishes. All ingredients are specific to the season to introduce the diversity of tastes and flavors found throughout the year.

House of Shinsegae Dessert Salon at The Heritage, part of Shinsegae Department Store’s flagship location in downtown Seoul, is a high-end cafe offering traditional desserts and teas served using modern ceramics. From "bingsu," a Korean version of shaved ice, to traditional confectionaries and rice cakes, all the offerings here are also seasonally curated. Han said that after the cafe was selected as one of Taste of Seoul’s 100 recommended venues by the Seoul Metropolitan Government last October, it has seen an increasing number of foreign visitors.

“Although the three brands all differ in form, they share the same philosophy of bringing Korean cuisine and its values into customers’ everyday lives,” Han said during an interview with The Korea Times at the Korean Food Laboratory in southern Seoul’s Gangnam District.

“While Korean food is one of the cultural elements closest to our daily lives, its true value and beauty are often overlooked. We are dedicated to studying the fundamentals of gastronomy, discovering master artisans and outstanding producers across the country, and evolving these traditions to align with contemporary tastes and lifestyles. We recently saw representatives of Japanese retail companies visiting our brand stores and showing interest in introducing them to Japan. So we are discussing a possible business partnership, like a pop-up at a department store in Tokyo.”

As Korean food’s global popularity has increased, the number of foreign visitors seeking out Shinsegae and its gastronomic brands has grown in tandem. Han, although happy to see those global trends, said shifting consumer behaviors do not influence her food lab.

“The growing global interest in Korean food is a very welcoming development. In fact, international tourists and overseas distribution partners have shown strong interest in our products and brands,” she said.

“However, rather than simply expanding popular Korean food items, we place greater value on offering products and content that allow people to experience authentic Korean gastronomy. Our role is to ensure the global interest in K-food leads to a deeper understanding and meaningful experiences of Korean culinary culture.”

Han said her lab refines historic recipes to better pair with the demands of modern palates. With advanced equipment and ingredients that are available more readily now than centuries ago, the lab is capable of recreating traditional flavors in a more consistent manner for consumers worldwide.

“Korean traditional desserts, for example, are strongly defined by seasonal qualities. Compared to Japanese sweets, ours are much milder. Rice cakes in the old days required intensive human labor to make the flours and starches required, but now it’s much easier with modern equipment,” she said.

“Dessert Salon reinterprets our old recipes for modern customers. One of our teas is based on Korea’s oldest records about tea from Buan County, North Jeolla Province, from the 18th century during the Joseon Dynasty. We cited ingredients mentioned in the records and used the same ingredients for the menu.”

Dessert Salon changes its menu every few months to introduce new dishes. This past January focused on red bean porridge, while March highlighted selections using mugwort. April and May served up "surichwi" rice cakes, June offered desserts made with Korean cherry, while July accentuated the flavors of sweet corn and September will bring an emphasis on "songpyeon," a half-moon-shaped rice cake. Han said the changing menu options represent Korean gastronomy’s seasonal colors.

“Each month sees a new menu at Dessert Salon because there are so many foods I would love to share with our customers,” Han said.

“One of the cafe’s teas is a traditional safflower tea. The black tea has blended three domestic ingredients and was inspired by Shinsegae’s flower logo.”