Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
Nangpoonbabsang serves century-old authentic Jeju cuisine
Yang Yong-jin, owner chef of Nangpoonbabsang that doubles as the Institute for Preservation of Jeju’s Traditional Local Food, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at his restaurant in Jeju City, May 15. Korea Times photo by Park Jin-hai
By Park Jin-hai
JEJU — Yang Yong-jin, 59, is known as the "custodian of Jeju Island's gastronomic legacy." Inspired by his mother Kim Ji-soon, who was designated by the government as a Grand Master of traditional food in 2010, Yang's dedication to preserving the island's authentic cuisine is a continuation of his family's legacy.
His mother, who taught students at culinary schools and universities in Jeju, started visiting local villages in the 1970s and writing down old island recipes that previously had never been properly documented.
"I was really fascinated by the vast amount of my mother's old documents of recipes, which show unappreciated and undocumented local cuisines. I thought someone had to carry on her work after she passed away, so I decided to give it a try. And that's how 30 years have passed," Yang said during an interview with The Korea Times last week at his restaurant Nangpoonbabsang in Jeju City, which also doubles the as Institute for Preservation of Jeju’s Traditional Local Food.
"Jeju yukgaejang" has locally grown bracken added in the broth boiled with various pork cuts. Korea Times photo by Park Jin-hai
Unlike the mainland, Jeju Island, as a place for exile during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), didn't have the courtly influence that shaped cuisine elsewhere in Korea, thus there were not many records on traditional food, according to Yang. Therefore, his mother diligently visited elderly locals who were over 70 or 80 years old at the time to develop a precious culinary archive. In recognition of her contributions, she was designated as Jeju's first Grand Master of traditional food.
Starting in the mid-1990s, then in his 30s, Yang joined his mother to assist with enriching the archive. Along with his mother's recipes, Yang added his explanation based on the research of why those specific ingredients are used in those traditional dishes in the context of the island's history, terrain and weather.
"Considering the age of the elders we met when we first started searching for traditional foods and documenting them, those recipes are from over 100 years ago based on today's standards. However, the foods of 100 years ago had not changed much from the foods that had been passed down for hundreds of years before, so we were able to find Jeju Island's traditional foods intact," he said.
Yang and his mother's first joint effort to revive Jeju's local foods came to fruition in 2011 as they published a book showcasing the reconstruction of over 350 traditional dishes. Along with the non-commercial publication, available on the Jeju Provincial Government website, Yang published many other books detailing Jeju's culinary heritage and is a founding member and director of the Jeju Food & Wine Festival, the island's biggest gastronomic event to showcase local ingredients to the world.
Jeju's community culture
Jeju's local cuisine is deeply imbued with the community culture of the islanders. And as a vivid example, Yang cites the banquet food culture.
"Traditionally, when there was a banquet in Jeju, it started with slaughtering a pig. On Jeju Island, each village naturally had a respected, experienced and skilled elder who was in charge of the banquet, called 'dogam.' This dogam was responsible for everything from slaughtering and boiling the pig to distributing the meat," he said.
"When the dogam distributed the pork, everyone received the same 'goegiban' — a one-person meal consisting of thinly sliced pork 'suyuk' (boiled meat), a piece of Jeju-style 'sundae' (blood sausage filled with pork belly, buckwheat flour and perilla) and one piece of 'dumbi' (dried tofu made from Jeju's native soybean)."
Nangpoonbabsang's signature menu "gamunjanchi" (banquet) set includes "mom soup," where "mom" (local dialect for sargassum) is added to the broth boiled up with various pork cuts. Korea Times photo by Park Jin-hai
For babies, the elderly and even those who couldn't attend the banquet that day, they would pack and distribute the food equally, as people believe that with all the precious food prepared for the event, no one should be left out.
"Nangpoon," a word for a table with a large bowl filled with rice placed in the center, also reflects Jeju's communal culture, according to Yang.
"This rice table forms a deep sense of camaraderie by sharing the rice in one bowl. Even when guests came, they would be served one bowl of soup and one spoon and invited to eat. It was this philosophy of life that arose from the need to share precious food equally in a harsh environment."
"Jeopjjakppyeo" (local dialect for pork shoulder bone) soup / Korea Times photo by Park Jin-hai
Opening the Nangpoonbabsang restaurant with his mother in 2016 was motivated by the desire to share Jeju's communal culture and spirit of consideration that he highly values. He said his short stint with Italian chefs while learning Italian cuisine in 2000 gave him the impetus to start his own restaurant.
"After talking to Italian chefs, I was impressed by their pride in their cuisine. While many of their rural dishes are simpler than Jeju Island's food, seeing how they find value in them made me admire their approach. I can't help but think that if this is what it takes to have a world-renowned culinary culture, then Jeju Island's food could also achieve that level of recognition," Yang said.
"I thought we needed a space to organize and present to the public the Jeju traditional food that my mother had discovered and recorded. Many restaurants claim to serve Jeju local cuisine, but there was not a single one where you could taste real traditional Jeju food."
His restaurant offers a traditional nangpoon rice table with options of different local soups. Its signature "gamunjanchi" (banquet) meal includes "mom soup."
In "Jeju yukgaejang," locally grown bracken is added to the same broth, which originates historically from the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule when sargassum that locals produced was confiscated and people had to substitute bracken. "Jeopjjakppyeo" (local dialect for pork shoulder bone) soup has pork shoulder meat in the broth. Single dishes are priced at 10,000 won ($7.50) while set menu items served with side dishes made from local ingredients are sold at 16,000 won.
Nangpoonbabsang was distinguished in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants’ “Essence Of Asia” list in 2021. Of the four Korean restaurants featured, Nangpoonbabsang has been the sole restaurant based outside Seoul, highlighting its unique contributions to preserving and celebrating Jeju's rich culinary heritage.