Bon appetit, global content creators
A store displays a wide varieties of chili peppers in Gyeongdong Market in northeastern Seoul's Dongdaemun District, Sept. 15. Chef Kim Min-seon of Ome Cooking Lab called the market a "chili museum." Courtesy of Esther Kim
‘Seoul Table’ program puts K-food on social media feeds worldwide
What happens when you mix a Michelin-starred chef, a bustling Korean market and a group of globe-trotting influencers? Welcome to “Seoul Table,” a cooking class designed as much for your palate as it is for your feed.
On Sept. 15, a diverse mix of eight international content creators from Germany, Taiwan, the U.S., Paraguay, Uzbekistan and Italy gathered for “Seoul Table: Discover the Taste of Seoul,” an initiative by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to connect the global content creator economy with Korea’s culinary heritage, inviting influencers to cook, taste and share their K-food experiences online.
The program was co-hosted by chef Park Ju-eun, owner of the Michelin-listed Restaurant Jueun, and chef Kim Min-seon, founder of Ome Cooking Lab.
For more than a decade, Kim has guided foreign visitors through Seoul’s traditional markets, such as Gyeongdong Market and Yangnyeong Market, and teaching them the fundamentals of Korean cuisine. The cooking school’s name, “Ome,” comes from the five flavors of Korean dishes — sweet, sour, bitter, salty and spicy.
Participants of the "Seoul Table: Discover the Taste of Seoul" program tour Gyeongdong Market in northeastern Seoul's Dongdaemun District to explore and buy ingredients for cooking Korean cuisine, Sept. 15. Yonhap
As Kim explains, this philosophy is even reflected in the vibrant entrance gates of the traditional markets that are painted with five colors to symbolize the universe. With a single, colorful dish like bibimbap, “You can get the universe on your plate,” she said.
Their first stop was the bustling Gyeongdong Market in Seoul’s Dongdaemun District, known for traditional herbal medicinal ingredients. Park, a regular at the market, explained that he sources many of his restaurant’s ingredients here, from rare seasonal greens to fresh octopus, every week.
The market is a sensory overload, with the astringent scent of herbal medicines and the sight of mountains of vibrant chili peppers. "I call it a chili museum," Kim said, pointing to an array of peppers in glossy greens, reds and even a striking purple.
Back at the Ome Culinary Lab, participants settled into their individual food preparation stations. The day's menu, mostly prepared by Park’s team, included his restaurant’s octopus salad, a southern Korean-style bibimbap and a refreshing yuja (yuzu) and pomegranate punch. The food preparation process was simple, designed more as a taste of Korean cuisine than an intensive lesson.
Amid the chaos of customers and motorbikes, the group sampled market treats like omija (schisandra berry) tea and songpyeon (half-moon-shaped rice cake) while gathering the day’s ingredients. A notable sight was the malbeol (wasp)-related items including wasps, larvae and live wasp nests to make malbeolju, or soju infused with wasps, believed to have medicinal properties.
Chef Park Ju-eun, center, of the Michelin-listed Restaurant Jueun demonstrates food preparation techniques during “Seoul Table: Discover the Taste of Seoul” at Ome Cooking Lab in Seoul, Sept. 15. Courtesy of Esther Kim
K-food meets social media
The real focus was the promotion of Korean culture through K-food. With two photojournalists, a social media team and a cameraman documenting the chef and students’ every plate, the class felt more like a professional photoshoot.
The experience highlights a new trend: the intersection of culinary tourism and the creator economy. The class was not just about food preparation but about capturing and sharing a trendy Korean experience.
Park noted that traditional markets struggle against the convenience of supermarkets and online shopping. In an innovative move, Gyeongdong Market is experimenting in a collaboration with Starbucks to open a coffee shop inside the market, housed in a converted movie theater, to attract younger, trend-conscious customers.
Participants of "Seoul Table: Discover the Taste of Seoul" program try Korean food preparation techniques at Ome Cooking Lab in Seoul, Sept. 15. Yonhap
Another example is the LG Goldstar Radio Refresh Center, created in partnership with Korean electronics giant LG. The space showcases the company’s history, displaying landmark products such as Korea’s first-ever television and washing machine, made by its predecessor, Goldstar.
By inviting the global content creator economy, Seoul City aims to blend heritage with digital storytelling. The participants take home not just a recipe, but also content to share with followers.
And that’s the essence of Seoul’s strategy: in today's world, a cooking class becomes a cultural export; a plate of bibimbap can indeed put the universe on your social media feed; and the traditional markets' future may just depend on their ability to be as photogenic as they are flavorful.
Esther Kim is a writer from New York.