Korean athletes in Rio enjoy customized Korean food
.jpg?w=728)
A cook prepares “galbi” (Korean barbeque) at the Korea House in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday (local time), The Korea House provides South Korean athletes with Korean meals. / Yonhap
By Choi Ha-young
South Korean athletes participating in the 2016 Rio Olympics are enjoying “kimchi jjigae” or kimchi stew, and “galbi” or Korean-style barbeque, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil thanks to the Korea House operating near the official Olympic village.
Nineteen staff members there make Korean food and the Korean Olympic Committee delivers lunch boxes door-to-door to the athletes.
The first batch of food reserves arrived in Rio in April, months ahead of the beginning of the international multi-sport event. “We shipped 500 kilograms of beef, 150 to 300 kilograms of various kimchi and 1,000 kilograms of rice to the location,” Shin Seung-cheol, chief of the food support team, is quoted saying.
The Korea House sources meat including chicken, beef and pork from local markets and the Korean community in Sao Paulo also provides vegetables and additional kimchi.
Shin said the athletes are satisfied they have familiar food they eat at the Korean National Training Center, which is known for its quality meals.
Other than meals at the official cafeteria, athletes can choose five types of packed lunches.
“I left Korea about 23 days ago. Korean food helps me feel more psychologically stable,” Kim Yong-mi, female cycle team coach told Yonhap.
The Korea House cooks also provide customized meals for each athlete. On Tuesday, swimmer Park Tae-hwan ordered “jeonbok juk” (abalone porridge) to his room, while sharp shooter Jin Jong-oh visited the Korea House for dinner, Wednesday.
Meat is the main dish for the athletes. Young athletes prefer snacks, such as “tteokbokki” (stir-fried rice cakes with pepper paste), and the cooks pay extra attention to make it not too spicy for better digestion.
Some other countries such as Canada also provide food for their athletes since Rio’s official menu is imbalanced -- too much pizza and pasta and not enough protein. Team Australia suggests meal plans for players to prevent overeating.