Gaon presents Nobel banquest menu from Sweden

By Kim Se-jeong

An exclusive dinner menu available for Nobel Prize winners welcomed guests to the Gaon's annual autumn party, Sunday, held at the Millennium Hilton Seoul.

The menu included white fish and crustaceans in aspic mustard vinaigrette from 1975; cream of mushroom soup and lime sherbet from 1931; rolled fillet of sole, sea bream and creamed spinach with shellfish sauce from 1931; and apricot tarlet with vanilla ice cream from 1901.

Gaon, a private social club and the organizer of the event, has handpicked each menu for the evening that saw Sweden as the country of honor this year. It has had India, Russia, China and Peru as countries of honor in the past.

A full list of the menu from 1901, the year when the first five winners in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace were announced, has been accumulated; and even a book has been written about it.

According to Lars Vargo, Swedish ambassador to Korea, the Nobel banquet menu is usually kept secret until it is tried by the winner.

"Cameras are on, trying to capture facial expressions when they eat," he said.

Sweden was the home of Alfred Nobel, a chemist and engineer who invented dynamite and founded the Nobel Prizes. Nobel's last will requested that his $186 million fortune be given to the person who gives the greatest benefit to mankind in physics, chemistry, peace, physiology or medicine and literature.

Sunday's party "Sweden - Open Skies, Open Minds" also featured traditional Swedish dances performed by Korean students from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and a musical performance featuring the music of Abba, a Swedish pop music group formed in 1972.

Noting the significance of cultural diversity and exchanges, Vargo said, "It is only natural that we want to be open to what the world brings to our country... I hope that tonight's event will bring us even closer together."

Han Sang-yong, the new president of Gaon, added: "Dine, dining and dancing is our common language."