By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff Reporter
To most Korean people, characterizing the local cuisine might be a daunting job. It is often confusing and even embarrassing to pick aspects in Korean food culture that could be fascinating to those outside the country who are not familiar with "hansik."
Andrea Sinigaglia, a professor and the executive manager of ALMA, an international Italian culinary school, clearly summarizes the answer in three phrases ― it's natural, it's colorful and it's ``good to play with.''
He visited Korea earlier this month to participate in an international symposium under the theme of the globalization of Korean cuisine, held April 7 and hosted by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Presidential Council for Future and Vision. At the academic event, Sinigaglia made a presentation on the successful case of Italian food promotion.
Since being healthy is one prevailing issue in the food scene throughout the world, Korean cuisine, which well meets this condition by not containing too much oil and not being high in calories, according to the executive.
``Korean food is in a way similar to Italian food in that both are interested in `seasonal' nature to make the best of ingredients from each season,'' Sinigaglia told The Korea Times. ``The cuisine also pays a lot of attention in keeping the different flavors of the ingredients separate. But you can recognize all those tastes together in the end.''
Combinations of various ingredients, as seen in diverse vegetables in the bowl of bibimbap, could also appeal to eaters from different cultures, he added.
What is even more interesting about Korean food, Sinigaglia said, is that it makes eating a ``playful and fun'' experience with the unique way of enjoying the dishes. To him, actions accompanied when eating some Korean food, such as mixing rice with other toppings for bibimbap and wrapping barbecued meat with fresh raw vegetables, looked like playing with food.
``It's what kids do, like in one of the most primary way of behaving,'' he said. ``I find it very interesting.''
This complements some items that are totally new to foreigners, especially Europeans. Sinigaglia said makkeoli, Korean rice wine, was good to try with its milky color and sparkling sensation. So are meat dishes in a wrapped display with vegetables, ``because people don't eat meat and vegetables 'together' in Europe.''
During his presentation at the symposium, Sinigaglia said the best way to promote a cuisine was to consistently invest in education. ``We promote italian cuisine and also the food culture throughout the world in cooperation with the government and its various agencies.''
Italian cuisine started to go beyond its borders about 80 years ago, when people there began to emigrate to other countries. But the exports of developed, professional cuisine followed later, just some two decaes ago, according to Sinigalia.
Just as in the case of pizza and pasta, starting from simple and easy-to-access items could be a strategical approach for the promotion of Korean food before developing it into a more professional and bigger cuisine, he said.
In an unconventional way, the ALMA manager said Korea could benefit from setting up joint overseas Asian food centers in collaboration with other Asian countries.
``It could be an efficient promotion of their food in Europe. It could give a clear idea to European people what they are about in a distinctive way,'' said Sinigaglia said.
``If Korea wants to promote its cuisine, just make noise. Let people outside interested. Make some people get involved and find something enjoyable about the food.''