US envoy Harry Harris enjoys 'original kimchi from Korea'

U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris, left, and star chef Lee Hye-jung make kimchi during an event hosted by the Asia Society Korea, Dec. 19. Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris, who is known for his love of making and eating Korean food, has highlighted the national dish kimchi in his social media recently.

His latest Kimchi-related tweet came Saturday when he posted photos of a table with Korean ramyeon accompanied by a side dish of fresh-made Kimchi, and a little glass of soju, the drink of choice for many Koreans. His Tweet read, "It's been 4 days since I learned to make #originalKimchifromKorea with Chef "Big Mama" Hye Jung Lee. Time to give it a taste, along with ramyeon and a little firewater for a perfect afternoon snack on a chilly Saturday afternoon. Thank you Chef Lee!"

U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris enjoys a Kimchi-ramyeon combo with soju. Captured from Ambassador Harris' Twitter

The tweet was posted a few days after he learned how to make kimchi with the chef known as "Big Mama" on Korean TV at the Asia Society Korea. After learning to make kimchi with the celebrity chef, the U.S. envoy posted a Tweet on Dec. 15, thanking the chef for teaching him about the "Gimjang" process, a winter activity at many Korean households for making and storing kimchi for the cold season.

What is noticeable is that he has continued to use the hashtag #originalKimchifromKorea in both of his tweets about making and eating Kimchi. As a preview of his encounter with the famous chef for the kimchi event, he also tweeted "So great to be here in the original home of #Kimchi ― South Korea! I'm excited to learn how to make the most authentic, delicious & "Made-in-Korea" Kimchi.

The envoy's repeated focus on Korea as the "original home of Kimchi" has gained special media attention amid a recent cultural feud with China over Korea's quintessential dish, made of fermented cabbage and a variety of vegetables mixed in a spicy seasoning.

Korea is the indisputable origin of kimchi. In this file photo, Kimchi is featured alongside a host of main dishes including steamed pork slices and fermented fish from a restaurant scene in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province. Korea Times file

Recently some Chinese media reported that its "pao cai (a pickled vegetable dish from the Sichuan region) had won recognition from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as an "international standard for the kimchi."

The Korean agricultural ministry refuted the claim, saying that ISO certificate was for pao cai, which is different from kimchi.

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