Why Famous Paris Chefs Closed Restaurants in Peak Season to Visit South Korea

Renowned chefs from famous restaurants in Paris, a global culinary capital, have visited South Korea to learn Korean cuisine.

According to the France-Korea Cultural Exchange Association (FRKO Connect) on today (the 8th), eight veteran chefs from Paris, including Michelin 1-star holders, are currently visiting the country on an 11-day, 10-night itinerary starting from the 3rd.

Despite it being the peak summer season, they showed immense enthusiasm for Korean cuisine, even closing their restaurants to attend the "Korean Taste & Terroir Lab" cultural experience event.

After previously learning temple cuisine from Venerable Jeonggwan at Baegyangsa Temple in Jangseong, Jeollanam-do, the chefs will stay in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, for two days starting today to directly experience the taste and philosophy of traditional Korean foods such as Jongga (traditional clan) cuisine and fermented foods.


Recently, as nature-friendly health foods have gained traction in the global culinary industry, Korean fermented foods like doenjang (soybean paste) and ganjang (soy sauce) are receiving a great response.

This event was organized through the concerted efforts of figures including Chairperson Choi Eun-ok, who operates a Korean restaurant in Paris, and Steering Committee Member Choi Jang-min.

Chairperson Choi explained the intent behind the event, saying, "While places selling everyday Korean dishes like bulgogi or bibimbap have increased in Paris recently, it is still difficult to find Korean cuisine in fine dining restaurants."

She added, "Through this exchange, we hope that traditional Korean cuisine will deeply root itself and successfully establish a presence in the overseas fine dining market."
 
(Photo courtesy of FRKO Connect, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.