From Bibimbap to Ipssal-bansae: North and South Korean Cuisine Come Together

[Anchor]

An event was held where North Korean defectors and Jeonju citizens came together to prepare and share food from both Koreas. Participants enjoyed a time of empathy and harmony while tasting dishes that have evolved in different ways across the North and South, such as bibimbap and sundae (Korean blood sausage).

JTV reporter Kim Min-ji has the story.

[Reporter]

As a perforated mold is lifted high, dough made from corn starch pours out like thin noodles.

Squid sundae, stuffed to the brim, is sliced into bite-sized pieces and plated appetizingly.

One hundred participants, including North Korean defectors and local citizens, were divided into 12 teams for a cooking competition.

The participants showcased dishes representing the North and South across six themes, including bibimbap and sundae.

South Korea's Jeonju bibimbap and North Korea's Haeju bibimbap, along with squid sundae and Abai sundae, were served on the same table.

In the dumpling-themed competition, unfamiliar dishes from both Koreas, such as the South's gyu-a-sang (royal cucumber dumplings) and the North's ipsal-bansae (rice-flour dumplings), drew the attention of participants.

[Hye-geum/Cooking competition participant: You pound the rice in a mortar, sift it through a sieve, and then make the dough with hot water—literally, you pour hot water to make the dough....]

North Korean defectors and citizens worked as a team, learning each other's cooking methods and coordinating their efforts to complete the dishes.

[Kim Seong-hee/Secretary General of Jeonbuk Gyeorehana: It is Dano, a traditional national holiday. Through food, we are realizing once again that our people are one, and it is a time for North Korean defectors and citizens to communicate and harmonize through food....]

North and South Korean cuisine, which started from the same roots.

Participants took the time to bridge cultural gaps by identifying the commonalities that have persisted over a long period, despite different food cultures.

(Video by Ahn Sang-jun, JTV)

JTV Kim Min-ji
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.