Wacs rEgionaL rEport – THIs TIme For AsIA
What do thE 5 coLors MEan in korEan cuisinE? tExt By anna kiM - CHeF ConsulTAnT AnD In-CHArge oF InTernATIonAl CommunICATIons
as a Royal Cuisine Dish and is served as a a fancy course menu for special occasions. The Traditional style of the 5-coloured garnishes are: “Gomyeong” as yellow and white egg ribbons, green watercress skewers “Chodae”, beef tripe or shitake mushroom, red carrots stripes, pan fried fish fillet “Jeonyueo”. Hearty beef broth and seafood ingredients are precooked in the following days, assembled to look like a wheel of fortune. By adding extra garnishes like red jujube fruits, jade color gingko nuts, walnuts, meatballs, the garnishes are completed in perfect balance. The special brass vessel has a middlepart constructed to keep hot ambers to heat up the juices of the ingredients while serving the meals. If you never had one yet , there is chance to find more various Sinseollo presentations at the International food fair Korea in 35th WACS Congress May 2010. You are invited to have chance to find this special cooking utensils, competitor challenges, and may enjoy tasting one of them during your visit Korea.
The distinctive 5 natural colors, shaped in a harmonious circle in a special vessel caleld “Sinseollo”, including various flavorful ingredients from the ocean and land,c an make you feel like royalty. Sinseollo, the Korean royal casserole name by word of its vessel, is so delighteful in both visual presentation and savories. At the same time, it requires details and ingredient resources. In the past in Korea, it used to only be savoured by royal families who could afford the cost and labour needed, in particular the 25 premium ingredients. Even today, it is classified 38 World Association of Chefs societies
syMBoLic MEaning oF 5 coLors and MorE... For an interesting insight of Korean food styles, you may notice that there are many other Korean recipes have 5 coloured patterns like Bibimbab (various colorful vegetable mixed rice bowl ) , Gujeolpan ( 9 sectional ingredients and flour wraps ), Japchae ( vermicelli pasta with various color vegetables) , Domijjim ( steam snapper topped with various color garnishes ) , Jungol ( various vegetables and meat or seafood, or noodle hot pot ) , Jeon ( savory pancakes ) , Tteok ( sweet rice cakes ), and more Korean recipes. Application of these top garnishes is known as “Gomyeong” ( also “Utgi”or “Kkumi” )
in Korean and it is not only to improve its appearance and colors to stimulate appetites by presenting attractiveness, it also reflects the way of belief of people’s natural balance and harmony in life by following symbolic meanings in sight of colors. For example , the red color alludes to summer, fire, the heart, bitterness, pleasure and proprieties of receiving the light of the sun and represents ‘Yang’ as energy to promote vitality. It also believes that the power of abundant energy repulses bad spirits. The blue (as green in food) means ‘east direction’ and represents spring, tree, the liver, sourness, delight and benevolence. It possesses strong ‘Yang’ energy and harmony with red. For white, it signifies fall, gold, lungs, pungency, anger and righteousness as well. For the color of black garnishes like black mushrooms, sea kelp means North stands for winter, water, kidneys, a salty taste, sorrow, knowledge, and represents ‘Um ’energy. The center color of yellow denotes the spleen, soil, sweetness, greed and wisdom and regarded as the center of the universe, so yellow was the most honorable color and commonly found in food as egg yolk garnishes.” More five color cosmic elements are also easily found in traditional children’s dresses, and bride’s wedding garments of commoners, temple architectural paintings, and even gift wraps you may buy. Traditional faith in 5 colors may not appear nowadays as in the olden days but still remain as people’s hope for health, longevities, and appreciation of well-being in life. Find more information: 35th Congress May 2010 and International food affair Daejeon, Korea and KCA - Korea cooks association.