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| Seen is the okra kimchi developed by the Philippine embassy in Korea and Korean kimchi producer Narichan. Courtesy of Aview Korea |
By Lee Hae-rin
One of the latest drinking games that have gone viral among young Koreans, the "kimchi game," goes as follows: name a random vegetable, google the vegetable's name with kimchi and have a drink if there is a recipe for making the Korean traditional side dish with it.
The game is meant to make everybody on the table laugh nonstop and get drunk in no time ― just like any other Korean drinking game ― because myriads of kimchi variations have been made by the world's curious minds.
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| Philippine Ambassador to Korea Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega, right, speaks about Filipino culinary culture to Korean reporters during a dinner event at the embassy residence in Seoul, April 11. Courtesy of Aview Korea |
Okra is a high-fiber vegetable rich in vitamin C which thrives in tropical and subtropical regions. Although the ingredient is lesser known in Korea, it is widely known as a superfood and consumed for its high nutritional values.
Korea has been importing fresh okra from the Philippines in exchange for exporting Korean strawberries since June 2020, following an agreement between the agriculture ministries of the two countries. Korea imported nearly eight tons of okra from the Philippines last year, which is a 232 percent increase from 23,825 kilograms in 2021.
To promote the cultural and economic exchange between the two countries, the embassy proposed a Jeonju-based premium kimchi maker, Narichan, to develop an okra kimchi recipe that would appeal to both Korean and international taste buds. Based in the southern gastronomic city of Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, the company with 17 years of experience has won several recognitions including the Presidential recognition in 2020 and innovation awards at the world food expo Salon International de l'Alimentation (SIAL) Paris 2022.
"The Philippines is the only country supplying the highly nutritious okra in fresh form," Maria Alilia Maghirang, the Agriculture Attache of the Philippine Agriculture Office in Seoul said, explaining that China, India and other countries producing and exporting okra to Korea, only supply frozen product.
The freshness of the Filipino ingredient was one of the prime reasons for the kimchi producer to collaborate with the embassy, Narichan CEO Moon Sung-ho said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. Moon explained that using fresh forms of ingredients is crucial to the crunchy and juicy chewy textures of a high quality kimchi.
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| Gimpo-based Filipino chef Belgium Villanueva, center, introduces Filipino cuisine to reporters at the Philippine embassy residence in Seoul, April 11. Courtesy of Aview Korea |
In celebration of the Filipino food month of April, the embassy held a dinner event titled "Kain tayo," which in Tagalog means "Let's eat," and showcased the okra kimchi paired with a series of traditional Filipino dishes at the embassy's residence on April 11.
Along with okra kimchi, vegetable egg rolls "Lumpia" with green papaya salad, a shrimp Sinigang soup, Filipino-styled chicken barbeque and roasted pork were served in the dinner course. A Filipino traditional dessert halo-halo was also served with fried banana added for a twist.
The dinner was attended by several embassy officials, including Ambassador Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Philippine Department of Tourism Director Maria Apo and Maghirang. The dinner was prepared by a Gimpo-based Filipino chef Belgium Villanueva.
Several Korean reporters covering food and tourism who attended the dinner commented that the okra kimchi tasted "new yet familiar" and found it "ensembles well with the Filipino foods."
According to the embassy officials, Korea and the Philippines share common love and appreciation for sharing meals. One of the common Filipino greetings is "Kumain ka na ba?" which translates to "Did you eat?" just as Koreans ask each other how they are doing, "Bab mogeosso?"
"The Philippine Embassy through Philippine agriculture will continue to intensify its promotion of the fresh okra in Korea. Considered as a super food, it offers a lot of nutritional value and benefits for health-conscious consumers in Korea," Maghirang said.
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