A group of international connoisseurs gathered to discuss the globalization of Korean food and promote an international competition involving French cuisine. The 5.4 Club, which aims to promote the four pleasures of seeing, eating, enjoying and talking through the five senses, hosted a year-end party at the JW Marriot Hotel in Seoul last Thursday.

French Ambassador to Korea Jerome Pasquier, JW Marriot general manager Matthew Cooper, event organizer Prof. Choi Jung-hwa, Yulchon LLC partner Lee Jae-wook, plastic surgeon Park Jae-wook and hanbok-designer Lee Hye-soon, among others, attended the evening dinner.

Participants opened up the discussion on how to promote Korean cuisine to the world by considering the successful globalization of French cuisine through the Gout de France (Good France) culinary competition. The rich gastronomic traditions of France were added to UNESCO’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” list in 2010 ― the first time a country’s food traditions were listed.

A total of 1,000 chefs from around the world will participate in the culinary contest on March 19, 2015, which will involve cooking up French dishes using creative recipes and ingredients. The event is sponsored by France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development.

On the issue of globalizing Korean food, Matthew Cooper said that it is important to focus on the “basic tastes” of Korean cuisine, such as samjang and sesame oil. Congdu restaurant owner Kwon Hun-ju said that Korean chefs should take more pride in their native foods, which can be made more approachable by presenting them attractively.

Pasquier said that more diversity is needed, noting that all Korean restaurants in Paris serve the same dishes. Lee Hye-soon said that Korean food and the Korean traditional dress (hanbok) can go together as demonstrated in actor Bae Yong-joon’s restaurant in Japan.

President Park Geun-hye invited European star chefs to Cheong Wa Dae last Thursday to search for ways to globalize Korean cuisine and promote its diverse culinary cultures. World-renowned chefs, including Pierre Gagnaire, Joan Roca and Rene Redzepi attended the presidential luncheon, offering their views on how to combine fermented Korean recipes with Western flair. The European chefs are famous for experimenting with jang, Korean traditional sauces and pastes made from fermented soybeans.

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)