Top chefs drawn to pickled extract with 120 ingredients at Savor Korea event


Alex Atala, whose Brazil-based restaurant D.O.M. placed fourth on this year’s S. Pellegrino’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants, sampled Korean pickles and a 120-ingredient fermented extract at Seoul Gourmet’s Savor Korea event Tuesday.

“All these fermentations and making pickles are something new for me,” said Atala. “This is special for me because the vegetables are very crunchy. The combination of flavors and textures are unbelievable.”

Michelin-starred chef Thomas Buhner of Germany-based La Vie expressed interest in the 120-ingredient extract and revealed he wanted to try using it as a marinade. 

“It’s a little sweet,” Buhner said of the extract, adding that it possessed fruit-like flavors reminiscent of apples and cherries.

The pickles and extract were all made by food researcher Choi Yeong-suk, who presented the Korean tradition of pickling to participating chefs of the international food festival Seoul Gourmet as part of the Savor Korea event held at Unhyeon Palace in Seoul on Tuesday.

Choi explained how the extract was made with various roots like mountain yam and ginseng along with fruit from the Chinese matrimony vine and how the pickles were made from raw, not cooked, ingredients, preserving the crunchy textures of the vegetables and roots.

After tasting the extract, pickled lotus root and chestnuts, Atala told The Korea Herald, “This is something I will try to understand and maybe incorporate into my cuisine.”

Choi was one of six experts presenting key Korean culinary traditions at Tuesday’s event with the aim of giving world-renowned chefs a closer look at hansik and its roots.

Cuisine researcher Lee Jong-kuk introduced chefs to Korean pastes and sauces, including vinegar made from makgeolli (Korean rice wine).

“The base of our food is very important,” said Lee as he explained why he focused on soy sauce, fermented soy bean paste and vinegar.

Korean Traditional Wine Institute head Park Rock-dam and Research Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine director Chung Kil-ja presented fermented wines and palatial food respectively, while Haap owner-chef Sin Yong-il showcased his Korean desserts.

Chefs were also able to sample omija (Schisandra chinensis) berries from the Hyojongwon Estate.

“Omija is very delicious,” Buhner said, adding that he liked the sweet and sour flavors of the fruit.

The Unhyeon Palace event was part the Savor Korea program, which started with a visit to Yangjae-dong’s Hanaro Mart and finished with a trip to Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market.

The aim of Savor Korea is to give participating chefs an in-depth course on Korean food. Savor Korea is part of a five-day festival where seven prominent culinary masters learn about hansik and incorporate Korean ingredients into their dishes.

“We will be taking away a lot of good flavors,” said Michelin-starred chef Gennaro Esposito of Italy-based Torre del Saracino.

The annual festival, now in its fourth year, will run through Nov. 3, with an extended run from Nov. 5 through Nov. 30 for Seoul Gourmet Avenue.

Participating chefs will be serving special dinners using Korean ingredients at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Westin Chosun, Sheraton Grande Walkerhill, the W Seoul-Walkerhill, Shilla Seoul and the Plaza Hotel through Nov. 2, and will prepare a Grand Gala feast at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Nov. 3.

Chefs will also be holding master classes from Nov. 1-3 at Sejong University. Five modern Korean restaurants ― including Jungsikdang ― will also be participating in the festival, while 20 to 30 restaurants in Seorae Village will be taking part in a three-week event called Seoul Gourmet Avenue.

For more information or to make reservations, visit www.seoulgourmet.org.

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)