interview with Korean author Kim Yong-ja

Author Shares Secrets on Korean Cooking in Book

Kim Yong-ja, author of ``Korean Cuisine'' is a New York-based chef and gastronomy journalist. By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter When foreigners think of Korean cuisine, they immediately think of kimchi, but there's a wide array of Korean dishes that have yet to be discovered by the rest of the world. The government recently launched its globalization initiative for Korean cuisine, but there are some people like gastronomy journalist and cooking instructor Kim Yong-ja who are, in their own little way, helping more people discover the many flavors and delights of ``hansik.'' Kim, who is based in New York, has just released a book ``Korean Cuisine: Healthy Food, Full of Flavor,'' (Yekwong Publishing, 224pp. 28,000 won) where she shares not just recipes of well-loved Korean dishes but also its traditions and food culture. In an email interview with The Korea Times, Kim said she was always disappointed that Korean cookbooks were very hard to find in bookstores abroad. This prompted her to start writing a book on Korean cuisine a few years ago. ``I visited nearly 30 countries around the world. Wherever I go, I often go to the bookstores and see what kind of interests they have. Of course I also look at their cookbooks. It is not difficult to find Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese or even Turkish cookbooks but I could not find any Korean cookbook. So four years ago, I started to write this book. I wanted to introduce our delicious flavors but also our tradition and food culture to the world and to the second-generation Koreans around the world,'' she said. The book describes Korean food as the ``secret to staying young and slim,'' which Kim hopes will catch the attention of many health-conscious individuals. ``Nowadays, Americans and other foreigners are very open minded to different flavors, so we have a good chance to promote our food,'' Kim said. World renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten wrote the foreword for Kim's book, saying: ``Spicy, clean flavors, light broths, all of these things can be found in the Korean foods that I've come to know through my wife's home cooking. In this book, Kim Yong-ja takes this tradition that I love and brings it to a new level of sophistication and understanding. She shows you how simple it can be to make amazingly flavorful food.'' Love for Cooking Kim grew up in Seoul and moved to the United States in 1967 at the age of 22. ``We all love the food that we grew up with. My interest in learning cooking started with my marriage. I realized that it is something I have to do everyday. And I wanted to eat well. It can be a very simple meal but it should be good," she said. Kim shares her passion for Korean cuisine in the book. It is packed with recipes for appetizers, side dishes, grilled meat and fish dishes, stews, porridge and noodles. It also offers tips on how to organize the menu, dining etiquette, as well as Kim's personal anecdotes about Korean traditions. It wasn't too difficult for Kim to write the book. After all, Kim writes a weekly column ``Journey for Taste'' for The Korea Times in New York. She was a sous chef in various restaurants in Long Island, New York. She wrote the first comprehensive guide and cookbook on continental cuisine in Korean ``Food of the West'' in 1995. Since 1993, she has been a freelance cooking instructor for Korean and Continental cuisine. ``Many of the recipes I learned from my grandma, who was a wonderful at home cooking, and some from my mom and also from relatives. Some I learned from the (Hwang Hae-sung) cooking school in Seoul,'' she said. Hwang Hae-sung, a state-designated Intangible Cultural Asset, inherited the art of court cuisine from Han Hui-sun, one of the last kitchen court ladies of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Kim is trained in not just Korean cuisine, but French and Italian cuisines from the Ritz-Escoffier Cooking School, Paris, France and Giuliano Bugialli Cooking School, Florence, Italy, respectively. ``Because I learned both food of the West, such as French, Italian and American; and Korean, I know how delicious our food is. No country can prepare fish as delicious as we can,'' she said. Asked what dishes she would serve people who have never tried Korean food before, Kim suggested a first course featuring galbi (beef short ribs) or bulgogi (grilled beef with soy sauce and sesame marinade) with ssam (lettuce wraps), and then bibimbap (rice with a medley of vegetables) as a second course. "Most people love meat so it will be good to show that first, through galbi and bulgogi. And bibimbap is beautiful to present, and vegetarians will love it," she said. Unlike other Korean cookbooks which barely include desserts, Kim included tweaked versions of recipes for sujeonggwa, (cinnamon punch with dried persimmons) and patjuk (red bean puree with sweet rice balls), which enhances the flavors. ``For sujeonggwa, I soaked the semi-dried persimmons in liquor instead of soaking them in the ginger-cinnamon broth. This way, you can eat delicious dried persimmons. Otherwise the dried persimmons soaked in the ginger and cinnamon broth for several days has absolutely no taste. I consider this is an improvement in preparation,'' she said. Kim also created some desserts such as persimmons with honey and lime juice with the distinctly Korean ingredient seognyu muk (pomegranate jelly). Globalization of Korean Food Kim praised the government's campaign to promote Korean cuisine and food culture to the rest of the world. She believes this would help spur more demand for Korean products and help the country's economy. However, Kim noted there should be special attention made to presenting Korean dishes. Korean restaurants should also be clean, whether it is fancy or simple. ``To the foreigners, it is very important to have this clean look, not only the food itself but the whole restaurant including the toilet. Please do not take me wrong, there are many Korean restaurants that are doing very well in that sense, but everybody should do it that way,'' she said. Kim would love to help more with the government's efforts. ``I would love to be a goodwill ambassador for Korea to spread Korean food by teaching teenagers around the world. With government's help, I can stay at an embassy or consulate residence while I travel around and teach. Can I do it in my personal level? Yes. I plan to do it anyhow in my neighborhood and in my daughter's school. But with the government's help, it can be done much more effectively,'' she said. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr Grilled Pork Belly with Hot and Sweet Marinade ("Samgyeopsal Gui") 1 "Samgyeopsal" means three-layered meat, which describes the look of the pork belly, consisting of the skin, fat and the meat. Hot and sweet marinade is a slight variation of "yangnyeom gochujang" (seasoned chili paste). I serve this dish more often than "bulgogi" (grilled marinated beef) for my own family or for guests. Use a broiler for gas ovens or a grill (4 inches or 10 centimeters away) for electric ovens. INGREDIENTS (serves 4) 1¼ pounds/568 grams PORK BELLY, skin cut off with scissors 　　　HOT and SWEET MARINADE: 4 tablespoons GOCHUJANG (chili paste) 2 teaspoons GOCHUGARU (chili flakes) 4 teaspoons SOY SAUCE 1 tablespoon grated GINGER 2 GARLIC CLOVES, crushed 2 tablespoons HONEY or SUGAR ½ teaspoon SALT How To 1. Combine the meat with half of the marinade when you start grilling. When the meat is cooked opaque, turn it over and add more marinade, using the back of a spoon. Grill until lightly browned. 2. Cut into bite-size pieces with scissors.