On the 21st of this month, at the official state dinner for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden, appetizers and desserts made with traditional ingredients, in addition to main dishes like beef galbi and bibimbap, caught the eye. The appetizers included three types of rice crackers made from purple sweet potato, pumpkin, and black sesame, along with a drink made from adzuki beans. For dessert, a dish of rice cakes made from Icheon rice was served, accompanied by nuts and fruits.

◆ "Healthy yet delicious!"

According to a senior official from the Presidential Office on the 22nd, President Biden finished all of the appetizers and desserts, and about 30 people from the U.S. side also showed great interest in the menu filled with Korean flavors. A White House staffer was quoted as saying, "Healthy food is often not tasty. But why is the healthy food served here so delicious? What is its name?" and confirmed the name written on the menu.

In fact, the preparation time for this state dinner was insufficient due to it being early in the new administration's term. Among chefs who have previously been in charge of state luncheons and dinners for overseas guests, there were comments like, "Normally, menu planning and preparation for a U.S. presidential visit takes about 2-3 months, but this time the preparation time was short, and the kitchen and cooking space were at the National Museum of Korea instead of Cheong Wa Dae, which presented obstacles." However, instead of increasing the volume to provide a sense of fullness, they focused on making an impact with carefully selected ingredients and expressing Korean characteristics using ingredients like sweet potatoes and pumpkins, which are not polarizing.

◆ "Grandma's taste" popular among the Korean public

It is a long-standing custom to feature Korean ingredients and dishes for foreign state guests, as it carries diplomatic messages. However, even setting that aside, traditional Korean food is highly popular among young consumers in Korea and overseas.

For example, the baking and confectionery industry has recently developed and released various products using traditional ingredients such as black sesame, kinako mochi, mugwort, and pumpkin. These include cream buns, cakes, cream puffs, croissants, cookies, madeleines, and financiers. On social media platforms like YouTube, menus using traditional ingredients, often referred to as "grandma's taste," are achieving high view counts and demonstrating enduring popularity. The lifestyle brand "JAJU," primarily used by people in their 20s and 30s, sold over 2.5 million units of traditional snack products nationwide last year. Representative items include fermented hardtack, nurungji (scorched rice) snacks, gim bugak (seaweed tempura), and purple sweet potato puffed rice. This trend is likely influenced by the recent retro culture boom in Korea and growing interest in healthy food. In particular, among young people, foods that older generations used to eat are perceived as novel and interesting, leading to the spread of "halme-nial" (grandma + millennial) culture.

◆ What Korean food has captivated gourmets worldwide?

Korean ingredients are also deeply featured in the high-end culinary world, not just in popular culture. Chef Kwon Woo-joong, who runs the two-Michelin-starred Korean restaurant "Kwon Sook Soo," stated, "Dishes that offer a modern interpretation of Korean cuisine are gaining significant attention even in top-tier fine dining establishments." He added, "Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign customers who booked 1-2 months in advance just to taste Korean food accounted for half of all reservations." He further explained, "As foreigners' standards for Korean food have risen, there are now active efforts in high-end Korean restaurants to seek out and use rare local ingredients such as white dandelion and soy sauce aged for decades."

Chef Kim Dong-seok, who was selected as the Korean representative for the "World Chocolate Masters (WCM)," a global chocolate competition, said, "Korean cuisine has a positive global perception of being healthy and delicious." He also noted, "Popular entertainers like BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) have played a significant role in promoting Korean culture." Kim Dong-seok emphasized, "I have extensive experience in international culinary competitions, but the status of Korea has risen to the point where the competition's prestige increases when Korean chefs participate." He added, "There has been a significant increase in ingredients like soy sauce, seaweed, yuzu, and Korean beef, which are being re-evaluated as superior in taste and quality to those from Japan."