Filipino contestants bring their own flavor to ‘Taste of Korea’ competition

Great food can serve as a bridge between two cultures. That’s why Filipino professional and amateur cooks got out their knives and showcased their skills at the Taste of Korea cooking competition last June 27 at the Lyceum of the Philippines University's Culinary Institute in Intramuros. The grand prize was a place in a month-long Korean cooking boot camp and the right to represent the Philippines in the finals in Korea.

Food is a daily medicine

Koreans believe that food is not just for nourishment, but also for healing the body. Traditionally, the most healthful food must have five colors or five flavors—not just for presentation and taste, but to represent the five elements of wood, fire, earth, water, and metal. This, they believe, is an indicator of a balanced diet that can prevent diseases. Every ingredient has its own medicinal value. Some dishes are also fortified with medicinal herbs such as ginseng and ginkgo.

All Korean dishes are accompanied by side dishes called “banchan.” These can be seafood or vegetables, but the most important banchan is kimchi—vegetables that are pickled with herbs and spices believed to have superior amounts of antioxidants brought by fermentation.

Culinary fusion



The Taste of Korea competition aims to bring Korean food to the international stage, by having different countries compete at the Global Taste Korea to be held in South Korea later this year. This is the first time the Philippines will participate.

The contestants' entries at the Intramuros event ranged from dishes done the traditional way to Korean food with an international twist: John Patrick Ignacio used European techniques to prepare his Galbi Jjim and took the second runner-up prize, while first runner-up Kristina Yzabel Montealegre’s “Sinigae” combined our favorite tangy soup, the sinigang, with the Korean spicy soup Kimchi Jjigae.

The Grand Prize went to Marc Justin Tee for his Samgyetang, a dish made of young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice in a broth fortified with ginseng and Korean dates. The minimalistic plating elevated the simple, invigorating, summertime soup.

Interest in Korean food has increased in the rest of Asia due in part to the popularity of the Koreanovela “Jewel in the Palace.” At the whole-day Taste of Korea event in Intramuros, the contestants channeled their inner Jang Geum in every dish they made, whether they did Korean dishes the traditional way or added an international or FIlipino twist to them—creating a new connection on the culinary front and strengthening our country’s partnership with Korea.

For those who wanted to cook Korean food a la Jang Geum, the Korean Cultural Center holds cooking classes every semester. Check out their class schedules on their Facebook page or from the KCC official website. — BM, GMA News