UH Hilo Press Release
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Date: Monday, June 9, 2003
Contact: Dr. Youngki Hahn, (808) 933-8809
For Immediate Release
Kimchee Festival: A part of the Korean Immigration Centennial Celebration
It is all about culinary culture! Kimchee is arguably the best single word that identifies Korea as a cultural entity, particularly so in Hawai`i. The Japanese have sushi and sashimi. The Portuguese have Portuguese sausage and malasadas, while the Chinese have everything from chop suey to Peking duck. And of course, Korea has its pride in kalbi, taegu, and japchae, all of which are familiar sounds to many kama’ainas, but none can top kimchee in so far as the culinary reputation of Korea.
During the Chosun Dynasty (1440-), the last dynasty of Korea, the culinary culture underwent some significant changes. Kimchee, which is the main source of vegetable diet during the long winter months, was developed into varying forms during this period. The kind of kimchee, the ingredients used, and methods of preservation, are influenced by such factors as the season, region, family tradition, and of course, by the culinary skills of the preparer. Today there are 187 different kinds of kimchee, according to the Food Research Institute of Korea.
The Big island Korean Club, with support from a Hawai`i Tourism Agency grant and the University of Hawaii at Hilo , is holding its first ever “Kimchee Festival” on Saturday, June 21, at Wailoa State Park (Pavilion #1), from10:30 am to 12:30 pm. The event features a step-by-step kimchee making demonstration. Although there are as many variations of Kimchee as variations in cheese, only the five most popular types of kimchee are selected for the demonstration: tong baechu kimchee (whole cabbage kimchee); mak kimchee (pre-cut mixed kimchee a la Kea`au kimchee); kkaakduki (cubed radish kimchee); oi kkakdugi (cubed cucumber kimchee); and nabak kimchee (radish and cabbage heart kimchee), also known as the summer kimchee.
The festival will also feature cooking demonstrations of selected culinary traditions, all using kimchee as a major ingredient. For this demonstration, the Big Island Korean Club held among its members a cooking competition where each participant presented their best recipe. The winners in each category were selected and they will be given the opportunity to personally demonstrate their culinary skills at the festival.
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