Infamous Kimchi in Korean Food Festival in Bangalore

A Korean food exhibition was held in Galaxy Club, next to Orion mall, free of cost on 17th August 2017.

This was held to change the perceptions of Korean food and have it appeal to the Indian palate. As exciting as it sounds, the exhibition did not have the expected footfall due to unawareness of the event.

There were samples of popular dishes found in South Korea. 

The first dish was Rice Cakes. It was served in 3 different containers with three different sauces, essentially made from pounding grain.

 Then came the infamous spicy kimchi, mixed thoroughly with steamed sticky rice. Kimchi is a side dish made from fermented vegetables like cabbage or radish and a variety of ingredients that include chilli powder, scallions, ginger, garlic, and jeotgal (fermented dishes made from sea food).

They also served Kimchi pancakes or ‘kimchijeon’ which is a simple dish made with flour batter.  

 Mr Kim, sampler at the exhibition said: “Indian students found the kimchi pancake very similar to the South Indian Dosa.”

Moreover, cold noodles also known as ‘Zaru Soba’ made from buckwheat flour and soy sauce seasoned with scallions was absolutely refreshing.

In addition, another noodle dish known as ‘Japchae’ was served. Made of sweet potato, this is typically sweet and savoury.

Furthermore, vegetables were made interesting with ‘Gochiyang’, a dipping sauce made from red chilli powder, glutinous rice, fermented soya bean powder, barley malt powder, and salt.

Nearing the end, it was back to the flag-bearer of South Korea. Three huge jars of kimchi were displayed made in 3 different ways: one with radish, the other with sliced cabbage, and another bigger jar that contained each leaf of a whole cabbage spiced with kimchi.

 The food played around with Bangalorean taste buds. Korean food is definitely a must have. It’s a pleasant option for vegetarians to stray safely to other cuisines.