KF뉴스레터-Globalization of Korean Food Depends on Foreigners’ Understanding

Globalization of Korean Food Depends on Foreigners’ Understanding

Alfredo Enrique Echeverría, a Costa Rican food critic and CEO of the HRS (Hoteles, Restaurantes y Servicio) Group recently visited Korea, with an invitation from the Korea Foundation, to personally experience Korean cuisine and to learn about Korean culture and shared his thoughts on the potential of Korean cuisine in the global world.

Since this is your first visit, what particular aspects of Korea have you been most impressed with?
It is my first time to be not only in Korea, but also in Asia as well, so I would like to express my special gratitude to the Korea Foundation. I toured the International Food Industry Exhibition Seoul 2010, along with various local markets and traditional food restaurants. I was left with an impression that Korea is a highly advanced country, not only in food, but also in every field in general. I also found Korea to be clean and well organized, with people who are kind and thoroughly service-minded.

As the CEO of a restaurant consulting group, what areas do you focus on to assess the quality of food and restaurants?
Since its founding in 1992, the HRS group has provided more than 7,000 cases of management and consulting services for hotels, restaurants, and service-industry enterprises. So, I always evaluate not only food but also service with an expert eye. I apply several key principles to evaluate food and restaurants. Of course, these principles are not special or personal, but universal and reasonable standards that people around the world would find acceptable. For example, I consider whether the food is cooked in a safe and hygienic manner, assess the quality and taste of the food, evaluate the overall ambience, and compare how the services conform to the standards of the respective country.

It must be difficult to evaluate the food and restaurants of various countries due to their economic and cultural differences.
There are, of course, various differences in each particular country and society. Still, basic criteria include the quality, nutrition, and taste of food, along with the place of origin and quality of ingredients, while the criteria for food preparation, techniques, and cuisine culture are likely to vary in each country. For example, if you intend to assess kimchi in Korea, you should maintain Korea’s criteria.

Evaluation would consider how traditional methods and procedures are used to prepare the kimchi, or how much the kimchi was modified to serve guests like me. You cannot say something is not good just because it does not suit your tastes. You should decide after being informed of the methods and processes that are involved. For this, those who taste the food should first be provided with accurate information. It is also important to always ask questions, be curious, and refrain from having a prejudice toward various foods.

You have often emphasized in your lectures that food is closely linked to a country’s history and culture.
History and culture have a huge impact on food. And food has a great influence on people’s everyday life and culture. People cannot live without food. Regardless of a country’s level of development or its knowledge and ability, you can always find good food. In addition, food reflects the trends of history and culture. Despite my limited time and experience in Korea, I can feel the characteristics of the warmhearted Korean people from the Korean table, with its many dishes of matured and fermented food items.

What is your favorite Korean food? And what Korean foods do you think Costa Rican people might like?
I think I would agree with many foreigners who like bulgogi the most. But I also found dotorimuk (a corn jelly salad), samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), and kimchi to be great as well. Although it is not easy to single out, because different people have different taste, the above-mentioned foods could also be welcome in Central and South America. On the other hand, gelatinous items, such as jellyfish dishes, might not be popular. Each country and culture has its own tastes, and likes or dislikes.

What kinds of food do the Costa Rican people especially like?
Overall, they like crispy, neat, and grilled food. Simple food that maximizes the taste of ingredients, such as vegetables with a slight touch of sauce, rather than food with complicated flavor and taste, is popular. One of the most popular foods in Costa Rica is “casado” that is somewhat similar to Korea’s bibimbap (rice mixed with vegetables and beet), in which various ingredients are mixed together. “Olla de Carne,” soup with beef and vegetables, like galbitang (shirt rib soup), is another favorite.

Considering this, it may not be difficult for Costa Ricans and Koreans to accept each other’s food. In fact, we instituted a food renovation program in Costa Rica about 15 years ago, which has provided a notable boost to the local tourism industry. With almost 2 million tourists arriving in the country every year, various food cultures have managed to take root. So, the Costa Rican people nowadays tend to have a wide understanding about and accept various tastes and influences from new cultures. As far as food is concerned, Costa Ricans can be said to be considerably open-minded.

What are your thoughts about Korea’s recent efforts to globalize Korean food?
Here, you use the term globalization to mean making Korean food better known around the world. In fact, you should devise careful strategies that are appropriate for each country where you would like to introduce Korean food. It is no longer difficult to find Asian restaurants in Costa Rica and other major countries. In Costa Rica, Chinese food has been known to the public since World War I, and Japanese food is also popular. I think this can be both an advantage and a disadvantage to Korean food’s entry into the world market.

A fundamental requirement is to offer detailed explanation to the foreigners who are unfamiliar with Korean food. The menu should be illustrated with photos and offer detailed descriptions so that people can fully understand the ingredients and cooking methods of the respective dishes. You might benchmark Japanese sushi, which foreigners have come to accept. Rather than simply describing kimchi as “fermented cabbage,” you should explain what ingredients are used and the processes involved, according to Korea’s various regions. In addi t ion, i f you act ively promote the strengths of Korean food, especially its healthy image, more people will love Korean food, before long.

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Globalization of Korean Food Depends on Foreigners’ Understanding

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Globalization of Korean Food Depends on Foreigners’ Understanding

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