Eating 40 dishes in a couple of hours wasn't as tough as it sounds. And the goal was important.
The Korean government wants to make Americans more aware of Korean food and arranged the tasting in order to test reactions to a wide range of dishes.
Asked to judge were food writers, restaurant chefs and managers, cooking teachers, media people, representatives from Asian organizations and other Asiaphiles.
The place was Yong Su San in L.A.'s Koreatown. And the program was directed by Sook-Ja Yoon of the Institute of Traditional Korean Food in Seoul (at right).
A lot of work went into this. The portions were (fortunately) so tiny that later I was hungry. But they were garnished carefully, to appear at their best.
That rated applause, but we were a tough group, and our checklist allowed us to say if we really disliked anything, disliked it just a little or thought it was only fair.
The food ranged from traditional, such as bulgogi, cut into fine shreds to give it a new look, to fusion to light, delicate things that I suppose would appeal to Americans scared of foreign cuisines. A chicken and kiwi salad could have turned up at Spago and no one would have guessed it was Korean.
But altering Korean food to please the American palate (whatever that is) isn't a good idea. Take out the kochujang, fermented soy bean paste, anchovy broth, garlic, kelp and hot red peppers in favor of pretty, bland tastes, and you lose the soul of the food.
We already have Thai stir-fries full of bell peppers, Mexican plates smothered in cheesy sauce and Peruvian ceviches that are actually Mexican. Just imagine lightly spiced cabbage slaw masquerading as kimchi.
On the other hand, Korean restaurants could offer a greater variety of dishes. But taking chances can be risky. That is why owners of Mexican, Indian, Thai and other ethnic places stick pretty much to what they know is acceptable.
At the tasting, we ran across some odd things, like kimchibap pizza. That was a mound of kimchi fried rice topped with shreds of cheese--no crust underneath. Noodles with pine nut sauce and seafood would have been delicious, if you were in an Italian restaurant.
But traditional, lightly sweetened pumpkin porridge was a hit. Rice with fresh herbs and delicate pine nut sauce was lovely. Gelatinous knuckle bone and vegetable salad was first-rate. Squash stuffed with ground shrimp and pan fried was another winner. And broiled chicken with garlic and mango was delightful, although not very Korean.
At the end, we were asked to paste red dots on a chart to indicate our three favorites. Although I don't care for tofu, I had to choose dubu (tofu) steak. That single compact bite of tofu mixed with pork and circled by a ring of fresh onion was perfectly seasoned. And the contrast of meaty with crunchy onion made it stand out.
Another top choice was prepared by Sook-Ja Yoon herself. She had blended tofu with mango, peach and kiwi for a richly creamy sorbet.
My third choice was andongjjimdak--braised chicken wings with sliced pumpkin (kabocha) and sweet potato starch noodles. I want a recipe for that one.
At the end, we toasted each other with makgulli, a tangy, milky rice wine. Having valiantly worked our way through so much food, we felt we deserved to celebrate.
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