Delicious Korean food

Last May, World Food Fair was held in the Netherlands’ Residence, Nyarutarama, Kigali. Many countries took part in the fair and showed their own variety of food. It was a successful event. In this occasion, one country really popped out which was Korea.

Monday, August 20, 2012
Guests at the World Food Fair in Kigali. All photos / Hyeon-yeong Kim.

Last May, World Food Fair was held in the Netherlands’ Residence, Nyarutarama, Kigali. Many countries took part in the fair and showed their own variety of food. It was a successful event. In this occasion, one country really popped out which was Korea. According to the host of the fair, Africa International Club (AIC), Korean food was the most popular food in this fair and the flavor was fantastic. Just to prove it, people in a line at the booth of Korean food showed no sign of diminishing through the whole time of the fair.Why Korean food is getting popular worldwide? The reason is simple. It's healthy. When Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, SARS broke out, the world was terrified. However, one interesting aspect of Korean food was revealed that Kimchi, one of the representative Korean traditional foods had the resistance ingredient to this terrifying disease. Other than SARS, Kimchi is proved to be resistance to Swine Flu and H5N1 (Bird Flu) as well.Not just being 'healthy food' helps to be popular. Aside from being 'healthy', the taste of Korean food is getting recognized by many people around the world. Its unique taste has something attractive to draw peoples' attention. When it comes to Korean food, the first thing many people might know is, Bibimbap. Bibimbap is a traditional Korean dish. It is one of the most famous Korean cuisines which is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste).  A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating. Its beautiful combination with vegetables and meat is considered as the most harmonious food in the world.In Rwanda, as Korean culture is becoming popular, lots of people want to experience Korean food as well. There is Korean restaurant in Kigali, but still it is hard to experience Korean food just yet. However, you can make it your own Korean cuisine at your home with ingredients which are fairly easy to get. How about bringing the new flavor to your dinner table?