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| ▲ Chefs Yeo Kyung-rae and Choi Hyun-seok from Black and White Chef perform a live food show at the 31st Gwangju Kimchi Festival, held at Gwangju City Hall Plaza on Oct. 18, 2024. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- Gwangju’s 31st Annual Kimchi Festival, attended by renowned kimchi masters and chefs from across the country, drew over 68,000 visitors.
According to the Gwangju city government on the 23rd, the festival, held from October 18 to 20 at Gwangju City Hall Plaza, featured food shows by celebrated chefs, including Netflix’s Black and White Chef stars Choi Hyun-seok, Yeo Kyung-rae, and Fabrizio Ferrari, as well as temple cuisine master Monk Jeonggwan.
Themed "The Greatest Kimchi Party in the Universe," this year's event went beyond traditional kimchi-making experiences and competitions, emphasizing culinary shows and tastings, including Gwangju Kimchi Star Chef shows and a Thousand-Person Banquet.
The chefs prepared innovative kimchi-based dishes, such as mustard leaf kimchi soy sauce risotto, large shrimp kimchi meat stew, cockscomb white kimchi soup, and mustard water kimchi octopus pasta for attendees to sample.
Despite rising cabbage prices, the Kimchi Market maintained affordable prices (8,000 won per kilogram), drawing large crowds. Total sales reached 820 million won, including 410 million won in kimchi sales and 190 million won from 30 different kimchi dishes.
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| ▲ Visitors explore the Kimchi Market at the 31st Gwangju Kimchi Festival at Gwangju City Hall Plaza on Oct. 18, 2024. (Yonhap) |
Side events, such as a Global Kimchi Lounge for international visitors, a Kimchi Arcade for children, and eco-friendly reusable containers, were also well-received.
Joo Jae-hee, director of Gwangju’s Economic Startup Bureau, stated, “This festival solidified Gwangju kimchi as a unique genre and a representative brand for the city. We will continue our efforts to create new content to lead global kimchi culture.”
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