On Thursday, the Korean Cultural Centre in Nigeria (KCCN) in Abuja hosted a cooking event where six young Nigerians prepared Korean cuisines, Tteokbokki and Japchae.
The culinary class, which is intended for 16 young Nigerians, aims to get the talented Nigerians ready for the next food competition in Korea.
The participants showed their excitement by cooking “Tteokbokki and Japchae,” two healthful Korean traditional foods.
The nutritionally valuable ingredients of the Tteokbokki recipe were carrot, cabbage, onion, green onion, and rice cake. Garlic, sesame seeds, water, sugar, starch syrup, Gochujang, Gochugaru (chill powder), and sesame oil are some other ingredients.
Beef (Rump), cucumber, salt water, onion, carrots, dried Shiitake mushrooms, glass noodles, egg, salt, and cooking oil were the ingredients for Japchae.
In addition to giving the attendees a forum to express their creativity, the event enabled them to uncover latent abilities and discover new culinary interests, specifically in the context of Korean cuisine.
Participant Ms. Ella Ola stated that although she had always loved Korean food, learning how to make Tteokbokki and Japchae meals was a fun experience.
It is more important to know how to cook Korean food than to adore it. I can now easily prepare whatever food I want to consume. She said, “I truly appreciate KCCN for the wonderful opportunity to learn, as learning outside of KCCN will cost much.”
Another participant, Ms Nike Juir, stated that learning how to make Tteokbokki and Japchae meals was fantastic and thrilling.
“How to prepare both dishes has always been on my mind, and when we were taught how to create them, I was happy and I couldn’t wait to try them.
“We went through the process, made the dishes, but to my greatest surprise, they both tasted good,”
Juir praised the KCCN for bringing their cultural centre to Abuja for Nigerians, as well as for organising several activities that allowed Nigerians to showcase their abilities. ” I will try and include people as much as possible because it is an extracurricular activity that gives one the opportunity to learn more about Korean culture,”she said.
Ms Bassey Inyang, a participant, thanked the organisers for the opportunity to learn how to create Korean cuisine.
According to her, she was hesitant about the entire thing until she was persuaded by a buddy.
“Although I know a little about French and Chinese, I realised that you can’t fully comprehend someone unless you grasp their culture.
“I enjoy learning about other people’s cultures, including their food, hairstyles, and clothing, and I am happy for this opportunity. “I appreciate KCCN for their show of love for Nigerians, I hope to continue my Taekwondo training as I learn more about them,”
Ms Lee Hyerim, KCCN Culture Event Officer, stated that the Hansik (Korean food) cooking session was planned to prepare the competitors’ thoughts for the grand finals of the 2024 Korea Cooking Contest, which is scheduled for August.
Hyerim congratulated the participants for doing their best to learn more about Korean culture via their meals.
“The participants did their best to prepare the Tteokbokki and Japchae recipes. If I’m being honest, what they prepared tasted like what I regularly eat in Korea,” she said.
Ms Habiba Yakubu, Culture and Event Officer of KCCN, stated that the event’s goal was to introduce Nigerians to the culture of ‘Jang’.
According to her, the culture of ‘Jang’ refers to Korean sauces such as Gochujang, Kanjang, and Cheonggukjang, among others, which were utilised in the cooking class.
Why this matters
She went on to say that the cooking lesson would help expose more Nigerians to Korean dishes, allowing them to fully participate in the future competition
“Learning how to create Korean foods and purchasing sauces that appear expensive and authentic will allow participants to practise at home. “The competition is structured in a way that the participants will first submit online and they will be offline as well,” .
Yakubu praised Nigerians for their efforts to learn about Korea and achieve their goals, no matter what it took. “I’ve been the class instructor, and it warms my heart to see Nigerians pouring their souls into anything, even if it’s their first time.
What they’re saying
” I like how they were candid about trying to cook the dishes; they weren’t dubious but wanted to see how it went.
“They were questioning how it worked, but what made me happy was seeing them participate and then the aftermath of being open to the trier. “I am just seeing what the aftermath will look like, frankly speaking, I am amazed with the willingness of Nigerian youths to participate in the cooking programme,”
