Korean royal court cuisine | |
Korean name | |
---|---|
Hangul | 조선왕조궁중요리 |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Joseon-wangjo Gungjung-yori |
McCune–Reischauer | Chosŏn-wangjo Kungjung-yori |
Korean royal court cuisine was the style of cookery within Korean cuisine traditionally consumed at the court of the Joseon Dynasty,which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1897. There has been a revival of this cookery style in the 21st century. It is said that twelve dishes should be served along with rice and soup,with most dishes served in bangjja (bronzeware).
Collectively known as gungjung eumsik during the pre-modern era,the foods of the royal palace reflected the opulent nature of the past rulers of the Korean peninsula. The opulent nature of the royalty is evidenced in examples as far back as the Silla kingdom,where a man-made lake (Anapji Lake,located in Gyeongju) was created with multiple pavilions and halls for the sole purpose of opulent banquets and a spring-fed channel,Poseokjeong,was created for the singular purpose of setting wine cups afloat during the writing of poems. [1]
Reflecting the regionalism of the kingdoms and bordering countries of the peninsula,the cuisine borrowed from each of these areas to function as a showcase. The royalty had the finest regional delicacies sent to the palace. Although there are records of banquets pre-dating the Joseon period,the majority of these records note a vast variety of foods without mentioning the specific foods present. [2] The meals cooked for the royal family were not seasonal,like a commoner's meal. Instead,they varied significantly day to day. The eight provinces were represented each month in turn in the royal palace by ingredients presented by their governors. This gave the cooks a wide assortment of ingredients to use for royal meals. [3]
Food held a very important place in Joseon period. Official positions were created within the Six Ministries ( Yukjo ,육조) that were charged with all matters related to procurement and consumption of food and drink for the royal court. The Board of Personnel (Ijo,이조) contained positions specific for attaining rice for the royal family. The Board of Rites (Yejo) were responsible for foods prepared for ancestor rites,attaining wines and other beverages,and medicinal foods. There were also hundreds of slaves and women who worked in the palace that had tasks such as making tofu,liquor,tea,and tteok (rice cakes). The women were the cooks to the royal palace and were of commoner or low-status families. These women would be split into specific skill sets or "bureaus" such as the Bureau of special foods (Saenggwa-bang,생과방) or the Bureau of cooking foods (Soju-bang,소주방). These female cooks may have been assisted by male cooks from outside the palace during larger banquets when necessary. [4]
Five meals were generally served in the royal palace each day during the Joseon period,and records suggest this pattern had existed from antiquity. Three of these meals would be full-course meals,while the afternoon and after dinner meals would consist of lighter fare. The first meal,mieumsang (미음상),was served at sunrise on days when the king and queen were not taking herbal medicines. The meal consisted of rice porridge (juk,죽) made with ingredients such as abalone ( jeonbokjuk ),white rice (huinjuk),mushrooms (beoseotjuk),pine nuts ( jatjuk ),and sesame (kkaejuk). The side dishes could consist of kimchi, nabak kimchi ,oysters,soy sauce,and other items. The porridge was thought to give vitality to the king and queen throughout the day. [5]
The sura (수라) were the main meals of the day. Breakfast was served at ten in the morning and the evening meals were served between six and seven at night. The set of three tables (surasang,수라상),were usually set with two types of rice,two types of soup,two types of stew ( jjigae ),one dish of jjim (meat stew),one dish of jeongol (a casserole of meat and vegetables),three types of kimchi,three types of jang (장) and twelve side dishes,or called 12 cheop (12첩). The meals were set in the suragan (수라간),a room specifically used for taking meals,with the king seated to the east and the queen to the west. Each had their own set of tables and were attended by three palace servant women known as sura sanggung (수라상궁). These women would remove bowl covers and offer the foods to the king and queen after ensuring that the dishes were not poisoned. [6]
This Korean food heritage has been inscribed by the government as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 38. Han Bok-ryeo (한복려;韓福麗) is the current Living National Treasure as the keeper of this property. [7] [8]
The surasang should be served with three tables and a hotpot. The largest round table on the left is the main table which contains main bowl,soups and stews,dishes,side dishes and fermented stored dishes. The small round table at the lower right corner contains red sura,gomtang or thick meat broth,dessert,tea,empty dishes and bowls. This table is also used to store the covers of bowls and dishes used in the main table. The rectangular table in the upper right corner contains eggs,sesame oil,various raw vegetables and several sauces. The hotpot in the middle right is heated with charcoal,and usually contains jeongol such as sinseollo .
The setting was as follows: [9]
A,B,C:surasanggung (수라상궁)
Sura (수라) is a bowl of boiled rice and grains. Two kinds of sura must always be served. This includes white sura. [25]
Juk (죽) and mieum (미음) or eung-i (응이) are types of rice porridge usually served in the morning. Juk is thicker than mieum in texture, [28] [29] latter of which is similar to the Western gruel.
Guksu (국수) are noodles that are prepared with buckwheat or wheat flour,with the former being preferred.
Mandu (만두) are boiled or steamed dumplings. Mandu dough is made from either wheat flour or buckwheat. The dough is then stuffed with various fillings. Tteokguk (떡국) is a soup made of tteok (glutinous rice cakes)
Tang is a type of soup made with beef shank,intestines,a knuckle (bone) and beef brisket.
Jochi (조치) and gamjeong (감정) are stew-like dishes which is called jjigae in nowadays. If seasoned with gochujang ,they are called gamjeong. Jochi is seasoned with salt or salted shrimp. Other varieties include:
Jjim (찜):steamed or boiled beef,pork,and fish seasoned with vegetables. Seon (선) is steamed vegetables,tofu,and fish stuffed with fillings made with beef or chicken and onions.
Jeongol and sinseollo are similar to Western stew or Chinese hotpot. Sinseollo (which is a variety of jeongol) is boiled in meat stock with various vegetables and mushrooms in a specific cooking pot with holes. Jeongol and sinseollo are served with a burner.
Saengchae (생채) is like a salad seasoned with salt,vinegar,soy sauce,or mustard sauce.
Namul (나물) are any variety of steamed vegetables seasoned with hot pepper,garlic,green onion,salt,and sesame or perilla oil. Typical vegetables include spinach,radish,royal fern,bracken,zucchini,green bean sprouts,Korean bellflower,bamboo shoots,etc. In some cases, dangmyeon (potato starch noodles) and roasted beef can be used as well.
Jorigae (조리개) hard-boiled foods with heavy seasonings. Meats,fish and vegetable are mainly used.
Jeonyuhwa (전유화) or sometimes jeon :a dish resembling a pancake. The main ingredients can be lightly battered with egg and wheat flour. Eggs,flour,and other ingredients can be mixed to make pancakes.
Gui is a generic Korean cuisine term for roasted and seasoned dishes. The main ingredients include green laver,beef,the root of deodeok ( Codonopsis lanceolata;더덕),fish,mushrooms,vegetables, Aralia elata sprouts (두릅),etc.
Hoe (회) is raw fish or raw seasoned beef
Mostly made of rice,it is eaten as a dessert or on Chuseok,which falls on the 15th day of the 8th month in the lunar calendar. These rice cakes vary from containing sweet red bean rice to sesame seeds. Most of these rice cakes are mildly sweet and are enjoyed by everyone from young to old.
A sweet rice punch. Being an iconic Korean traditional drink,several varieties of canned sikhye are now widely available.
A sweet drink flavored with ginger and cinnamon. Softened dried persimmons and pine nuts are added at serving time.
Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural environment and different cultural trends.
Mandu, or mandoo, are dumplings in Korean cuisine. Mandu can be steamed, boiled, pan-fried, or deep-fried. The styles also vary across regions in the Korean Peninsula. Mandu were long part of Korean royal court cuisine, but are now found in supermarkets, restaurants, and snack places such as pojangmacha and bunsikjip throughout South Korea.
Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries and nations. Many of the cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated within the Czech lands. Contemporary Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods; the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on weekends.
Noodle soup refers to a variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth. Noodle soup is a common dish across East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Himalayan states of South Asia. Various types of noodles are used, such as rice noodles, wheat noodles and egg noodles.
Newa cuisine/नेवा: नसा is a distinctive subset of Nepalese cuisine that has developed over centuries among the Newars of Nepal Mandal in Nepal. Newa cuisine is the most celebrated food variety in the country and consists of over 500 dishes. It is more elaborate than most Nepalese cuisines because the Kathmandu Valley has exceptionally fertile alluvial soil and enough wealthy households to make growing produce more profitable than cultivating rice and other staples.
Banchan are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. Banchan are often set in the middle of the table to be shared. At the center of the table is the secondary main course, such as galbi or bulgogi, and a shared pot of jjigae. Bowls of cooked rice and guk (soup) are set individually. Banchan are served in small portions, meant to be finished at each meal and replenished during the meal if not enough. Usually, the more formal the meals are, the more banchan there will be. Jeolla province is particularly famous for serving many different varieties of banchan in a single meal.
Javanese cuisine is the cuisine of Javanese people, a major ethnic group in Indonesia, more precisely the province of Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java.
Padang dish or Minangkabau dish is the cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is among the most popular cuisines in Maritime Southeast Asia. It is known across Indonesia as Masakan Padang after Padang, the capital city of Western Sumatra province. It is served in restaurants mostly owned by perantauan (migrating) Minangkabau people in Indonesian cities. Padang food is ubiquitous in Indonesian cities and is popular in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore.
Jeongol (Korean: 전골) is a Korean-style hot pot made by putting meat, mushroom, seafood, seasoning, etc., in a stew pot, adding broth, and boiling it. It is similar to the category of Korean stews called jjigae, with the main difference being that jjigae are generally made with only a single main ingredient, and named after that ingredient, while jeongol usually contain a variety of main ingredients. An additional difference is that jeongol was originally a dish for upper-class Koreans and members of the royal court, while jjigae was a simpler dish for commoners.
Jjim is a Korean cuisine term referring to dishes made by steaming or boiling meat, chicken, fish, or shellfish which have been marinated in a sauce or soup. The cooking technique originally referred to dishes cooked in a siru by steaming. However, the name jjim has now come to imply a finished dish with a steamed appearance. The cooking method for most jjim dishes nowadays has changed to boiling the ingredients in broth and reducing the liquid. Pressure cookers are popular for making jjim as well.
Guk (국), also sometimes known as tang, is a class of soup-like dishes in Korean cuisine. Guk and tang are commonly grouped together and regarded as the same type of dish, although tang can sometimes be less watery than guk. It is one of the most basic components in a Korean meal, along with bap, and banchan. In Korean table setting, guk is served on the right side of bap (rice), and left side of sujeo.
Seon (Korean: 선) is a traditional Korean dish made from steamed vegetables such as zucchini, cucumber, eggplant or Napa cabbage and stuffed with meat. Although the term is a counterpart of jjim — a category of dishes that are made by steaming meat or seafood — the concept is not clearly settled.
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