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 (State Council,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 surakan (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]
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.
Closeup of the ingredients in goldongban or bibimbap
Sura (수라) is a bowl of boiled rice and grains. Two kinds of sura must always be served. This includes white sura.[25]
White sura (흰수라):boiled rice without any additional ingredients.
Red sura (홍반):boiled rice made with the boiled water of azuki beans.
Five-grain sura (오곡수라):made by boiling rice,sweet rice,glutinous millet,and azuki beans[26]
Goldongban (골동반):boiled rice mixed with steamed vegetables,roasted beef,and a fried egg. In the royal palace,bibimbap was known as goldongban.[27]
Juk,mieum,and eungi
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] the latter of which is similar to the Western gruel.
Omija eungi (오미자응이):Omija berries are boiled and honey is then added to the boiled omija. The boiled omija berries are taken out. Mung bean starch is then added and the liquid is boiled again.
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).
Jangguk mandu (장국만두):Kimchi,pork,and tofu are used as filling.
Saengchi mandu (생치만두):Ringneck pheasant,dropwort,cabbage,and shiitake mushrooms are used as filling. Buckwheat dough is used. The prepared saengchi mandu is then boiled in meat stock.
Donga mandu (동아만두):Mandu made with winter melon,chicken and starch. It is steamed and then boiled in meat stock.
Pyeonsu (편수):Mandu made with beef,cucumber,green bean sprouts,shiitake mushrooms,and rock tripe.
Tteokguk (떡국):Tteok sliced in rounds to resemble coins,and boiled with meat stock. It is served with egg pancake slices and roasted ground meat.
Other varieties include gyuasang (규아상) and junchi mandu (만두).
Eo mandu (어만두):Mandu made with thinly sliced fish flesh as its wrap and stuffed with minced beef,vegetables,and several spices.
Dishes
Tang
Tang is a type of soup made with beef shank,intestines,a knuckle (bone) and beef brisket.
Malgeun guk (맑은국):a hot and clear soup,and includes Mu-guk (무국),clear beef soup,Miyeok guk,dried pollock soup,etc.
Gomguk:a thick soup made so by simmering for a long time. Varieties include gomtang (곰탕),seolleongtang (설렁탕),yukgaejang (육개장),etc.
Tojangguk (토장국):a soup flavored with doenjang (fermented soybean paste). This includes cabbage tonjangguk,spinach tojangguk,etc.
Naengguk:a soup served cold. This includes kkaeguktang,oinaengguk,and wakame cold soup.
Jochi and gamjeong
Jochi (조치) and gamjeong (감정) are stew-like dishes which are now called jjigae. If seasoned with gochujang,they are called gamjeong. Jochi is seasoned with salt or salted shrimp. Other varieties include:
Crab gamjeong
Cucumber gamjeong
Oyster jochi
Zucchini jochi
Fish jochi
Jjim and seon
Baechuseon,steamed and stuffed bachu (napa cabbage) roll
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.
Domi guksu jeongol,made with noodles and Red seabream
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.
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 Korean calendar (lunisolar). 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 drink flavored with ginger and cinnamon. Softened dried persimmons and pine nuts are added at serving time.
Fruit Hwachae:fruit punch made by mixing several fruits together,or only one fruit used. The ingredients are cherries,strawberries,peaches,or watermelons. There are also hwachae with floating azalea petals,boiled barley,pine pollen,or slices of pear in omija-flavored water,sweetened with honey or sugar.
↑ Neobiani uses the same sauce as Bulgogi(Korean Barbecue), but the meat is thicker and its cooking methods are relatively simple because it does not require cooking vegetables together. The beef is cut into thick portions, and in order to tenderize the meat and give the same texture as steak, small knife cuts are made all around the meat, and after marinating in a sauce that is made less sweet, it is grilled over an open fire or in a pan. "Korean Food Foundation". Archived from the original on 2014-03-15. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
References
Pettid, Michael J., Korean Cuisine: An Illustrated History, London: Reaktion Books Ltd., 2008.
조문수. 궁중음식[Korean royal court cuisine] (in Korean). Jeju University. Archived from the original on 15 November 2001. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
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