Korean cuisine comes to Manila food fair

The author and an acquaintance enjoy the cooking demonstration put on by Lily Min and hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines. 

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Lira Frenzelle Ruiz

Photos∙Video = Lira Frenzelle Ruiz

Filipinos are very fond of Korean cuisine. That's not a surprise, though, because Korean food is very delicious and healthy. Through Korean TV shows and the increase of Koreans visiting and living in the Philippines, Filipinos are exposed to Korean food and products. As a result, various Korean restaurants and stores have opened in the Philippines, most especially in Manila in the neighborhoods of Makati, Manila and Quezon City, in Angeles and in Cebu. Currently, Korean food is very popular in the Philippines and it has become a favorite “go to” meal.

A Korean cooking demonstration is held with help from the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines.

On June 17, Lily Min and the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines held a “Chef of the World” cooking demonstration at the 11th Manila Foods and Beverages Expo (MAFBEX), at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. The MAFBEX showcases various ranges of food and related products, and is a good platform to promote new products. This is the 11th year of the MAFBEX and it's considered to be the Philippines’ premier food industry event. Min demonstrated how to cook bibimbap mixed rice and kimchi jeon savory pancakes, two of the most popular Korean dishes in the Philippines. Additionally, both are easy to cook. 

Chef Lily Min gives tips on how to cook Korean food.

Chef Lily Min also talked about the philosophy of Korean food. Korean food typically consists of five colors: green, red, yellow, white and black. It's not only physically appealing and has nutritional balance, but also has various meanings, as well. They are more than colors. They represent the traditional five material "elements": wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Moreover, each is associated with an organ in the body. These colors also represent the cardinal points: north, east, west, south and center. These five colors are very important to Koreans, and no color is more than any other, as they are all considered to be in balance.

Aside from the popular bibimbap mixed rice, attendees also learned how to make kimchi jeon savory pancakes. Savory pancakes are very popular in the Philippines, and it's interesting to learn that kimchi savory pancakes exist here. This fusion between the West and the East made guests curious as to how to cook this meal and what it tasted like.

After the cooking demonstration, the audience had a chance to taste some of Min’s bibimbap mixed rice and kimchi jeon savory pancake. It was really delicious!