Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheol-woo Recalls Memories of 'Gaengsigi'... 'Gukbap Party' Inside the Provincial Office

Governor Lee Cheol-woo cooking 'Gaengsigi' gukbap at the self-food corner inside the provincial office on the 5th.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] The fact that Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, held a 'Gaengsigi' gukbap party for lunch at the self-food corner inside the provincial office on March 5, the day of Gyeongchip, has sparked lively conversations about this dish both inside and outside the provincial office.

On that afternoon, Governor Lee personally cooked 'Gaengsigi' (Gaengjuk) inside the provincial office, invited staff from the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Research Institute and the Innovation Provincial Government TF team to join him for lunch, and later shared related photos on his SNS.

It is also known that Governor Lee usually enjoys nostalgic 'Gaengsigi' with his family for breakfast at the official residence on weekends.

'Gaengsigi' is a traditional gukbap (soup with rice) from the old Gyeongsang Province, which helped families easily manage meals during hard times by varying its ingredients slightly by region. Similar in feel to 'Eojuk' and 'Eotang-guksu,' 'Gaengsigi' is still known by names such as Gaeyangjuk (Gimcheon City), Gaengjuk (Chilgok County), Bapsigi, and Guksigi (Daegu) in some parts of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, maintaining its legacy.

The key to the Gaengsigi recipe is anchovies and aged kimchi used to make the broth. Enthusiasts agree that using any other ingredients instead of anchovies for the broth cannot produce the authentic taste of Gaengsigi.

The broth made with anchovies and aged kimchi is boiled thoroughly with cold rice, vegetables, and noodles, and eating it gathered around with family has now become a 'special dish' for some enthusiasts. Regarding the etymology of Gaengsigi, the established interpretation is that it comes from 'Gaeng' (羹), meaning soup used in ancestral rites, combined with 'Sik' (食), which through liaison became 'Sigi.'

Governor Lee showed a humble side by introducing the atmosphere of the day on his Facebook, saying, "I added ramen and boiled it vigorously, wondering if it would taste like the Gaengsigi my mother used to make when I was young... I finished a bowl in no time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.