"Total Prize Money of 115.5 Million Won Contest and Gourmet Festival to be Held" NS Home Shopping to Host 'NS Cookfest in Iksan'

On the 20th at Iksan 'Harim First Kitchen'
Largest Culinary Competition in Korea
Including 'Mishik Tour' and 'Mishik Road'

'NS Cookfest in Iksan' promotional poster (Photo by NS Home Shopping).

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yuri] The largest cooking competition in Korea, 'NS Cookfest 2022 in Iksan,' will be held on the 20th at 'Harim First Kitchen' in Iksan, Jeonbuk.

On the 19th, NS Home Shopping revealed detailed programs to fully enjoy 'NS Cookfest 2022 in Iksan.' Held for the first time in three years since the outbreak of COVID-19, Cookfest is a food culture festival where visitors can enjoy not only the largest cooking competition in Korea but also the future of the food industry and various food experiences.

In the 13th edition of the gourmet competition this year, participants will challenge themselves to develop recipes that find the 'best taste' using 'fresh natural ingredients.' A total of 100 teams?60 general teams, 30 student teams, and 10 teams in the Gourmet Road category?have been selected as finalists to compete. The fierce competition will be held for a total prize of 115.5 million KRW, including 30 million KRW for the grand integrated prize, 10 million KRW for the general division's top award, and 5 million KRW for the student division's top award.

'Harim First Kitchen,' where Cookfest is held, is a state-of-the-art food production facility located in Iksan. Its goal is to produce the best food using abundant and diverse ingredients from the Honam Plain. Recently, as the function of home kitchens has shifted from 'cooking' to 'dining,' this space was created as a large kitchen to replace cooking functions and as a shared kitchen for the entire nation. This year’s event will feature a 'Gourmet Tour' where visitors can directly tour the production process of 'Harim First Kitchen' through on-site applications. An NS Home Shopping official said, "It will be an opportunity to change perceptions of processed foods and glimpse the future of the food industry."

The festival street 'Gourmet Road,' where fresh local food and local flavors blend with culture, will also be operated. It introduces local tastes through corners such as 'Daemullim Matjip,' a representative restaurant of Iksan, 'Iksan Matshulraeng,' showcasing flavors from young delivery-type food startups, and 'Local Food Market' and 'Young Farmer Market,' which exhibit and sell Iksan’s local agricultural products, brands, and specialties.

Special broadcasts of 'Enrabang' will sell Iksan’s local agricultural products such as sweet potatoes, pears, jujubes, and cherry tomatoes at special prices via real-time live commerce. The 'Harim Group Fresh Market' will also be held, where visitors can taste and purchase products from Soonuri, Juwonsan Duck, Farmsco, and Seonjin Pork. Programs such as 'NS Gourmet Exploration Life,' where famous chefs like Shin Inho and David Lee communicate directly with on-site visitors, 'Sensation Brass,' '1253 (Il-i-o-sam),' and 'Banggu-seok Promuse,' live performances by local young musicians, and 'Youth Busking' will be available. Additionally, 'NS Gourmet Market' will offer various entertainment, including games with prize giveaways.

Cookfest will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 20th, and anyone can visit the site to watch and enjoy the cooking competition of 100 teams and various programs. NS Home Shopping CEO Jo Hangmok said, "Cookfest has grown beyond Korea’s best cooking competition to become a representative food culture festival of Korea in name and reality. Through this festival, we hope to broaden awareness of the food industry and balanced regional development and make gourmet living a daily routine for all citizens."

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