"Let's Preserve Disappearing Traditional Foods" ... Gyeongbuk Provincial Council Begins Research Project

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Council's "Gyeongsangbuk-do Traditional Food Discovery and Succession Research Group" (led by Representative Lee Chun-woo) held a kickoff meeting on the 20th in the council meeting room for the "Research Project on the Discovery, Succession, and Regional Specialty Development of Disappearing Traditional Foods in the Gyeongbuk Area."

Representative Lee Chun-woo, head of the research group, stated, "I have always felt deeply regretful that traditional foods unique to Gyeongbuk, passed down from grandparents, are being neglected and not succeeded due to changes in times and tastes." He explained the background of the research by adding, "At a time when K-Food, which combines both taste and health, is captivating the palates of people worldwide, it is necessary to prepare institutional measures through research on Gyeongbuk's traditional foods to help the older generation rediscover the nostalgia of old flavors and enable the younger generation to inherit the food culture of their ancestors."

Members of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Assembly, belonging to the "Gyeongsangbuk-do Traditional Food Discovery and Inheritance Research Association," are taking a commemorative photo after holding a kickoff meeting for the research project.

Professor Han Ki-dong of Yeungnam University’s Department of Food Engineering, who is responsible for this research, said, "Among traditional foods, many contain nutritionally and functionally effective components, but cases of these foods disappearing or being at risk of disappearing due to lack of systematic succession continue to occur." He added, "Through this research project commissioned by the provincial council, we will propose policy alternatives to systematically succeed Gyeongbuk's traditional foods and further dedicate ourselves to research so that regional economic contributions can be made through the development of local specialties."

The "Gyeongsangbuk-do Traditional Food Discovery and Succession Research Group" consists of Representative Lee Chun-woo and council members Kang Man-su, Kim Jin-yeop, Noh Seong-hwan, Lee Chung-won, and Lee Hyung-sik. Based on the results derived from about five months of research until early November, the findings will be utilized for policy development, legislative alternatives, and other council activities.

Traditional foods are defined in the "Food Industry Promotion Act" as "foods made by manufacturing, processing, or cooking according to principles passed down from ancient times, using domestic agricultural and marine products as the main raw materials, and possessing our unique taste, aroma, and color." As of the end of 2022, 217 types of foods from 51 companies in Gyeongbuk Province have received traditional food quality certification.

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