Daesang Successfully Concludes 'Jongga Kimchi Blast' Cooking Competition in France and the UK

Over 650 Participants from Around the World

JONGGA announced on the 25th that the ‘JONGGA Kimchi Blast’ cooking competition, sponsored by JONGGA and jointly hosted by the world-renowned culinary school Le Cordon Bleu, the French AMA Association, and SFAD, was successfully held in France and the United Kingdom.

On the 11th (local time), award winners and the judging panel posed for a commemorative photo at the 'Jongga Kimchi Cook-Off' cooking competition held in France.
[Photo by Daesang]

The JONGGA Kimchi Blast, held in three countries including France, the UK, and the United States, is an event designed to promote the excellence of kimchi worldwide and elevate the status of the kimchi-originating country. Starting with the cooking competition held in the US in November 2019, it has continued annually. The main event, the ‘JONGGA Kimchi Cook-Off,’ has grown each year with increasing participants from various regions, establishing itself as a cooking competition encompassing all of Europe.

In fact, this year’s ‘JONGGA Kimchi Cook-Off’ held in France attracted a record-high 382 applicants, recording a high competition rate of 32:1. Especially, many active chefs participated, making the competition fiercer than last year. The 12 finalists selected competed on the 11th (local time) at the main campus of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. The judging panel included Eric Briffard, Principal Chef of Le Cordon Bleu, Fabrice Daniel, Vice Principal Chef, and Joohee Jung, President of the AMA Association, who evaluated creativity, popularity, artistry, and suitability with the main ingredient, kimchi.

The ultimate winner was Lucas Renault, an active chef residing in Paris, whose dish ‘Baek Kimchi and Pear’ was unanimously praised by the judges for its harmonious flavor of ingredients. Second place went to Isabel Weller, a student from Munich, Germany, for her ‘Kimchi-tini Serenade.’ Third place was awarded to Sina Marie Line’s ‘Kimchi Ravioli, Land and Seafood,’ and the special JONGGA Award was given to Georges Camille’s ‘Contrast Mille-feuille.’

Then, on the 19th (local time), the UK competition held in London also recorded a high competition rate of 27:1 with 267 participants. The event attracted not only aspiring chefs but also participants from various professions, drawing attention. Notably, the participants were predominantly in their 20s and 30s, confirming the strong interest of young European consumers in kimchi, a representative Korean food.

Meanwhile, JONGGA will present various side events of the ‘JONGGA Kimchi Blast’ in France and the UK this coming September. First, in France, a kimchi-making event will be held at the ‘Korean Expo’ festival, where visitors can experience various traditional Korean cultures and foods. In the UK, JONGGA will participate in the ‘Specialty & Fine Food Fair,’ a specialty products and food expo, continuing local promotion and marketing to introduce the diverse flavors of Korean kimchi. Additionally, a large-scale JONGGA kimchi advertising campaign will be launched in London’s Leicester Square. In October, the final round of the ‘JONGGA Kimchi Cook-Off’ will be held in the United States.

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