Jangseong-gun Promotes Registration of Kkotshigam, Jipjang, and Dansul as 'Ark of Taste'

Published 04 Sep.2023 16:13(KST)

Jangseong-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 4th that it will promote the registration of local food protection activities in the international Slow Food Ark of Taste.

The items to be registered are Jangseong Kkotshigam, Jipjang, and Dansul.

Started in Italy in 1997, the International Slow Food Ark of Taste is a global project aimed at restoring and protecting endangered food cultural heritage so that it does not disappear.

Its purpose is to raise awareness of local foods, traditional products, and artisan-made goods that are losing their place as standardized industrial foods dominate the global market.

Jangseong-gun held a "Namdo Taste Ark and Jangseong Local Food Tasting Event" at the Jangseong Local Food Advanced Direct Store on the 29th of last month.
[Photo by Jangseong-gun]

It aims to widely promote local foods and the people who make and preserve them to benefit the regional economy. The name "Ark of Taste" originates from the Christian Bible story of Noah building an ark to save all the animals and plants of the world from the great flood.

The registration criteria include the use of local products, adherence to traditional cooking methods, reflection of regional identity, production of a certain quantity, and endangered food status. Currently, 6,159 items worldwide and 111 items in South Korea are registered and protected in the Ark of Taste. In Jeollanam-do, over 20 items such as Biroyakcha, Jebisukddeok, and Jangheung Doncha have been listed.

“Jangseong Kkotshigam,” discovered by Jangseong-gun for Ark of Taste registration, is a native persimmon grown in Jangseong, where there is a large temperature difference between day and night and clear winds. There are eight varieties including Jangseong Kkotshi, Jangseong Sangchugam, Jangseong Bidanshi, and Jangseong Soettogari. It is mainly made into dried persimmons but is also used in processed foods such as persimmon pickles, dried persimmon kimchi, persimmon vinegar, and dried persimmon rice cakes.

“Jipjang” is a gochujang (red chili paste) made by mixing glutinous rice, seasoned with fermented vegetables such as chili leaves and radish greens, resulting in a deep flavor without being salty. It is said to have been made and consumed at the UNESCO World Heritage site Pilam Seowon in Jangseong and then spread to nearby villages.

“Dansul” is a traditional beverage made by fermenting cooked rice with malt. It quenched thirst and hunger caused by hard farming work. Even now, some restaurants in Jangseong serve Dansul as an appetizer or dessert.

Recently, the county attracted attention by holding a “Namdo Ark of Taste and Jangseong Local Food Tasting Event” at the Jangseong Local Food Advanced Direct Store.

The event introduced the county’s local foods to the public and exchanged broad opinions with officials from the International Slow Food Korea Association. It also provided an opportunity to hear vivid stories from local food producers: Kim Byung-kwon, CEO of Eunha Farm (Jangseong Kkotshigam), Kim Bong-hwa, Namdo Food Master (Jipjang), and Ji Ok-sun, CEO of Simjine Food (Dansul).

County Governor Kim Han-jong said, “Discovering and preserving disappearing local foods is very important in establishing the identity and history of regional food culture,” and added, “We will prepare well so that the value of Jangseong local foods can be re-evaluated through registration in the Ark of Taste.”