Ulleungdo 'Myeongi' Achieves Registration as Slow Food 'Ark of Taste'

The Plant 'Myeongi' That Sustained the Lives of Ulleungdo Pioneers

8th Entry in the International Slow Food 'Ark of Taste'

On the 9th, officials from Ulleung-gun, Gyeongbuk, along with members of the Slow Food Ulleung branch, attended the 'Ark of Taste' award ceremony held at the Dure Cooperative Federation in Seoul and announced that "'Myeongi,' applied for by Ulleung-gun, has been approved by the International Slow Food Biodiversity Foundation's 'Ark of Taste' and received a certificate."

Certificate of Myeongi from Mat-ui Bangju.

The 'Ark of Taste' is an international Slow Food Association certification project aimed at rediscovering the flavors of fading foods, identifying and recording endangered seeds and varieties, creating lists, and widely promoting them. Through a global network, the registered items are introduced worldwide.

In Ulleung-gun, starting with the registration of Chilso (Korean native cattle) and Seommallari (Lilium hansonii) in 2013, items such as Sonkkongchi (small cutlassfish), Oksusu Yeotcheongju (corn syrup rice wine), Honggamja (red potato), Ginip Dolkim (long-leaf laver), and Mul Eonggeongkwi (water thistle) have been added. Recently, 'Myeongi,' which carries a poignant story of sustaining the lives of Ulleungdo pioneers, was registered as the 111th item in Korea and the 8th in Ulleung-gun, marking a remarkable achievement.

Residents of Ulleungdo have traditionally called Ulleungsan Garlic by the name 'Myeongi,' which holds more than just agricultural significance but is a historic product for the locals. Historical records related to 'Myeongi' show that on September 2, 1928, during the Japanese colonial period, the Dong-A Ilbo's 'Ulleungdo Pilgrimage' article stated, "Everyone on this island tells the story of surviving the year by gathering and eating the abundant Myeongi grass (called Myeongi-cho because it was harvested as Myeongi) spread across the mountain slopes," leaving over 100 years of documentation.

In light of these facts, an official from the Agricultural Technology Center said, "The records showing that Ulleungdo residents have called wild garlic 'Myeongi' since the pioneering days can serve as an important basis for the origin of the name Ulleungdo Myeongi."

Ulleungdo 'Myeong-i' (called Myeongicho because it is said to have inherited Myeong).

Nam Han-kwon, the county governor, said, "I am pleased that the special Myeongi of Ulleung-gun residents has been registered in the International Slow Food Association's Ark of Taste. We will spare no support to help Ulleungdo Myeongi establish itself as a world-renowned premium product," adding, "We will continue to actively discover local Slow Food resources and work to register additional items in the Ark of Taste."

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