Nutritionist Kim Minji Develops 3-Item Food Set for 'Yeoju Ogok Naru Festival'

Yeoju Agricultural Specialties Utilized... Festival's Signature Food Combining Health and Taste to Be Unveiled

Nutritionist Kim Minji is explaining the representative food of the Ogoknaru Festival.

With the iconic autumn festival, the ‘Yeoju Ogok Naru Festival,’ just about a week away, Kim Minji, a nutritionist famous for her ‘lobster meals’ (currently the head manager of GS Group’s corporate cafeteria), has taken on the development of the festival’s signature food items.

The Yeoju Sejong Culture and Tourism Foundation (Chairman Lee Sunyeol) collaborated with nutritionist Kim Minji on October 7 to develop three representative dishes to be showcased at the Yeoju Ogok Naru Festival. Utilizing Yeoju’s signature agricultural and specialty products such as rice, sweet potatoes, peanuts, oyster mushrooms, and eggplants, the menu consists of a hearty meal, easy-to-enjoy finger foods, and a finishing dessert.

First, the meal dish, ‘Butter Jangjorim Eggplant Fried Rice & Chamoe Salad,’ is a special meal featuring Yeoju-grown rice, fresh eggplants, and chamoe (Korean melon). The crispy fried eggplant and butter jangjorim (soy-braised dish) combined with savory crushed peanuts create a deep flavor harmony, while the chamoe salad adds a refreshing finish.

The second menu item, ‘Gajijapswobosaewu & Oyster Mushroom Tempura,’ is a convenient finger food made with eggplants and oyster mushrooms cultivated in Yeoju. Notably, Yeoju produces 60% of the nation’s oyster mushrooms, lending a distinctive flavor. The crispy tempura and chewy texture of the shrimp blend perfectly, making it a light and popular choice for festival-goers.

The finale dessert is the ‘Mimi Sand.’ This premium cookie, made with Yeoju’s high-quality rice once presented to the king, features the rich and nutty flavor of butter. By incorporating Gongcha’s milk tea, it reinterprets Yeoju’s traditional quality with a modern touch, making it a sophisticated dessert that perfectly showcases Yeoju’s uniqueness.

Nutritionist Kim Minji stated, “I focused on developing healthy yet delicious dishes using Yeoju’s abundant agricultural products,” adding, “I hope many people will experience Yeoju’s rich flavors and traditions at this festival.”

The core of this project lies in using fresh ingredients directly cultivated in Yeoju for all the dishes, which is a major feature satisfying both health and taste.

Lee Sunyeol, Chairman of the Yeoju Sejong Culture and Tourism Foundation, said, “This food development project was initiated with the hope of providing more practical support to Yeoju farmers by moving beyond the sale of unprocessed primary agricultural products like rice and sweet potatoes, towards developing high value-added secondary processed foods.” He added, “We plan to showcase these healthy and delicious new dishes, born from the hands of nutritionist Kim Minji using Yeoju’s specialty products, at the festival, so please look forward to it.”

The three signature dishes will be available at the Yeoju Ogok Naru Festival from the 18th to the 20th and are expected to become representative menu items of Yeoju after the festival, contributing to regional economic revitalization and agricultural development.

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