How Were Busan’s Local Ingredients Brought Onto the Plate? Kyungnam College Hosts Local Food Recipe Contest

Local agricultural and marine products from Busan have been creatively reborn on plates and in bowls.

The RISE Business Group of Kyungnam College of Information & Technology announced on the 10th that it held the "Busan Local Food Recipe Contest" to discover recipe ideas that utilize Busan’s regional image and specialty products.

This contest went beyond a simple cooking competition and was conducted in a way that simultaneously evaluated both the usability of local ingredients and their commercialization potential. It focused on re-highlighting the value of Busan’s agricultural and marine products and expanding into startup ideas through the development of practical recipes.

The competition was divided into a main dish category and a dessert category. The judging panel included a Michelin one-star restaurant owner-chef from the Busan area, a head chef from a luxury hotel, and a Korean master baker, among other experts in the dining and culinary fields, adding a high level of professionalism.

The grand prize in the main dish category went to Lee Daeun for "Octopus Dish and Mashed Potatoes Using Gijang Kelp and Gijang Garlic." The excellence award was given to Kang Dahyun for "Busan Red Snow Crab Cream Ravioli and Flounder Mousse, Pen Shell Scallop and Fish Cake Dish." The encouragement prize went to Kim Hyundeok for "Monkfish Fillet and Daejeo Tomato Marinade Dish."

In the dessert category, the grand prize was awarded to the team of Bae Hyunjeong and Kwon Nayun for "Tigre-Shaped Bread Using Mackerel and Fish Cake." The excellence award went to Cheon Hana for "Dessert Using Gijang Seaweed and Pear," and the encouragement prize went to Kim Dongyeon for "Gijang Seaweed Strawberry Tart."

The judges commented, "It was impressive how the characteristics and stories of Busan’s local ingredients were expressed through modern cooking techniques," adding, "Many entries not only showed a high level of completion but also suggested strong potential to be developed into startup businesses."

Lim Junwoo, Vice President for Industry-Academia Cooperation at Kyungnam College of Information & Technology, said, "This event served as an opportunity to expand the potential of local ingredients into new content," and emphasized, "We will continue to provide support so that the university’s educational capabilities can be linked with local food culture and the dining industry, ultimately leading to startups and revitalization of the regional economy."

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