Korean food and culture visits NorthEast-Millerton Library

Korean food and culture visits NorthEast-Millerton Library

Presenter Younhee Shin of Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project, explains how to cook vegetables at the presentation of “Taste of Korea” at the NorthEast-Millerton Library on Feb. 2. Audience members learned about Korean cooking, foods, and culture and were treated to a traditional Korean meal.

Photo by Robin Roraback

MILLERTON — Enticing aromas filled the Annex of the North East-Millerton Library when those lucky enough to have one of the thirty reservations for “A Taste of Korea: Full of Wisdom and Nature” began to arrive on Saturday, Feb. 8.

They were greeted by Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project members dressed in hanbok, the traditional Korean costume.
Presenter Younhee Shin began by explaining the culture promotion project is a worldwide non-profit organization run by volunteers who hold events such as cooking classes, cultural presentations and essay contests to promote Korean culture and history.

She said Korean food strives for “a harmony of taste, health and nature.” Typical meals, she continued, consist of bap — rice; guk — soup; a main dish of fish or meat; and banchan — usually many little dishes of various vegetables. “Kimchi is always on the table,” she noted, explaining kimchi is eaten in combination with other foods.

Shin praised the healthiness of Korean cuisine. She said Koreans are “first in the consumption of vegetables in the world.”

In addition, Koreans eat fermented foods. Two of the most important are jang — fermented sauces, usually soy sauce — and kimchi — fermented vegetables. She noted the importance of jang as foods “can’t be made without it.” Fermented foods contain probiotics which Shin explained “increase the microbiome in the gut.”

She said the fermentation of jang can take up to seventy days. Soybeans are first soaked in water, put in an iron pot, crushed, made into blocks, dried and left to ferment. The liquid left after fermentation is soy sauce, the rest is soybean paste.

“Kimchi” she went on is “one of the healthiest foods in the world. [It] can be made out of any vegetable,” said Shin. Some examples are cucumber, “very crunchy, refreshing” mustard and radish. She continued that “kimchi is healthier than yogurt.”

She commented that the kimchi sold in American supermarkets is “not kimchi. It is more like pickles.”

Shin extolled the virtues of probiotics saying they “make people’s organs at ease which helps the mind be at ease.”

Shin explained that the traditional bangjja or bronzeware in which food is served is also beneficial to health. It enhances the taste of food, helps fight harmful bacteria and infection, and contributes healthy minerals of copper and zinc to the foods.

Younhee Shin demonstrated cooking vegetables. She diced a zucchini into small pieces, added a little sesame oil and a little salt.
She prefers bamboo salt — a salt that has been roasted nine times inside bamboo at a high temperature — but said sea salt is acceptable. The zucchini was then lightly stir fried.

At the end of the presentation, she asked if anyone had any questions. Perhaps overwhelmed at this point by the delicious smells, an audience member asked, “When do we eat?”

Shin laughed and pointed out the menu: kimchi salad; bibimbap — rice with mixed vegetables; bulgogi — soy sauce and honey marinated beef; seafood pancakes; japchae — sweet potato noodles with mixed vegetables; kimchi; honey glazed walnuts; sesame cookies; rice cakes and sikhye — sweet rice punch.

Participants then lined up to receive food from Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project members in traditional Korean dress. The food was served in traditional bangjja bronzeware. The appreciative audience dug in.

For more information go to: www.kscpp.net

Latest News

Empress EMS to purchase Northern Dutchess Paramedics
The Northern Dutchess Paramedics station on Route 22 south of the Village of Millerton.
Photo by Aly Morrissey

This is a developing story. Updates will be made as more information becomes available.

MILLERTON — Northern Dutchess Paramedics, the private emergency medical service provider contracted by North East, Amenia and Dover, is set to be acquired by Empress EMS, Town Supervisor Chris Kennan said at a special workshop meeting of the town board on Tuesday evening, Aug. 26.

Keep ReadingShow less
Busking in the Berkshires
Brent McCoy of Secret Circus Show at Berkshire Busk!
Roman Iwasiwka

While playing outside in the early post-pandemic days, Berkshire Busk! founder Eugene Carr had an epiphany: why not expand the idea of performing on the street (aka busking)into a full-fledged festival in Great Barrington?

As an entrepreneur and cellist, Carr envisioned a well-organized jamboree featuring regional talent, including musicians, acrobats, storytellers, fire-eaters, and more. He formed a team, connected with local businesses and the town of Great Barrington, and launched Berkshire Busk! in 2021. Since then, Berkshire Busk! has grown into a summer staple for Great Barrington.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Sylvia' brings heart, humor and one unforgettable dog to Sharon Playhouse stage

What if the dog onstage was played by a person? That’s the delightful twist in A.R. Gurney’s “Sylvia,” opening at the Sharon Playhouse on Aug. 29. In this clever and heartfelt comedy, the title character — a stray pup who disrupts the lives of a married couple — is portrayed not in costume but by an actor who brings insight, charm, and chaos to the role.

Stepping into Sylvia’s paws is Jen Cody, who is returning to the Sharon Playhouse in a starring role for her third year in a row, ready to bring this spirited dog to life. She’s joined by Jonathan Walker as Greg, the middle-aged man smitten with his new four-legged friend, and Jennifer Van Dyck as Kate, his wife, whose patience and identity are tested by Sylvia’s sudden presence in their home.

Keep ReadingShow less