Food influencers showcase Korea’s regional cuisine

A Korean cooking class inspired by the drama “The Tyrant’s Chef” was held on Monday morning at CJ CheilJedang’s CJ The Kitchen studio inside its headquarters in central Seoul’s Jung-gu district. A chef dressed in traditional attire introduced the origins of bibimbap and demonstrated how it is prepared, while participants put on aprons and followed along step by step.

What immediately stood out was the filming setup. Tripods were placed throughout the studio, and smartphones were recording continuously. Before a drop of sesame oil was added or fernbrake was placed on top of the bibimbap, participants were already turning to their cameras. The group included 33 food and travel influencers from 13 countries. Only after explaining each step in languages including English, Chinese and Japanese did they move on to the next stage, often remarking, “This is the taste of Korea.”

The event was part of the Korea Tourism Organization’s “K-Local Food Hunters 33,” a program running from Monday to Thursday that brings together influencers from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas to highlight Korea’s regional cuisine. Together, the participants have a combined following of about 21.3 million.

Yoko Tanaka, an influencer from Fukuoka, Japan, said she is especially drawn to the lively atmosphere of Korea’s street food culture. “I really love the energy of Korean pojangmacha,” she said. “The dishes on the table, the soju and makgeolli cups, and the way people naturally enjoy food are all part of the appeal. I even have a room at home designed to recreate that atmosphere.”

Michelle Yeong, 28, a food influencer based in Malaysia, is already well-versed in Korean cuisine. She can list types of kimchi such as baekkimchi, kkakdugi and chive kimchi in detail and regularly cooks dishes like chive pancakes at home. This is her third visit to Korea, and she said her goal this time is to go beyond Seoul and experience what she calls the country’s “hidden local flavors.”

After the cooking class, participants traveled to Samcheonggak in Seongbuk District for an opening ceremony. Even while posing for commemorative photos in traditional gat hats against the backdrop of hanok buildings, they continued live streaming and filming without pause.

Starting on Tuesday, the group split into three teams traveling across Gangwon, Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces to explore 33 signature regional dishes. The itinerary was designed to highlight local specialties that are less commonly found in Seoul, given that many overseas fans are already familiar with mainstream Korean cuisine.

The Gangwon team will visit Gangneung to sample chodang sundubu and mulhoe, explore Gangneung Central Market for fried chicken and ojingeo sundae, and try charcoal-grilled dakgalbi in Chuncheon. The Jeolla team will taste makgeolli and hongeo samhap in Jeonju, make gochujang and tteokbokki in Sunchang, and sample tteokgalbi in Damyang and yukjeon in Gwangju. The Gyeongsang team will take part in making Andong soju in Andong, try raw beef known locally as munti-gi in Daegu, and enjoy grilled shellfish and live octopus in Busan.

Shi Jia, a Beijing-based influencer with 3.01 million followers, said she is most excited about exploring Jeolla cuisine. “I’ve never been to the region before,” she said. “I want to try dishes like Jeonju bibimbap and introduce my followers to Korea’s lesser-known regional flavors.”


김소민 somin@donga.com