Visit a Korean folk-village

jars

When a traveller lands at Seoul's International Airport and is driven into the city in an air-conditoned coach, the first impression is that here is a modern city, as indeed it is. Seoul, with a population of around 25 million, is one of the world's top 10 global cities. The sixteen-lane main roads packed with shiny Korean-made cars, the forests of uniformly sixteen- or seventeen-storey apartment blocks, the many bridges over Seoul's river Han, show that here is a country with great industrial and engineering strength.

It's easy to forget that just a few decades ago, many household courtyards would have been packed with earthenware pots such as these, designed to hold the household staples of kimchi, soya bean paste and chilli paste.

woodpile

One crisp and chilly November morning our group was driven to this folk village on the outskirts of Seoul. Snow lay on the roofs of cars as we passed them, still there, scarcely melting, the air was so cold. Once all the houses were warmed by underfloor fires, an effective but fairly risky system as the houses were made of timber.

footprints

jars1

Our guide told us that the largest pots were reserved for the family's most important food, kimchi, a condiment usually made by rubbling spices between the long leaves of a particular type of cabbage. The cabbages are then packed into these pots and left to ferment, forming lactic acid as they do so which is particularly healthy, and for which the Koreans attribute much of their wellbeing. No meal in Korea is served without at least one form of kimchi. Nowadays city department stores sell kimchi makers which look rather like a washing machine in size, as part of their whitegoods range.

door

dried

corn

The folk village is set up to help children and visitors to understand the way life was in the country some time ago. Fortunately it has been left as simple and homespun as the people who might have lived here and there are no tourist traps, no gimmicks, just a delightful peep into the past.

men

persimmon

The houses all utilised their outdoor areas to dry various foodstuffs - herbs vegetables, and in this case strips of persimmon peel. Another house had whole persimmons strung on a wire, drying slowly in the sunshine. This fruit grows particularly well in Korea's cool autumn climate, ripening in October and becoming apricot flavoured and jellyish when totally ripe. The dried peel can be used in teas, of which the Korean people are also very fond.

teas

In fact this is just what we discovered when we turned a corner just beyond that last house. We were freezing cold, desipte the bright sunshine, and this sign promised hot teas - although of a somewhat different type to what we had been used to.

teas1

They arrived like this and I added strips of dried ginger to mine in an effort to fast-track the warming effects of the tea. Like every other meal we had in Korea, the finesse and daintiness with which it was served spoke of a care for service that is sometimes overlooked in the West.

Later we dined at the village restaurant, which again aimed at serving traditional food to underline the original fare of village folk. It was simple but plentiful and the crisp lentil pancake, served whole to be cut in wedges like a pizza and shared, was devoured so quickly by our group that in seconds there was nothing left to photograph.

meal

The number of condiments served is a key to the importance of the meal and the diners. Because this was a simple lunch, there are only a few, but do note the kimchi at lower left and the brown slices at top right which is acorn jelly, made from (yes, that's right!) ground acorns, a nutritious and ubiquitous 'found' food which has augmented peasant meals in this country for centuries. It's a bit of an acquired taste, but each time I visit, I like it more. I never did fall for the dish of raw crab I was served once, though. Even my guide shuddered at that one!

littlecook

This little lady is showing just how hard the Korean housewife's work must have once been. Pounding, grinding, chopping, slicing and the endless preparation of the side dishes - not to mention all that washing up afterwards!

kimchi

Back in Seoul, we visited the Kimchi Field Museum in the COEX Mall and right beside the massive Hyundai Department Store which incidentally stocks electric kimchi makers. The museum is an eye-opener for anyone who imagines that kimchi is solely about pickled cabbage. Almost any food can be 'kimchi-ed' and frequently is in Korea.

children

These school children are fascinated by the displays, even though they have grown up with these foods on their tables at home. As with any culture the food of its people will always be tasty and healthful, seasonal and economical. Korea's cuisine is no different in this, with its sometimes surprising combinations and ingredients providing just what an inquisitive food-loving visitor needs.

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