Dae Jang Geum

Contrary to a cool reception at home in the wake of a recent ruckus of its tarnished image, kimchi is gaining popularity with Americans and other places abroad following a spate of news reports to the effect that the traditional Korean dish has an inherent preventative effect on bird flu, the fear of which is now gripping the world.

It was last March that kimchi’s curative effect on avian influenza began to be known well outside of the country, when the British public broadcaster BBC aired the results of a research team led by Seoul National University professor Kang Sa-wook.

Quoting the team’s test results, BBC said of the 13 chickens stricken with the influenza, 11 had shown telling curative effects after being administered kimchi extracts.

Back in 2003, when the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) broke out in Asia, there was a ‘kimchi rage’ in China and Southeast Asia on the strength of reports that the Korea-originated pickle was working in heading off the epidemic.

In recent weeks, the American media were into handling kimchi’s efficacy in treating avian flu.

The ABC network, South Carolina’s largest state newspaper, the Murtle Beach Sun News, Centre Daily Times of Pennsylvania, and some 100 media outlets across the United States reported kimchi’s curative effects on the epidemic.

The ABC reported on Tuesday that with the interest in kimchi growing in America, sauerkraut, the U.S. version of kimchi, is also enjoying a boom. Sauerkraut, a pickle of German origin made from shredded cabbage fermented in brine, is normally inserted into hot dogs or sandwiches.

Journal Times, a publication from Racine, Wisconsin, reported scientists speculated that the bacteria which were detected in kimchi, help cure avian influenza, adding that the same strains were also discovered in sauerkraut.

Kim Jae-soo, the agricultural attaché to the Korean embassy in Washington, D.C., said that contrary to the perception of misgivings Koreans have at home, the American press has given an intense coverage of kimchi’s curative effects on the poultry epidemic.

He noted that although the U.S. media had not paid significant attention to kimchi when it gained popularity as a curative to SARS in Southeast Asia, it is watching carefully this time around.

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Korea Agro-Trade Corp. on Thursday (Nov. 10), despite the recent unsavory episode involving tainted kimchi, Korea’s exports of the item amounted to 26,275 tons in the first 10 months of the year, up 81 tons from a year earlier.

In particular, shipments to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia have surged partly due to Hallyu, or the Korean cultural wave, prompted by Daejanggeum, a Korean TV drama aired in those countries. In the January-October period, exports to Taiwan totaled 561 tons, up 72 percent from a year before. Hong Kong and Malaysia saw their imports increase by 15 and 150 percent respectively.

Besides, prospects for suspended kimchi shipments to Japan to resume were bright as the Japanese authorities were about to end their investigation into the Korean products soon. About 93 percent of Korea’s total exports of 34,827 tons last year went to Japan.

Source: Korea.net 10th November 2005

Sulfur duck at Nolboo Sulfur Duck is roasted in an earthenware jar for three hours, which guarantees grease free, extra chewy meat texture.

In an episode of the MBC hit television series “Jewel in the Palace (Taejanggum),’’ the king of the Choson Kingdom (1392-1910) falls ill after eating roast duck, which had been fed sulfur as part of its diet. At first, people suspected sulfur to be the cause of the king’s illness. Later, it turns out to be from poisoned mushrooms, while the duck had nothing to do with it, but in fact, was good for his health.

Located near the Seoul Express Bus Terminal in southern Seoul, the duck restaurant Nolboo Sulfur Duck, received immediate spotlight after the episode was aired last year. Here alone, about 160 to 170 sulfur-fed ducks are consumed daily.

The restaurant is the member of the country’s largest restaurant franchise Nolboo, which runs a few different kinds of restaurant chains, each of which specifies in different Korean dishes including “pudaejjige” (spicy stew made with luncheon meat, sausages and ramyon)’ and “hanjongsik” (a Korean-styled banquet served on special occasions).

In fact, the “sulfur duck’’ has long been satisfying the taste buds of the country’s picky food lovers, although it was the series that made the recipe widely known not only in Korea, but also in Hong Kong and Japan where it has completed its successful primetime run.

According to a widely believed oriental medical theory, sulfur can be super healthy for human body. It is because, as the theory goes, ducks’ bodies produce a lot of good elements that counteract the effects of sulfur, which neutralize in human bodies as well as working against polluting elements.

Whether it sounds plausible or not, the restaurant’s famous roasted duck (45,000 won) is hearty and tasty. Sulfur duck here is roasted in an earthenware jar for 3 hours, which guarantees grease-free, extra chewy meat texture. Usually one order of the duck makes a regular lunch or dinner for three grown-up males, as it is stuffed with 23 oriental medical ingredients, including ginseng, jujube, various herbs and roots, along with glutinous rice (just like they do when they prepare “samgyetang’’ or ginseng chicken soup).

Roasted duck is served with corned jujube, which is said to create perfect harmony with the meat both in the mouth and stomach. The roasted duck is the only main menu item here, but barbeque duck (20,000 won to 35,000 won depending on the size) is also available if and only if you are still hungry after finishing the roasted duck.

With various different kinds of liquor also sold, the restaurant’s manager recommends “pokbunja (black raspberry)’’ wine (12,000 won), which is known to be beneficial to the kidneys, overall health and stamina. Various different kinds of red and white wines are also available.

Just like samgyetang, the duck dishes used to be most popular among middle-aged men whose number one concern is regaining stamina. Recently though, there have been increasingly more young female customers, who first come to the restaurant upon hearing that duck meat is supposed to be good for their health but also after finding they have become addicted to its taste.

Location of Nolboo Sulfur Duck

Because of the long cooking process, customers are asked to make reservations at least 4 hours in advance.

Source: The Korea Times 19th May 2005 By Lee Yong-sung, Kim Hyun-cheol