Korean food has become super popular pretty much everywhere. You see KBBQ joints, and home-style restaurants, and there are even fast Korean food places. At your typical Korean restaurant in America you’ll normally find the very typical go-to dishes that are considered ‘basic’ Korean home dishes that are eaten when people don’t feel like doing too much cooking, but you still want something delicious. The dishes that have been popularized in the west are only scratching the surface of Korean cuisine. There is so much more to explore, so many more flavors you could never think of working together.
We’ve all heard of KBBQ, kimchi, bibimbap, Japchae, Ox bone soup. While all this is indeed delicious I hate to break it you but its not even close to what you can experience. Even people who have lived in Korea their whole lives, only a small percentage of them have actually ever eaten a royal dinner.
Royal Court Korean Cuisine
Joseon Wangjo Gungjung yori, this is what the style of cooking was called during the Joseon Dynasty, where The House of Yi Seonggye ruled the Korean kingdom for about 5 centuries. Royal Cuisine lavished amongst people in the courts but it was mainly cooked to perfection for the Royal family. Meals at the Royal Palace varied drastically day-to-day, it was not influenced by what was in season, unlike how it was for the meals of the commoners. Food was very important during this period, there were official positions created for the court that were focused on food. There was a section responsible for attaining rice, a section responsible for wine and tea, a section responsible for cooking. There were also hundreds of slaves under strict supervision where they made tofu, rice cakes, and tea. These slaves were considered cooks for the royal palace but were merely peasants elsewhere. Food was serious business, they took no short cuts when it came to organizing and ensuring that the King got the best to eat and drink. Each month, one of the provinces during the Dynasty were responsible for sending their freshest and best produce and livestock to the Palace. This was a chance to please the King and show off what their region had to contribute to the Kingdom.
This is the House of Yi. They are descendants of The Joseon Dynasty King.
The chefs who prepared everything for the Royal family were normally women, sometimes they were assisted by male chefs when there was a banquet and they needed extra hands in the kitchen. These women were strictly trained in cooking from a very young age. They had to master diverse cooking methods, and how to use all kinds of various ingredients in unique manners that were not only delicious but also healthy. The dishes prepared were tailored around the ingredient’s natural flavors and scents. Strong seasonings and ingredients with a strong smell or taste were disliked. Many of the Masters of Royal Cuisine ‘inherited’ the title through countless years of dedication and hard work in an apprenticeship. The only chefs that currently hold the official title for Master of Royal Cuisine are Han Bokryeo and Chung Gil-Ja. Han Bokryeo is super famous across Korea not only for this title, but she also prepares food for K-dramas (Jewel in a Palace) and movies that take place in historical settings. She ensures that the food is correctly displayed and accurate to what would have been served during the Joseon Dynasty.
What Will You Experience?
You will eat like a King. Literally.
Each guest will be given a private room that is elaborately decorated for royalty. All the food that is prepared and served will be in the same fashion as if it were being served to the King of Korea. All the food will be placed on special bronze plates. You will also get the Royal service; the chef or a server will prepare a perfect bite for everyone for each dish to ensure that you are eating the dish correctly so you can enjoy your meal to the fullest. You will get to experience a Surasang setting which consists of 3 tables filled with food and a hotpot. And no, it’s not per group it’s PER individual.
During the Joseon Dynasty, the Royal family would be served 5 meals throughout the day, 3 main meals and 2 light meals. The main meals are called a Surasang. Each dish has its own assigned place on the table, at a Surasang setting there consists of about 24 different dishes. The higher your rank in the kingdom the more side dishes you would be served; this can range from 6-19. Most foreigners get 9-12 side dishes for they are considered special guests. These side dishes are called Banchan, you also get these at regular Korean restaurants, but of course they will look and taste entirely different. (WINKWINK, if you didn’t know you can order as much Banchan as you want as long as you finish it, for it is complimentary and free at regular Korean restaurants).
The main dishes range from a fish soup to braised meats to fresh seasoned vegetables. Every dish will consist of only the best ingredients Korea has to offer; the freshest vegetables and the tastiest cuts of meat will only be acceptable for the King of Korea. The Master Chef will take her time in ensuring that your meal is no less than perfect. Using only the best equipment and techniques that will enhance every ingredient's taste, and every smell. Presentation of the dish is just as important, in the end your meal will look like an artist's masterpiece.
This is what normal a Surasang setting would look like:
- Kimchi: cubed radish kimchi
- Kimchi: vegetable kimchi in pickled fish brine
- Kimchi: watery radish kimchi
- Cooked vegetables
- Dried side dish
- Braised dishes: meat
- Pan-fried dish: meat, fish, or vegetable
- Pickled vegetables
- Seasoned fresh vegetables
- Salted seafood
- Sliced boiled meat
- Cold grill: seaweed, vegetable
- Empty bowl for fish bones
- Light soy sauce
- Soysauce & vinegar
- Vinegar red pepper paste
- Rice: white rice, Red rice
- Soup: seaweed soup
- Hot grill: meat, fish
- Soup: Thick beef soup
- Casserole: casserole hot pot
- Hot grill: marinated grilled beef slice
- Stew: bean paste stew with fermented shrimp
- A brass tea bowl on a tray
- Tea kettle
- An extra porcelain plate
- Steamed dish: meats, fish, vegetables
- Special dishes: raw meats, seafood
- Poached eggs
- Silver bowl
- Brass casserole bowl with lid
- Steamed rice with red bean
- A seat of the surasanggung who serves the king or queen at the table
- A seat of the surasanggung who serves the king or queen at the table
- A seat of the gimisanggung, who would check the food before the king or queen
Each and every dish has its own special place on the table, but the way in which it is served and prepared for each meal would drastically differ. Royal Korean Cuisine is an art that is slowly being lost, we must appreciate its intricacy and the Chefs who dedicate their lives to mastering this delicate edible art.
There are currently only 7 certified restaurants in South Korea that serve authentic royal cuisine. You must also make reservations a while in advance due to the lengthy preparation of the food. Most of the time the restaurants cannot hold a lot of people for they usually only have about 4-6 tables in private rooms.
I hope that one day you can all feast like Korean Kings and Queens.