Reviving Goryeo cuisine in all its decadent splendor

How much do you know about the Goryeo Dynasty’s food? For many, even local scholars, the likely answer is, not much. We are better versed in the dishes that came a kingdom later, in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

Iconic bo kimchi of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) [ONJIUM]

How much do you know about the Goryeo Dynasty’s food?

For many, even local scholars, the likely answer is, not much.

We are better versed in the dishes that came a kingdom later, in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) — perhaps because of historical K-dramas or the extensive records of the period’s cuisine like the medical encyclopedia “Dongui Bogam” (1613).

Food during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) still largely remains a mystery, quite simply because of the dearth of records.

But researchers at Onjium Matgongbang, a Korean culture research institute in Jongno District, central Seoul, are determined to unearth the lost cuisine.

Chung Hae-kyung, advisory committee member for Matgongbang and professor emeritus of food and nutrition at Hoseo University, talks to the Korea JoongAng Daily on Aug. 21 about the English publication of cookbook "Roots and Wings." [PARK SANG-MOON]

The team of 20 have been on their feet for over two years now, chasing the loose tail ends of Goryeo's history and its gastro culture.

Their efforts are summed up in a cookbook titled “Roots and Wings.”

Its English translation came out in late July. The book was originally published in Korean in February.

It contains the history and an overview of the Goryeo Dynasty and its food, along with some 80 iconic yet easy-to-follow Goryeo recipes.

“We found that the defining characteristic of the Goryeo Dynasty cuisine was its lavishness,” Chung Hae-kyung, advisory committee member for Matgongbang and professor emeritus of food and nutrition at Hoseo University, told the Korea JoongAng Daily. “Even kimchi during the Goryeo Dynasty, called bo kimchi, is arguably the fanciest in Korean kimchi cuisine.”

The salted lettuce in this kimchi wraps a variety of ingredients like seafood, vegetables, mushrooms and fruits like a baby swaddle, as the Chinese character for bo — which means a wrapping cloth — suggests.

Other Goryeo foods like Kaesong mandu, or dumplings, from the kingdom's capital of Kaesong in what is today North Korea, are larger and packed with ample meat, lettuce and mung bean sprouts. Kaesong yakgwa, or traditional Korean deep-fried honey cookies, resemble a crusty pastry rather than a cookie with many sweet layers that crumble upon your mouth.

Kaesong yakgwa, or traditional Korean honey cookies [ONJIUM]

Goryeo people also “knew how to throw a good party,” according to Chung.

Many of their dishes were meant to be consumed with alcohol and served during festivities. One of the representative festival foods during this time was honghaesam, which is sea cucumber and mussels wrapped in diced beef and crushed tofu that is cooked on a pan after being coated with egg.

Honghaesam is sea cucumber and mussels wrapped in diced beef and crushed tofu that is cooked on a pan after being coated with egg. [ONJIUM]

Chung believed that the exquisite nature of the period’s dishes originated from the culture and philosophies of the age.

Goryeo was the first independent, open and creative country to have unified the Korean Peninsula. There was freedom of religion — it was the only dynasty where Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism coexisted. There was also a lot of money flowing around, primarily due to vibrant trade with the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Japan and Persia.

“Confucian values that dominated the Joseon Dynasty weren't mainstream then, and people opted for luxurious things and openly showcased them,” said Chung.

Representative of Goryeo’s opulence is its ceramic kitchenware, especially its embellished blue-tinted celadons.

These celadons were key to tracing the food culture of Goryeo, according to Chung.

“Because there are barely any records of food of the Goryeo Dynasty, we at Matgongbang had to get creative,” said Chung. “These celadons seem like beautiful art nowadays, but back then, they were really all just rice and soup bowls. Some slim bottles that we previously thought to be vases turned out to have small engravings on them that said they used to contain oil and honey, both very expensive products at the time.”

Chung especially recalled the excitement she and her team felt two years ago when some 200 artifacts and celadons from the Goryeo Dynasty were discovered underwater near North Jeolla.

“It was like we found the black box of the Goryeo Dynasty!” she said. “The whole research project was overall a fascinating experience.”

Celadons from Goryeo Dynasty burried under water near Gunsan, North Jeolla [NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF MARITIME CULTURAL HERITAGE]

Chung hoped that through the English publication of “Roots and Wings,” foreigners could recognize the broad spectrum of Korean cuisine.

“It’s great that some Korean dishes are being recognized around the world, like kimchi and tteokbokki [spicy rice cake], but it is also important to remember how diverse Korean food is,” said Chung. “Korean food can also be very high-end and Goryeo dishes can be a source of inspiration for fine dining chefs.”

She revealed that chef Kang Min-goo of two-Michelin-star-restaurant Mingles is especially fond of Matgongbang's research on Goryeo foods.

“It’s up to chefs like Kang Min-goo to raise awareness of Korean cuisine through reinterpretation of our traditional dishes,” said Chung. “The reason why we do what we do here at Matgongbang [the culinary studio of Onjium] is, ultimately for people to enjoy new foods instead of just sticking to the dishes we already know.”

The title of the cookbook, “Roots and Wings,” is an extension of this Matgongbang’s philosophy.

“With the roots of Korean cuisine, we at Matgongbang hope that these Goryeo dishes see new light and reach more people, not just in Korea but also around the world,” she said. “It’s important to prevent our beautiful dishes from being forgotten through accurate study and research, and at the same time, it is important to reinterpret these dishes in creative ways so that they can be loved by people in today’s world. We aspire to do both here at Matgongbang.”

Onjium restaurant in Jongno District, central Seoul [JOONGANG PHOTOS]

Onjium’s restaurant is serving a renewed menu of Goryeo dishes from September to October.

Last year, it organized an exhibit titled, “Elegance and Flavor: Imagining the Culinary Culture of Goryeo,” showcasing various crafts and kitchenware, and served Goryeo-style dishes at its restaurant for two months.

“In order for Korean food to continuously evolve, it needs to be new, and Goryeo dishes are certainly a part of the country’s cuisine that remains untapped,” Chung said. “It is nevertheless filled with exquisite flavors that I hope can serve as further inspiration as Korean cuisine moves forward.”

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]