Korean and Indian cuisine share love of spice and imprecision

Spiciness in Indian and Korean cuisine can mean two very different things, but some spices are beloved by both peoples nonetheless, said Surabhi Kumar, spouse of the Indian ambassador to Korea, in a recent lecture on Indian cuisine in Seoul...

Surabhi Kumar, spouse of the Indian ambassador to Korea, speaks at the Hansik Space E:eum in Seoul about Indian cuisines, ingredients and spices on Dec. 8. [EMBASSY OF INDIA IN KOREA]

Spiciness in Indian and Korean cuisine can mean two very different things, but some spices are beloved by both peoples nonetheless, said Surabhi Kumar, spouse of the Indian ambassador to Korea, in a recent lecture on Indian cuisine in Seoul.

“When children go to college, it is customary to pack them some homemade food or spices from home,” said Kumar, speaking with culinary experts and students at the Hansik Space E:eum on Dec. 8.

“I packed my son a jar of gochujang,” she said, referring to the red pepper paste in Korea.

It was one of a few similar characteristics of Indian and Korean cuisine that Kumar referred to in the talk organized by the Indian Embassy in Korea with the Korea Food Promotion Institute on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of relations between India and Korea this year.

“Gochujang has become an integral part of our kitchen, so much that we refer to a bowl of bibimbap as one of our comfort foods,” she said, referring to the Korean dish whose recipe was the most searched among all recipes on Google this year.

The dish, translated directly into Korean as mixed rice, usually consists of rice topped with sauteed vegetables, gochujang, and beef or other meat. A fried egg can be added per taste, and the dish is usually enjoyed by mixing everything in the bowl.

The general lack of precise measurements involved in cooking may also be another similarity between the two countries' culinary cultures.

“I never recall measuring a teaspoon of masala,” said Kumar, referring to the usual practice of not using precise measurements of ingredients in Indian homes — often also the case when Korean households make kimchi.

“I will look at the pot, the size of the dish, and use however much masala I think it needs,” said Kumar, drawing some nods from the audience. “So I can use the same ingredients and spices as my mother in cooking a dish, but the results can be very different.”

Surabhi Kumar, spouse of Indian ambassador to Korea, fourth from right, with Amit Kumar, Indian ambassador to Korea, third from right, and culinary experts and students gather at the Hansik Space E:eum in Seoul to hear from Kumar about Indian cuisines, ingredients and spices on Dec. 8. [EMBASSY OF INDIA IN KOREA]

Some middle and high school students who attended the lecture could also try some Indian snacks after the lecture, including chai tea, samosas and gulab jamun, the sweet Indian doughnuts.

“It was really good to learn more about the different spices in India and what types of health and even medicinal benefits they have,” said Cho Kyung-chan, a ninth-grader of Shinhwa Middle School in Seoul, who attended the event with a few classmates and his teacher at the school.

Spices often used in India, like turmeric, are known to have anti-inflammatory effects and aid digestion; cardamom, also rich in antioxidants, is known to protect against cellular damage, according to the Indian Cultural Centre.

Cho’s school is one of several in Seoul where the Indian Cultural Centre holds cultural exchange programs, such as a painting class themed after the Diwali Festival and a regular yoga class organized on the school grounds for all interested students.

Shamitha Poojari, an Indian chef in Seoul who has been teaching cooking classes at the Indian Cultural Centre, said there are several similarities between Indian and Korean cuisine, especially in their comfort food.

“We have something similar to Korea’s samgyetang back home,” she said, referring to the chicken soup dish in Korea.

Speaking on the variety of Indian dishes per region, ranging from the sweet, spicy and tangy curry of the western region to the coconut-rich dishes in the southern region, as well as international influences on Indian cuisine like the Indo-Chinese, British or Portuguese additions, Kumar invited the audience to a visit to her home for an experience of some of these varieties of Indian cuisine.

“When you are under the roof of the home of an Indian family, there you will no doubt have a very authentic experience of Indian cuisine,” she said.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]