By Priscilla Osaje
Abuja, Aug. 18, 2024(NAN)Nine contestants participated in the second round of the 2024 maiden edition of ‘Hansik’ (Korean food) contest in Abuja on Saturday.
The competition is in preparation for the final of the contest scheduled for Aug. 31.
The contest topic is :’Hansik (Korean food) using Jang, collaboration between Korea–Nigeria with Sauces.
It was organised by the Korea cultural Centre in Nigeria (KCCN)
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the contestants consisted of two teams of three and five individuals.
The contestants are Adanna Ananaba, with her teammate Kristen Chinemezu, Pearl Ogbalu and her teammate team Mamofede and Halima Jubril.
Others were Hauwa Ibrahim, Amarachi Amushi, Yahya Bindir, Patience Berepele, Ifechukwu Okoye and Sadiya Bindir.
According to the organiser, the contestants are expected to make fusion cuisine blending with Korean and Nigerian foods.
He added that the contest aimed at selecting four or five talented contestants with cooking skill to participate in the final.
The dishes prepared by the contestants were Japchea with Yaayi Dakgangjeong and plantain, Ganjang Jjimdax fusion with Nigerian stockfish and pumpkin leave (Ugu).
Others are Gochujang Beef stew made with palm oil, crayfish and saya spicy, Doenjang goat meat pepper, Akara with Doenjang.
Other dishes were spicy Kalguksu and Bulgogi Deobpap, Dakgangjeong fusion with Nigerian chilli powder, Gochujang Jjigae fusion with Nigerian yam pepper soup, Dakbokkeumtang fusion with Nigerian tomato, seasonings like thyme, curry and scotch bonnet and Bibimyeon( Korean street noodles).
Mr Kim Changki, Director, KCCN said the financial support from the Korean Government made the centre to be able to come up with such cooking initiative.
According to him, many Nigerians are in love with Korean foods and they derive pleasure in preparing them.
“I am very happy because Nigerians cooked Korean foods very well with great taste. In fact, our Korean chef judge highly commended the wonderful dish prepared by one of them”.
Changki added that the cooking initiative has helped Nigerians youths to be more creative, by showcasing their talents in preparing Korean delicious delicacies.
” Since we started this cooking programme Nigerian youths had shown much interest. In this competition, we will select four or five among the best contestants that will participate in the final.
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“I want this event to continue annually with the hope that the Korean government will keep supporting it financially.
“The dishes that stood out to me were the Gochujang Jjigae, Doenjang Jjigae which tasted so good.
Also speaking, Chef Godfrey Odoh, Vice President, North Central Association of Professional Chef Nigeria, said the collaboration between Nigeria and Korea would give room for the Nigerian recipes to be pushed into the global market.
Odoh, who is also the Chief Executive officer of Mario Global Consulting Limited, said the competition added fusion cuisines, which comprised of Nigerian ingredients and Korean ingredients.
According to him, such will create additional employment because when farmers are aware of Korean food products, or products used to create Korean Nigerian fusion cuisine are being patronised in the global market, they will definitely like to produce more.
”This will create more opportunities for our youths, as well as creating synergy between Nigerian and Korean chefs which is an awesome initiative.
“The basic concept of this competition is the ‘Jang’ (Korean sauces). Interestingly, visually all the students were able to put that into use.
”I liked the dish served in three portions, the Nigerian noodles with the Korean ingredients fusion, which gave the noodles a spicy taste, meant for those who like spicy food,” he said.
Odoh further explained that the ‘Jang’ is more or less a substitute for salt and the sweetness was actually felt in the food.
“Three among the contestants automatically showed that in no distant time, one or two restaurants in Nigeria will begin to feature Jang-mixed noodles, as opposed to our usual way of making noodles.
“Nigerian ‘Toufu’ was fusion into some of these cuisines, alongside Nigerian goat meat prepared in a way of stew with the Korean ingredient and such was a good one,” he added.
He said that the contestants who came from different part of the country, injected Nigerian ingredients and vegetables prevalent in their region of origin in their dishes.
”I noticed that contestants from Northern Nigeria made use of ‘Yaji’ and ‘Toufu’, while those from the Eastern parts used ‘Ugu’ (Pumpkin leaves) and ‘Nchuanwu’(scent leaves).
”There are other foods like sesame seeds that are found globally and it is one of the compulsory ingredients in most Korean foods.
”Fusion was all over in today’s competition, the bean cake which is a regular breakfast in our country was also fusion, where they used sesame oil in frying it, instead of vegetable or groundnut oil,” he stressed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the winner of the Korea food contest will take home a N1 million cash prize, while the second and third place winners will go with N700, 000 and N400, 000 cash prizes respectively. (NAN)