A day dedicated to Korean monastic culture: on Tuesday October 20, a delegation of Korean Buddhist monks and nuns, led by the Venerable Sunjae, met the UNISG students and prepared a dinner for them.
The conference, translated from Korean to Italian, explained what Korean Temple Food is, as well as exploring its value and the role of food in purifying the body. There was a particular focus on kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented food and a culinary culture that has been cherished for 1,700 years, and the esthetics of patience.
The monks and nuns, who come from a monastery near Seoul, were in Italy for Expo, where they were responsible for some of the food available at the South Korean pavilion.
In order to introduce the UNISG students to the culture and history behind Korean cuisine the Venerable Sunjae and her group prepared a dinner served at the UNISG Academic Tables, featuring a rich selection of traditional temple dishes.
Here is the menu:
Sautéed vegetables with doenjang (soybean paste) aged for three years
Japchae: potato noodles with vegetables
Cabbage with black sesame seasoned with special salt
Coriander salad dressed with five-year-old soy sauce
Green bean omelet
Shitake mushrooms fried with five-year-aged doenjang
Cucumber salad dressed with spicy five-year-old gochujang
Burdock, sesame and mushroom soup
Fried ailanthus flowers with sticky rice
Spicy pickled cucumbers
Kimchi with persimmon
Lotus flower rice
Omija tea
Lotus flower tea