Kimchi Master Chef Competition, Kimchi Seminar,
Special Exhibition, and Korea Kimchi Festival

First Lady Jung-sook Kim giving a speech at the Kimchi Master Chef Competition

WiKim held the 2020 Kimchi Master Chef Competition, Kimchi Seminar, and Special Exhibition in celebration of ‘Kimchi Day’ (November 22) at Hotel the Plaza in Seoul on November 20.

November 22 was designated as Kimchi Day by the Kimchi Industry Promotion Act to promote the nutritional excellence of kimchi———Korea’s representative traditional fermented food. The numbers that comprise the date are 11 and 22, which signify that each (1) one (1) of the ingredients of kimchi such as cabbage, garlic, and red pepper combine to produce 22 effects.

Cheong Wa Dae joined the 1st Kimchi Day celebration this year, which made the event even more special. The following is a tour of the event, which was attended by several people, including First Lady Jung-sook Kim.

2020 Kimchi Master Chef Competition

The “Kimchi Master Chef Competition” sought to develop recipes with kimchi as the main ingredient to promote the excellence and versatility of kimchi at home and abroad. Therefore, dishes submitted for the competition were expected to be “creative,” so that both Koreans and foreigners could enjoy them.

First Lady Jung-sook Kim attended the Kimchi Master Chef Competition to encourage the participants.

The competition, which was supervised by WiKim under the host of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), was held for the third time this year. The professionals and amateurs competed separately. Professional cooks who work in the field and high school/university students from food, dining, and culinary schools were eligible to enter the competition for professionals, whereas any individual residing in South Korea could enter the competition for amateurs.

10 teams advanced to the finals based on a document review for recipes, etc., and prepared various dishes using kimchi. The competition took place in an open space so that everyone attending the event could watch the cooking process.

The dishes were beautifully presented, which made it difficult to guess the main ingredient simply based on appearance. Kimchi usually plays a supporting role on the dining table. Even on the day of kimjang, it is regarded as the sidekick to boiled pork slices. Watching kimchi take center stage was a strange yet moving experience. Here are the four winners who greatly impressed the expert judges and the public.

The grand prize went to “Tofu kimchi brunch from Soho, New York,
and steamed white kimchi with orange”

“Grand prize” (Left) Tofu kimchi brunch from Soho, New York; (Right) Steamed white kimchi with orange

The grand prize winner (MAFRA Award and prize money of KRW 5 million for recipe development) was Yeon-joo Lee, a student at CIA cooking school in the U.S. who had previously interned at a restaurant in New York. She cooked a “Tofu kimchi brunch from Soho, New York” and “Steamed white kimchi with orange.” The first prize (MAFRA Award and prize money of KRW 3 million for recipe development) went to Ji-eun Oh, who cooked a “Kimchi shakshuka with deep-fried glutinous rice nurungji” and “Gazpacho with cucumber watery kimchi and fruit with two types of petit dessert.”

“First prize” (Left) Kimchi shakshuka with deep-fried glutinous rice nurungji; (Right) Gazpacho with cucumber watery kimchi and fruit with two types of petit dessert

The two second prize winners were Si-woo Lee, who cooked a “Fermented soybean paste cream sauce and cabbage kimchi roulade” and “Radish watery kimchi beef tartar with sesame leaf and deodeok pesto,” and the team of Seung-jin Lee and Jung-yeon Cheon, who cooked a “Buckwheat and kimchi taco with five-colored sauces” and “Fruit kimchi salad mixed with radish kimchi sauce.”

“Second prize” (Left) Fermented soybean paste cream sauce and cabbage kimchi roulade; (Right) Radish watery kimchi beef tartar with sesame leaf and deodeok pesto

“Second prize” (Left) Buckwheat and kimchi taco with five-colored sauces; (Right) Fruit kimchi salad mixed with radish kimchi sauce

The award-winning dishes will be featured on the menu of a luxury hotel’s buffet restaurant in Seoul. Additionally, the winners will be supported for their overseas activities as Kimchi Master Chefs. Moreover, the recipes of all the dishes that made it to the finals will be included in the kimchi recipe book.

Check out more photos from 2020 Kimchi Master Chef Competition at KakaoGallery!
[Celebrating Kimchi, the Power of Koreans and the Taste for the World!]
https://gallery.v.daum.net/p/premium/kimchimasterchef

Food Industry Policy Bureau Jong-goo Kim, MAFRA, posing for a photograph with the winners
of the Kimchi Master Chef Competition

Special Exhibition at the 1st Kimchi Day event——‘The Window to Meet Kimchi’

At Hotel the Plaza, where the 1st Kimchi Day event took place, a special exhibition was held under the theme ‘The Window to Meet Kimchi.’ This exhibition was exclusively planned by WiKim in celebration of Kimchi Day. A special guest came to enjoy the exhibition. It was none other than First Lady Jung-sook Kim, the spouse of President Jae-in Moon.

“As kimchi harmonizes with any food in the world and exhibits the virtue of fusion, it could be cause that kimchi infinitely spreads into the world” said First Lady Jung-sook Kim in her congratulatory speech. “Even in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, kimchi is showing remarkable export growth. As the home of kimchi, we shall continue the legacy of great taste that has been passed down for a thousand years with great pride.”

First Lady Jung-sook Kim was particularly interested in the kimchi starters developed by WiKim, which was exhibited in the ‘Science Window’ section of the exhibition. “Products like the kimchi starters that can provide consistency to the taste of kimchi will be of great help to those unfamiliar with making kimchi,” she said.

Kimchi Seminar on “Strategies for Improving the Health Functionality of Kimchi and Promoting its Global Spread”

In addition, a kimchi seminar, entitled “Strategies for Improving the Health Functionality of Kimchi and Promoting its Global Spread” was also held. This event was co-hosted/supervised by MAFRA, WiKim, and Kimchi Association of Korea as an academic seminar. The seminar aimed to share academic information and opinions of experts in related fields and to broaden the awareness regarding kimchi and kimchi culture.

Following the opening remarks by Hak-Jong Choi——the Acting General Director of WiKim——food columnist Chan-il Park gave the first presentation of the seminar, entitled “Kimchi Ocean, to the Oceans of the World,” which was based on various experiences and cases.

“Six years ago, a Tasmanian chef invited reporters and food critics from all over the world to a cooking show that used kimchi, and the white kimchi that was served as garnish was bigger than the steak,” he said. “There is also a restaurant in Hong Kong that serves strawberry kimchi. It is interesting that foreigners are so interested in kimchi.”

Next, Professor Jean Bousquet from the University of Montpellier, France, gave a presentation entitled “Antiviral (Anticoronavirus) Effects of Kimchi.” Upon analyzing the correlation between the differences in dietary behaviors by country, Professor Jean Bousquet found that Korea had a relatively small number of coronavirus deaths due to the fact that the Korean diet included a high amount of fermented cabbage, which is commonly known as kimchi. His study received worldwide attention as it was reported by The Sun——a British media outlet.

“When COVID-19 invades our body, it causes oxidative stress, resulting in insulin resistance, lung damage, endothelial damage, and cytokine storms,” said Professor Bousquet. “An important factor that can control oxidative stress is Nrf2 (a body protein), and fermented vegetables such as kimchi have factors that can activate Nrf2; therefore, when consumed properly, it may reduce oxidative stress and positively influence health.”

Additionally, he stated that “Nrf2 also affects other proteins, and the allicin, gingerol, and capsaicin from garlic, ginger, and pepper activate proteins during fermentation.” “Although a lot of research is needed in the future, it suggests that kimchi may be an effective food for fighting COVID-19.”

Lastly, there was a general discussion session, which was hosted by Hak-Jong Choi——the Acting General Director of WiKim (Director of Research and Development). Professor Bousquet had written answers to the questions of the participants of the discussion prior to the event. The discussion was conducted on site and was based on the aforementioned questions and the participants’ own research experiences and results. The summary of the general discussion is as follows.

· (Question 1) Can kimchi suppress viral infection?
· (Answer) Nutrients such as capsaicin and allicin in red pepper and garlic, which are minor ingredients of kimchi, are effective on TRPA1 and TRPV1, so they may be effective in preventing viral infection.

· Kimchi and Nrf2 have not been studied much in Korea thus far. We express our gratitude to the foreign researchers for studying the mechanisms of kimchi so thoroughly.
· When Nrf2 binds to TRPA1, it has a synergistic effect that can kill the virus. Based on this mechanism, kimchi has been proven to exhibit various positive effects on our body in terms of immunity, anti-obesity, and blood pressure control.
· Both the major and minor ingredients of kimchi are excellent for regulating immunity.
· If further research on kimchi and its anti-coronavirus effects is conducted at WiKim, it would be desirable to design the study in two different models: the prevention model and the treatment model.
· The metabolites and lactobacilli generated during the fermentation process of kimchi appear to comprehensively facilitate the prevention of COVID-19.
· There seems to be a factor associated with fermentation of kimchi that is effective against the coronavirus. Identifying this specific metabolite will enable an accurate explanation of the mechanism.

· (Question 2) Have you checked the age distribution in the German areas of infection? Old age and underlying diseases are considered risk factors for COVID-19. The first confirmed cases in Germany are mainly young people in industrialized areas, so it is not surprising that the mortality rate in these areas is lower than that in other regions (countries).
· (Answer) Although the COVID-19 mortality rates in Africa and in Mumbai’s slums can be associated with age, there are other variables influencing the mortality rate in Germany, and the association between regional average age and mortality rate seems weak.

· The immune system is affected by changes in gut microbiota.
- At a younger age, there is greater immune activity and a harmonious balance is maintained between the good and the bad in the gut microbiota.
- With age, the gut microbiota breaks down——leading to an imbalance within the immune system.
· The immune-boosting effect of the lactic acid bacteria that are present in kimchi (Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Weissella) appears to be associated with the COVID-19 prevention effect.
· It is also necessary to conduct research on the relationship between age and COVID-19 infection.
- In Italy, mortality rates are low even in regions where not many fermented foods are consumed, which is estimated to have a higher association with age.

· (Question 3) What do you think of the metabolites in kimchi from garlic, ginger, and pepper during fermentation?
· (Answer) My answer to this question is the same as the answer to the first one.

· When it comes to kimchi’s minor ingredients, their anti-obesity effects have already been scientifically proven.

· (Question 4) Obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes levels by country and region must be thoroughly analyzed. What do you think?
· (Answer) This is a very important question. Since detailed research has not been conducted, there is a need for further research.

· In connection with the third item of the Q&A, the lactic acid bacteria in kimchi, its ingredients, and other fermented products all have demonstrated effects against obesity.
· According to the results of the study conducted by WiKim, weight loss and reduced inflammation were observed in obese animals after regular consumption of ground kimchi.
· The question, “Does kimchi really lower the mortality rate?” and a curative approach led to this finding, which seems quite convincing given the other participants’ belief that the “regular consumption of kimchi can lower the overall obesity rate and contribute to lowering the mortality rate of the entire population.”

· (Question 5) Is it true that broccoli can mitigate coughing in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and help with their recovery?
· (Answer) After I was diagnosed with COVID-19, I did a simple experiment by taking broccoli capsules, which actually improved coughing.

· Vegetables such as broccoli are associated with Nrf2, TRPA1, and TRPV1, which have the effect of preventing cough.
· This participant answered the question, “Could use of broccoli as a folk remedy lower the mortality rate?” More systematic research, which goes beyond this simple experiment, is required.

A new series named How Much Have You Seen Kimchi? was posted in WiKim Newsletter Fresh Story Vol. 25. It is an on-the-scene reporting intended for WiKim to convey various news in detail. More useful information will be provided. We always look forward to your interest and support.