12/4 Topic: Excellence of Korean Cuisine

[Choro-이철호]

Excellence of Korean Cuisine: A Healthy Diet

A continuous intake of traditional Korean food has proven to prevent adult diseases, including obesity. Such effects were confirmed in a research conducted in 2008 by the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and the Medical School of Cheonbuk University. The subjects were divided into two groups – one group stuck to a Korean diet and the other group to a western diet. Results confirmed that the first group showed an increase in sperm activity and male hormones. Also, men in their 40s and 50s living in rural areas who rarely eat instant and processed foods proved to have higher reproductive performance compared to their counterparts in urban areas.
In addition, the subjects who followed a Korean diet had lower blood-sugar levels and insulin index as well as less risk of diabetes and other adult diseases, even when they had a high intake of carbohydrates through rice (compared to carbohydrates in hamburgers or pizzas).
Gochujang (red pepper paste) and dwenjang (soybean paste) also had significant effects on obesity. After 12 weeks, the subject group that ate gochujang saw a decrease in neutral fat, and another group that ate dwenjang for 12 weeks saw a decrease in visceral fat.

Kimchi is Korea’s most representative fermented food and has been selected as one of the world’s top 5 healthy foods by Health, an American monthly health magazine.
It has also been proven that a continuous intake of kimchi prevents aging and cancer. A research team from the Rural Development Administration found that whereas ordinary pro-aging cells age 54%, the rate of the cells processed with fermented kimchi decreased to 25% which is close to that of normal cells.
Also, the research found that kimchi that was fermented for 15 days had the biggest effect on anti-aging, which is when lactic acid zymogen is most active.
The research team also proved that the kimchi zymogen enhances the anti-cancer effect of garlic, ginger, ground red pepper, and green onion – all ingredients of kimchi.
According to research findings, whereas anti-cancer substance ‘Cis-platin’ showed 79% suppressant rate of cancer cell growth, the cancer-suppressant rate of garlic increased from 47% to 51% after fermentation; ginger from 29% to 38%; green onion from 38% to 48%, and ground red pepper from 46% to 56%. In other words, the research found that these ingredients for kimchi further increase anti-cancer effect as they ferment.
It is also noteworthy the research found that ‘capsaicin’ in ground red pepper – previously thought to cause cancer – in fact prevents cancer.
Also, the fact that kimchi has the highest anti-cancer effect when best fermented is proof that the ingredients interact with each other as they ferment, enhancing each ingredient’s anti-cancer effect.

Question

1. Korean food and Western food, which one do you eat more often and which do you prefer?

2. Compare and contrast Korean food and Western food, and their food culture as well.

3. Even though there are many merits in Korean food,
Korean traditional food could not be globalized so quickly, not like Japanese and Chinese food.
Can you think of any reason why? To globalize Korean food, what should be changed?

4. What is the best Korean food to you? Why do you like those things?

5. What Korean food can you make it for your foreign friend?

6. Have you tried other countries food? Do you have anything to recommend us? Or avoid one?

12.4 Topic Excellence of Korean Cuisine.doc

[Christopher(강경헌)]

수고하셧습니다 ㅋ

[Daunte]

토픽 고맙습니다~먹거리네요 ㅋㅋ
Korean food is quite nutritious

[Jane(지나)]

감사합니다 ^^ 사진 보니..배고프네용 ㅜ

[Vuitton(김소윤)]

고맙습니당~

[Kelly(박현희)]

감사합니다~~

[Olivia(김연희)]

흥미로운 주제네요. 감사합니다.