South Jeolla Province announced on the 10th that approximately 200 chefs from 11 countries belonging to the French Master Chefs Association will visit the province from the 17th to the 21st for a four-night, five-day familiarization tour to experience the region's food culture and local ingredients.
During the tour, participants will meet Venerable Jeong Kwan at Baekyang Temple in Jangseong to learn about the philosophy of temple cuisine, and visit master artisan Ki Sun-do in Damyang to experience traditional fermentation techniques. The group will also tour seaweed and abalone farms in Wando to observe local ingredient production firsthand.
The tour was arranged as South Jeolla Province participates as a cooperative partner in the French Master Chefs Association World Congress. The congress will be held in Seoul from the 15th to the 17th, marking the first time the event has taken place in Asia, in celebration of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France. A promotional booth showcasing South Jeolla's ingredients and regional cuisine will operate during the congress.
"This will be an excellent opportunity to introduce our regional cuisine, ingredients, and tourism to chefs from around the world," said Choi Young-ju, Director of the Tourism and Sports Bureau of South Jeolla Province. "We hope to demonstrate that South Jeolla represents Korea's culinary heartland and that this will serve as a springboard for our local ingredients to enter global markets."
