A restaurant inside the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is presenting kimchi as if it were Japanese cuisine, a Korean professor has claimed.
Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, said on Facebook on Tuesday that "Bistro Vincent, the restaurant operated by the Van Gogh Museum, serves a dish of 'kimchi with spicy kaki (persimmon) hummus' while describing the menu theme as 'authentic French cuisine with a subtle Japanese touch.'" He added that "there is no explanation that kimchi is a traditional Korean food."
The restaurant's culinary theme appears to stem from the artistic world of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). The Dutch painter was deeply influenced by Japanese art, once stating during his lifetime that "all my work is based on Japanese art." The restaurant is presumed to have translated this inspiration into its menu concept. However, Seo's concern is that in this process, kimchi, a Korean food, has been classified as an ingredient representing a "Japanese touch."
"After contacting the restaurant, I received a response saying they sell kimchi sandwiches," Seo said. "It appears they are selling kimchi while mistaking it for Japanese food." He added that "this could create a misunderstanding among tourists that kimchi is Japanese food, and it must be corrected."
According to Seo, such cases are not limited to the Van Gogh Museum. The website of German supermarket chain ALDI sparked controversy by introducing kimchi as "Japanese kimchi," and a Spanish company sold "kimchi sauce" bottles featuring an image of a woman wearing a Japanese kimono. "We must ensure that kimchi, which is being incorrectly introduced across Europe, is properly corrected as Korean food," Seo emphasized.
