Korean royal cuisine

Korean royal court cuisine (''Joseon Wangjo Gungjung yori'') was the style of cookery within Korean cuisine traditionally consumed at the court of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910. There has been a revival of this cookery style in the 21st century. It is said that twelve dishes should be served along with rice and soup, with most dishes served in '' bangjja'' ( bronzeware).

History

Collectively known as ''gungjung eumsik'' during the pre-modern era, the foods of the royal palace reflected the opulent nature of the past rulers of the Korean peninsula. The opulent nature of the royalty is evidenced in examples as far back as the Silla kingdom, where a man-made lake ( Anapji Lake, located in Gyeongju), was created with multiple pavilions and halls for the sole purpose of opulent banquets and a spring fed channel, Poseokjeong, was created for the singular purpose of setting wine cups afloat during the writing of poems.

Reflecting the regionalism of the kingdoms and bordering countries of the peninsula, the cuisine borrowed from each of these areas to function as a showcase. The royalty had the finest regional delicacies sent to the palace. Although there are records of banquets pre-dating the Joseon period, the majority of these records note a vast variety of foods without mentioning the specific foods present. The meals cooked for the royal family were not seasonal, like a commoner's meal. Instead, they varied significantly day to day. The eight provinces were represented each month in turn in the royal palace by ingredients presented by their governors. This gave the cooks a wide assortment of ingredients to use for royal meals.

Food held a very important place in Joseon period. Official positions were created within the Six Ministries ('' Yukjo'', 육조) that were charged with all matters related to procurement and consumption of food and drink for the royal court. The Board of Personnel (''Ijo'', 이조) contained positions specific for attaining rice for the royal family. The Board of Rites (''Yejo'') were responsible for foods prepared for ancestor rites, attaining wines and other beverages, and medicinal foods. There were also hundreds of slaves and women who worked in the palace that had tasks such as making tofu, liquor, tea, and '' tteok'' (rice cakes). The women were the cooks to the royal palace and were of commoner or low-status families. These women would be split into specific skill sets or "bureaus" such as the Bureau of special foods (''Saenggwa-bang'', 생과방) or the Bureau of cooking foods (''Soju-bang'', 소주방). These female cooks may have been assisted by male cooks from outside the palace during larger banquets when necessary.

Five meals were generally served in the royal palace each day during the Joseon period, and records suggest this pattern had existed from antiquity. Three of these meals would be full-course meals, while the afternoon and after dinner meals would consist of lighter fare. The first meal, ''mieumsang'' (미음상), was served at sunrise on days when the king and queen were not taking herbal medicines. The meal consisted of rice porridge (''juk'', 죽) made with ingredients such as abalone ('' jeonbokjuk''), white rice (''huinjuk''), mushrooms (''beoseotjuk''), pine nuts ('' jatjuk''), and sesame (''kkaejuk''). The side dishes could consist of ''kimchi'', '' nabak kimchi'', oysters, soy sauce, and other items. The porridge was thought to give vitality to the king and queen throughout the day.

The ''sura'' (수라) were the main meals of the day. Breakfast was served at ten in the morning and the evening meals were served between six and seven at night. The set of three tables (''surasang'', 수라상), were usually set with two types of rice, two types of soup, two types of stew ('' jjigae''), one dish of ''jjim'' (meat stew), one dish of '' jeongol'' (a casserole of meat and vegetables), three types of ''kimchi'', three types of '' jang'' (장) and twelve side dishes, or called 12 cheop (12첩). The meals were set in the '' suragan'' (수라간), a room specifically used for taking meals, with the king seated to the east and the queen to the west. Each had their own set of tables and were attended by three palace servant women known as '' sura sanggung'' (수라상궁). These women would remove bowl covers and offer the foods to the king and queen after ensuring that the dishes were not poisoned.

This Korean food heritage has been inscribed by the government as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 38. Han Bok-ryeo (한복려 ; 韓福麗) is the current Living National Treasure as the keeper of this property.

Surasang setting

The ''surasang'' should be served with three tables and a hotpot. The largest round table on the left is the main table which contains main bowl, soups and stews, dishes, side dishes and fermented stored dishes. The small round table at the lower right corner contains red ''sura'', ''gomtang'' or thick meat broth, dessert, tea, empty dishes and bowls. This table is also used to store the covers of bowls and dishes used in the main table. The rectangular table in the upper right corner contains eggs, sesame oil, various raw vegetables and several sauces. The hotpot in the middle right is heated with charcoal, and usually contains '' jeongol'' such as '' sinseollo''.

The setting was as follows:Pettid, Michael J. Daily Meals, Korean cuisine: an illustrated history. China: Reaktion Books Ltd, pages 133-138. (2008)

A, B, C: surasanggung (수라상궁)

# songsongi (송송이): cubed radish kimchi
# jeotgugji (젓국지): kimchi from Korean cabbage seasoned with jeotgal
# dongchimi (동치미): white kimchi
# jeotgal (젓갈): fermented, salted seafood
# jorigae (조리개): hard-boiled food with heavy seasonings
# namul (나물): seasoned vegetable side dishes
# saengche (생채): fresh salad
# jjim (찜): steamed or boiled dishes
# mareunchan (마른찬): dried foods
# janggwa (장과): braised seafood
# pyeonyuk (편육): boiled and seasoned meat pressed by heavy weight and then sliced thinly
# changui (찬구이): fried Codonopsis lanceolata (더덕, ''deodeok'') and ''kim''
# jeonyuhwa (전유화): pancake-like fried dish
# Jeotguk jochi (젓국 조치): kind of fish soup
# togu (토구): a plate used to hold bones during the meal
# jang (장): soy sauce
# chojang (초장): soy sauce with vinegar
# cho gochujang (초 고추장): chili paste with vinegar
# tojang jochi (토장 조치): soybean soup
# huinsura (흰수라): white rice
# gwaktang (곽탕): seaweed soup
# chaeso (채소): vegetables
# gogi (고기): meat
# jangguk (장국): soybean paste soup
# dalgyal (달걀): egg
# jeongol (전골): type of stew
# jaengban (쟁반) and chasu (차수): teapot and plate
# gongjeobsi(공접시): empty plate
# gonggi (공기): empty bowl
# suran (수란): poached egg
# hoe (회): raw fish and meat
# deoungui (더운구이): hot grilled meat
# hongban (홍반) or patsura (팥수라): rice with azuki beans
# gomtang

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