''Tangpyeong-chae'' * (, 蕩平菜) or mung bean jelly salad is a Cuisine of Korea, Korean dish that was part of the Korean royal court cuisine. It is made by mixing julienned ''nokdumuk'', mung bean sprouts, watercress, stir-fried shredded beef, thinly shredded Capsicum, red pepper and lightly broiled ''Gim (Korean food), gim''. ''Tangpyeongchae'' is seasoned with a sauce made with ''Soy sauce#Korean, ganjang'', vinegar, sugar, sesame seeds and sesame oil. The dish is most often eaten in late spring and summer.

History

According to ''Dongguksesigi'' (hangul: , hanja: 東國歲時記), a book written in 1849, ''tangpyeongchae'' derived from a political situation. King Yeongjo of the Joseon dynasty was concerned about severe conflicts between political parties. Therefore, he tried to resolve the strife between major four parties by frequently holding feasts to make the mood friendly. The ''Tangpyeong policy'' (hangul: , hanja: 蕩平策) which literally means the policy for "harmony" and "meditation" is regarded as his greatest achievement. He selected people regardless of their party affiliation. At the beginning of the feast, the king presented ''tangpyeongchae'' before the government officers and other politicians, and then said, "As you see, there are four different ingredients (''nokdumuk'', ''gim'', beef and dropwort) that have four distinguishable colors and flavors. But they are harmonized so well that they taste beautiful together." His speech was a great lesson to all those who participated in that party.

References

*
Tangpyeongchae
at Doosan Encyclopedia
Tangpyeongchae
at Korean Culture Encyclopedia

External links

Tangpyeongchae recipe
{{Salads Korean royal court cuisine Muk (food) Salads Korean beef dishes