Celebrating the normalization of the diplomatic relationship of Korea and Japan, National Folk Museum of Korea with National Museum of Ethnography, Japan, presents a joint exhibition titled "Babsaing-Ji-Gyo, Exchange of Food Culture on the Table" following "Food Culture in Korea and Japan: the Tastes of NANUM and OMOTENASHI韓日食博―わかちあい・おもてなしのかたち" that was held at National Museum of Ethnography, Japan from August 27th to November 10th, 2015. Focusing on our table, the exhibition illuminates the exchange of food culture between Korea and Japan from the 20th century to the present.

Food, one of the basic needs including clothes and shelter, keeps the different history and distinctive tastes of each country. Our food as well has been influenced by other countries while also mirroring the social circumstances of the time, until it became what it is now.

To explore the changes in food over the last century,
the exhibition consists of seven parts which are devoted to 'Western, Japanese and Korean Food; Coming in and out in the Exchange of Culture', 'Flavor Enhancers and Brewed Soy Sauce; the Distinctive Taste We Lost in Standardization', 'Ramyeon; Becoming a Second Rice with the Mixed and Flour Food Promotion Campaign', 'Dongaseu; the Establishment of Japanized Western Food', 'Electronic Rice Cooker; Nurungji, the Cost of Convenience', 'Odeng and Yakiniku; Settlement and Changes of Established Korean and Japanese Food' and 'Kimuchi JjigaeKimchi Stew and Ramen; Korean and Japanese Food Crossing the Border'.

Facing the blurred boundaries of food, we hope the exhibition provides an opportunity to think about the present and future of our food.

Western, Japanese and Korean Food;
Coming in and out
through the Exchange of Culture

After Korea opened its port in 1876, more foreigners came in and out of the country also the influx of foreign culture including food accelerated. Western food including ‘meatballs,' 'sandwiches' and 'bread' flowed in directly while those Japanized foreign dishes particulary 'tonkatsu' and 'curry' or Japanese food including 'odeng,' 'tempura,' and 'sushi' were introduced as well. Based on the growing interest on Western and Japanese food, these unfamiliar foods were widely spread through articles of newspapers and magazines, cooking classes and school courses.On the other hand, Korean food became know abroad through various opportunities.
In Chosenmanga written by Usuda Zanun, there is a mention that "the quintessence of Korean cuisine is Sinseonro(Korean traditional hot pot)." Also, Mentaiko originated from myeongran jeot(marinated roe of pollock and cod) of Korea was introduced to Japan by a japanese who tasted the roe in Korea.

Flavor Enhancers and
Brewed Soy Sauce;
the Distinctive Taste
We Lost in Standardization

After the introduction of western and japanese food to Korea, in 1910 Ajinomoto, a Japanese food corporation which produces seasonings launched a sales agent in gyeongseong, and the seasoning powder was widely distributed across Korea along with the company's aggressively pursuit of the local market in 1930s.

Its aggressive business operation facilitated the extensive dissemination of flavor enhancers across the Korean peninsula. Also including the newly built factories of Japanese brewed soy sauce, also called 'Wae Ganjang,' Japanese food companies started to actively penetrate into the Korean market. After the liberation in 1945, Korea produced new brands of brewed soy sauce while also developing flavor enhancers on its own. With flavor enhancers and brewed soy sauce, unique flavors and distinctive characteristics of the food in each family begin to disappear and become more standardized. Up to this day, those are still influencing the food we have everyday.

Ramyeon;
Mixed and Flour Food Promotion
Campaign Makes It Our Second Rice

In the early 1960s, the government pursued a policy for promoting mixed and flour foods in order to resolve the rice shortage. Slogans and posters demonstrating the campaign were widely distributed to homes, work places and schools. The promotion of mixed food led to increased consumption of bread and noodles but the most notable above all was the growth of instant ramyeon. Developed in Japan in 1958, it was first produced in Korea in 1963. Being unknown and for its unfamiliar taste, ramyeon did not sell well at the beginning. However, as it turned out to be unexpectedly tasty with simple recipe,
it eventually earned the epithet of 'second rice.' Nowadays, Korea ranks number one in ramyeon consumption per capita ahead of the real inventor Japan. Korean ramyeon has dominated our tables.

Dongaseu;
the Establishment of
Japanized Western Food

While Western chefs and restaurants introduced Western food, some also came in through Japan. An example of these would be 'Dongaseu', one of the dishes of 'gyeongyangsik' which literally translates as simple Western foods. 'Dongaseu' is a Korean version of the Japanese word 'tonkatsu' which is a combination of the Chinese character 'don(豚)' that stands for pig and 'katsuretsu' which again originated from 'cutlet'. Along with 'kkakdugi', sliced radish kimchi, and 'danmuji', yellow pickled radish, it settled down as an unique Korean-style Western food. As the food service industry emerged in the 1970s, 'gyeongyangsik' restaurants became the byword of luxury dining, a place you would only go on special occasions. It is easy to have Western food these days but until the 1980s, using forks and knives meant something special.

Electronic Rice Cookers;
Nurungji, the Cost of Convenience

In the 1970s, some households adopted stand-up kitchens which brought in sinks and Western dining tables.
They also started to use appliances such as refrigerators, and electronic rice cookers. Though it took time for refrigerators to be popularized due to high price,it resulted in considerable changes in the kinds and storage of food. An electronic rice cookers also significantly transformed the way of cooking rice. Different from the old way of building and controling fire to cook rice, an electronic rice cookers made the process much simpler. Also, electronic rice cookers and warmers that followed enabled rice to be kept warm for a longer time. While cooking rice became easier with electronic rice cookers, nurungji, crust of overcooked rice and sungnyung, scorched-rice water gave away their place from our tables.

Odeng and Yakiniku;
Established Korean and Japanese Food
by Anchoring and Adjusting

In Korea and Japan, there are foods that influenced each other. Kimchi and Kimuchi, takuan-zuke and danmuji, bulgogi and yakiniku, odeng and ramyeon are foods that were all localized over time after being introduced. Odeng originated from Japan and whereas Japanese enjoy the fish cakes and radish in the soup, Koreans favor the refreshing soup rather than the solid ingredients. Yakiniku is Japanese style bulgogi for which even localized seasoning and smokeless roasters have been developed. Instant Ramen which started in Japan became spicier in Korea to adapt to Koreans' taste and successfully settled down as Korean food. As seen, Korean and Japanese foods meet each other's country are and established themselves as the country's own food through the process of settlement and localization.

Kimuchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)
and Ramen; Korean and
Japanese Food
Crossing the Border

These days, to Koreans who visit Japan or Japanese visiting Korea, tasting local food becomes one of the major purpose of the trip. As more Koreans and Japanese enjoy each other's food, it is now easy to find Japanese bars izakaya in Seoul or Korean restaurants in Tokyo.
Now it is not so unusual to see Japanese saying 'Kimchi Jjigae' rather 'Kimuchi Nabe' or Koreans saying 'ramen' instead of 'ramyeon'. Comics of Terasawa Daisuke from Japan and Huh Young-man from Korea,『Mr. Sushi King』and『Sikgaek』respectively, aroused interest in each other's food among young people. Also it is not difficult to find Japanese or Korean food ingredients in the other side's grocery stores. Indeed, the boundaries between Korean and Japanese food and culture that embraces it gradually becomes blurred.