Kimchi Labeled as Japanese? Controversy Over Van Gogh Museum Restaurant Menu

"Kimchi Appears to Be Sold as a Japanese Food"

There have been concerns raised that the kimchi sandwich menu sold at the restaurant inside the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, could lead to misunderstandings about the origins of kimchi.

On May 4, Professor Seo Kyung-deok of Sungshin Women's University commented on his Facebook page, "It's notable that the restaurant inside the museum is selling kimchi sandwiches," but added, "However, this is not necessarily something for us to simply welcome."

The issue lies in the introductory description on the menu board. The restaurant's guidance states, "We are inspired by the Netherlands, France, and Japan, countries that influenced Van Gogh's artistic world," and explains, "We use the finest Dutch ingredients to create authentic French cuisine with a Japanese twist."

Sung Kyungduk, Professor at Sungshin Women's University Facebook

In response, Professor Seo pointed out, "It appears that the restaurant is mistakenly selling kimchi as a Japanese food." He went on to emphasize, "Many international tourists visit the Van Gogh Museum. Since tourists dining at the restaurant could easily be misled into thinking that kimchi is a Japanese food, this issue absolutely needs to be corrected."

According to the restaurant's latest menu, the official name of the controversial dish is "Kimchi Sandwich with Spicy Persimmon Hummus." It is a vegan dish featuring hummus made from persimmon, kimchi, and roasted sweet potatoes on sourdough bread, priced at 14.5 euros (approximately 25,000 won). The restaurant appears to have used kimchi as an Asian ingredient to reflect Van Gogh's artistic inspiration from Asian culture. However, there are concerns that by labeling the dish as having a "Japanese twist" without clearly stating that kimchi originates from Korea, the menu could cause misunderstandings.

In fact, criticism from visitors to the restaurant has been mounting. One user who left a review on Google wrote, "For Koreans, kimchi is a core part of cultural identity," and pointed out, "Given the historical background, such an explanation is extremely uncomfortable." The restaurant responded by saying, "We will discuss ways to make improvements internally," but as of now, the related wording has not been revised.

This is not the first time kimchi has been misrepresented. Previously, major German retailer Aldi faced controversy after describing kimchi as a Japanese food on its website. A supermarket in Spain also came under fire for selling a kimchi sauce product featuring an image of a woman in a kimono. In response, Professor Seo stated, "We will do our utmost to correct the misrepresentation of kimchi that is occurring in various parts of Europe."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.