Residents' Culinary Traditions Meet a Chef's Ideas... 'Seom-Makase' on Yeosu's Baekyado

Pen shell, octopus and gat kimchi come together on a plate of pasta
Chef Oh Seduk mentors students on combining local ingredients with food culture

Yeosu pen shell, octopus and gat kimchi came together on a plate of pasta. The island’s culinary traditions, passed down by its residents, combined with a professional chef’s ideas and the enthusiasm of culinary arts students, transforming Baekyado’s dining table into a stage for culinary tourism.

On October 26, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City held the “Seom-Makase Cooking School” on Baekyado in Yeosu, with around 100 participants, including island residents and culinary arts students.

The “Seom-Makase Cooking School” program was held on the 26th on Baekyado Island in Yeosu, with around 100 participants, including island residents and culinary arts students. Provided by Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City.

The event was the fifth program in the “Island Moonlight Culture School” series, organized to mark the “Year of Visiting Jeonnam-Gwangju Islands.” It was designed to showcase the appeal of island tourism by combining local ingredients and residents’ food culture with new cooking methods, and to raise interest in the Yeosu World Island Expo.

That day, island residents and students from the Tourism and Culinary Arts Department at Yeosu Information Science High School prepared dishes using local ingredients with Chef Oh Se-deuk. In addition to demonstrating cooking techniques, Chef Oh mentored the students, offering advice based on his culinary experience.

The main dishes included “Boiling Seafood,” made with ingredients from Yeosu, and “Yeosu Samhap Pasta,” featuring pen shell, octopus and gat kimchi. Five kinds of side dishes prepared by residents were also served, completing a meal that brought together the chef’s cooking and the local culinary traditions.

At the culinary event that followed, residents, students and tourists shared food and socialized. A popera performance was also held, making it an occasion to enjoy food and culture together.

Kim Gihong, head of the Balanced Development Office at Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, said, “By bringing residents’ longstanding food culture together with a professional chef’s culinary experience and student participation, we saw the potential of the islands’ local ingredients.” He added, “We will develop programs that highlight the distinct character of each island, giving residents a sense of pride in their region and tourists a reason to return.”

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