Thousands of people in the South Korean capital on Friday (November 2) cooked up a 40-ton feast of traditional spicy cabbage known as kimchi, at a charity event for the city’s poor.
Sporting red hats and pink gloves, more than 2,000 people gathered around long tables set up in Seoul City Hall Square to make the strong smelling dish of fermented cabbage, spice paste, garlic, ginger, and fish sauce.
Organizers said 3,000 people will make kimchi for a Guiness World Record on Sunday (November 4) and they are aiming to make a total 165 tonnes of kimchi for three days to distribute to the poor in Seoul.
Per capita consumption of Kimchi in South Korea is 36.1kg per year, according to the World Institute of Kimchi. (Reuters)
The festival first began in 2014 and the festival’s aim was to share and preserve the thousand-year-old kimjang culture. Every year, people come together at Seoul Plaza and make kimchi while grooving to music of all kinds. The kimchi is donated to low-income families. The music, festivities, and the welcoming atmosphere means the festival feels more like a giant party. A citizens’ parade is also part of this year’s festivities!
※ Kimjang : The process of making and sharing kimchi in large enough quantities that a family will be sustained through the harsh winter. It is emblematic of Korean sharing culture and kimjang is a designated UNESCO intangible cultural heritage asset.