Dishes must use Jangdan soybeans, Gaeseong ginseng or Hansuui rice — top prize 3 million won
The city of Paju is accepting applications for the 17th Paju Jangdan Saengbaek National Cooking Competition through Sept. 27.
The competition, to be held Oct. 17 at Imjingak Square in Paju — the venue for the Paju Gaeseong Ginseng Festival — aims to uncover creative, market-ready dishes using three of the city's signature local products: Jangdan soybeans, Gaeseong ginseng and Hansuui rice. Organizers say the event is designed to raise awareness of the Jangdan Saengbaek ingredients and boost consumption of local agricultural products while supporting the restaurant industry.
This year, a new "Special Award (Global K-Food Award)" has been added to the existing prize categories to identify dishes with the potential to appeal to international palates.
Also on the day, a tasting event will feature last year's grand-prize winner — a keto-style kimbap made with Jangdan soybean tofu noodles. About 300 visitors will have the chance to sample the award-winning dish made with Paju's local produce.
The competition will first screen applicants through a document review to select 20 finalists, who will then compete in person on Oct. 17 for the final awards. A panel of industry experts will evaluate entries on popularity, creativity, cooking process and overall quality, with the Special Award judged separately.
Prizes are structured as follows: grand prize, 1 team, 3 million won ($2,110); gold prize, 2 teams, 1.5 million won each; silver prize, 2 teams, 1 million won each; bronze prize, 2 teams, 600,000 won each; and encouragement prize, 3 teams, 300,000 won each. Ten honorable-mention teams will each receive 150,000 won. The Special Award winner will receive an additional 500,000 won.
The competition is open to all South Korean nationals, who may enter individually or as a two-person team. Those wishing to participate must submit an application form along with their team name and a photo of their dish via the organizer's website, email or fax.
Paju plans to support the commercialization of standout entries by offering recipe refinement assistance and training programs for restaurant operators for dishes with strong market potential. The city also intends to help participating eateries display signage identifying them as outlets serving award-winning Jangdan Saengbaek dishes, extending the competition's impact into the local dining scene.
Further details can be found by searching for the "17th Paju Jangdan Saengbaek National Cooking Competition" on the Paju city government website's news board, or by contacting the Korea Food and Life Development Research Association.
"The Jangdan Saengbaek National Cooking Competition has played a meaningful role in raising awareness of the value of Paju's signature local products — Jangdan soybeans, Gaeseong ginseng and Hansuui rice — and in promoting their consumption," said Jang Hye-hyeon, head of the sanitation division. "This year, we hope the competition will once again serve as an occasion for fresh ideas and distinctive dishes to showcase the new possibilities and competitiveness of our local agricultural products."
pjh@heraldcorp.com
