Organized by the Yongsan Family Center, the annual event celebrates the district’s cultural diversity, bringing together communities from around the world. This year’s theme, “Global Flavors Meet Korean Taste,” reflected Yongsan’s vibrant multicultural identity, a district shaped by decades of international influence, home to Seoul’s largest mosque and the cosmopolitan neighborhood of Itaewon.
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Participants in the 15th Multicultural Cooking Contest in Yongsan (Photo: Yongsan District Office) |
Teams from seven countries, namely Vietnam, China, Japan, the Philippines, India, Mexico, and Nigeria, competed to create dishes that blend their national cuisines with Korean ingredients such as kimchi, soy sauce, gochujang (chili paste), and doenjang (soybean paste).
The Vietnamese team won over the judges with their summer rolls and rainbow fried rice, securing the top prize. Mexico and China took second and third place, respectively.
Expressing delight after the victory, members of the Vietnamese team said the contest was not only a chance to share Vietnam’s culinary heritage but also to strengthen cultural exchange and friendship among nations.
Beyond the cooking competition, visitors also enjoyed a variety of interactive cultural experiences, from trying on traditional costumes to playing folk games from the participating countries, transforming the event into a lively celebration of global unity through food.
Source: VNA