Kimchi fever heated by 1 million viewership

19th Feb 2021, New Delhi: Korean Cultural Centre India had under their stay strong challenge had organized an online contest 'Know your Kimchi' which reached 1 million viewership (Facebook-201,851, Instagram-752,717, Youtube -45,909). The contest was run from 29th January to 07th February 2021. The theme of the contest was based on Kimchi which is considered as Korean representative wellbeing food. Kimchang culture (Kimchi making process) was designated as 8th UNESCO`s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013.

132 Indian participants accepted the challenge by sharing photos, video, comics, posters, catch phrase etc. for introducing Kimchi in their respective styles and were posted on KCCI's SNS channels.

A prize money of 18,000 rupees has been announced for top the 3 winners based on the number of likes on their contents. S.Shirsha won the contest, Praise grabbed the second position and Shaifa Mariyam PKV stood at 3rd place.

Participant Shifa Mariyam PKV sent video containing the process of making Kimchi in a quiet garden setting with sound of birds chirping in the background, cutting vegetables, cabbage, radish, carrot, green onion, the main ingredients of Kimchi, making the sauce in a clay pot over a burning furnace, and seasoning the cabbage with the red chilly sauce. It resembled Korean traditional way of making Kimchi.

Professor Kundu Ranojit from Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology said, "The interest about Korea and Korean cuisine has been increasing to the students from cooking or catering field institute and to professional chefs all-over India. He said he liked Kimchi, representative Korean food, and he understood that Kimchi is a Korean national identity food which reminds of hometown, home country to Koreans as curry or dal does to Indians.

Hwang, Il-yong, director of Korean Cultural Centre India said "I appreciate Indian people`s continuous love for Korea and Kimchi and I am surprised with the heated response for the Kimchi promotion content made by our Indian fans reaching 1 million viewership. I am happy this event could become flash point to promote Kimjang which is UNESCO`s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and Kimchi more widely, and looking forward to hold our 2nd All India Korean Culinary Challenge celebrating 'Kimchi Day' in this November."