Gary Mehigan, chef, restauranteur, former MasterChef judge and host of Far Flung and Channel Seven personality, will be presenting a free virtual cooking class in partnership with Korea Tourism Organization Sydney on 16 December. Designed to take fellow foodies on a culinary tour through South Korea, Mehigan will be cooking some of the destination’s local specialities and inspiring viewers with tales of his trip.
He has cooked and tasted many dishes from around the world throughout his career and one of the highlights was South Korea. As part of a story for ‘Far Flung’, a food and travel program, he spent time in South Korea, specifically Seoul and Jeonju. Mehigan describes these cities as highlights of his trip – where he took part in the famous ‘Bibimbap Festival’ and even competed in the annual Bibimbap Contest. Jeonju has been recognised as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy for protecting its culinary heritage and is also the birthplace of Bibimbap (Korean mixed rice with meat and assorted vegetables).
While in South Korea, Mehigan cooked some of the destination’s most famous dishes including Korea’s specialty – Kimchi which is served at every meal (including breakfast) and varies by region. A single Kimchi contains more than ten vegetable and condiments that combined through fermentation, create a rich and savory dish. In 2013, UNESCO recognized Kimjang, the special Korean culture of making and sharing Kimchi, as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, which promotes solidarity among Korean people.
The virtual cooking class will showcase dishes Mehigan enjoyed in South Korea with a unique twist on these traditional recipes, he will regale stories from his trip and answer questions from viewers. The recipes will be revealed prior for viewers who would like to cook along. Simply sign up here and then join on 16 December at 5.30pm.
Mehigan said, “My whole life revolves around the exploration of flavour and I love learning about local cuisines while travelling. This year we are limited in where we can travel and glean that inspiration, so I am hoping this event may bring that joy of discovering another culture’s flavours, until we can travel again.”
Director of Korea Tourism Organization Sydney, Insook Lee said, “We are so excited for Gary to highlight some of Korea’s culinary specialties. Korea has such an exciting food scene – from its street food to Michelin starred restaurants, Temple Food to Royal Cuisine and we can’t wait to share our food journey with Australia.”
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