Beyond Kimchi: A Gastronomic Odyssey

Food is the soul of any culture, and for this custom tour commissioned by a group of culinary professionals from France, we designed a week-long immersion into the diverse flavors of Korea. The itinerary balanced high-end fine dining with the raw energy of traditional market stalls.

In Seoul, the journey began with a dawn visit to the Noryangjin Fish Market, followed by a private temple food workshop with a renowned monk-chef. The group learned about the "zero waste" and "mindful eating" philosophies that have guided Korean monastic cuisine for centuries.

"We didn't just taste food; we tasted history and philosophy. The complexity of fermented flavors in a 10-year-old soy sauce was a revelation to our palates."

The tour then moved to Jeonju, the UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Here, we explored the secret behind the city's famous Bibimbap and visited a family-run Makgeolli (rice wine) brewery that has been operating for three generations. Each meal was a lesson in 'bap-sang' (the dining table culture) and the art of banchan (side dishes).