When in PyeongChang, pair wine with Gangwon food

When in PyeongChang,
pair wine with Gangwon food

(from. koreatimes.co.kr)

 

Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics is coming up. Many people from all over the world are planning to gather in Gangwon-do.

 

It will be a great opportunity for foreigners and locals alike to sample the culinary delights the region has to offer,
in addition to exploring the natural surroundings. 

 

When in Gangwon, however, one should try exploring the flavors of the region with wine. Not many people pair Korean food with wine or know they go surprisingly well together - but in fact, they do. 

 

Gangwon food characteristics

 

Before we try the food from Kangwondo and wine,
Understanding features and components of Gangwon-do should be the first priority.

Gangwon Province is the coldest region in Korea. Situated in the northeast, it is a mountainous region - 80 percent of the province is covered by mountains - which explains the chilly weather. Cutting through the middle of the province from north to south is the Taebaek Mountain Range. The east part of the range is higher in elevation while the west is lower with gentler slopes and bigger temperature gaps.

Due to its geographical location, Gangwon Province is where to find Korea's best ski slopes and resorts.
The Winter Olympics this year will take place across PyeongChang, Gangneung and Jeongseon.

 

Its chilly weather has resulted in ingredients such as potatoes, corn and buckwheat growing most abundantly in the region. In the past, they used to be hardy plants eaten to relieve famine but are now representative ingredients of the province. Gangwon Province is particularly well known for foods cooked with potatoes.

 

The province is also known for its abundance of greens foraged from the mountains and forests such as doraji, gosari, dooreup, chamnamul, chinamul and gomchi. These are often stir-fried and transformed into a dish called "namul." 

The foods of the Gangwon region are characterized by a clean taste, maximizing the original flavors of the ingredients as they use very little spice. 

Pairing wine with Gangwon food 

 

When discussing the experience of drinking wine with Gangwon food, this reporter wanted the discussion to come alive with a real pairing experience. So we sat down at a restaurant in Seoul that serves Gangwon food and tried pairing them with three kinds of white wine - two French and one Chilean. 

 

We ordered gamjajeon (potato pancakes) with gamja ongshimi (potato ball soup) and tried them with the three wines which were Le Petit Caboche (2015), La Cour Pavillon (2016) and La Joya (2014), the latter which was Chilean.

              How about having a taste of Kangwondo traditional food with wine?