There is no doubt the most elegant traditional Korean food is the royal cuisine. In days gone by, meat dishes were those most savored, whereas today vegetable dishes or fermented food are regarded as “king” because of the trend towards a healthier lifestyle. Back in the old days, however, such dishes were the food of common people. Therefore, it is the challenge of The Korea House to create a cuisine that balances both the royal and common aspects of Korean cuisine to best represent those dishes of the past and the health food favored by people today.

For the globalization of Korean food, it is necessary to focus on promoting Korea by developing traditional foods that satisfy the changing needs of the people. Until now, the menus of The Korea House included various traditional foods, such as royal cuisine, nobleman’s cuisine, traditional cuisine, seasonal cuisine and temple cuisine, all of which received high praise from both locals and foreigners. However, these days food has become another form of cultural competition meaning new menus have to be created to appeal to people’s tastes. It was with this perspective that The Korea House’s “Dae Jang Geum” menu was created.

The royal cuisine emphasizes the importance of eating right, and this is reflected in the menu where the dishes made with meat and vegetables employ various cooking methods and are all served on one table in a variety of colors meant to be balanced and representative of yin and yang. The dishes give you a taste of nature, including mountains, seas, rivers and fields, while providing all the nutrition your body requires. There is no need to worry about your health. Four-seasonal (spring, summer, autumn, winter) foods with five colors (red, blue, yellow, white, black) and five energies (cool, cold, medium, warm, hot) offering five tastes (sweet, salty, sour, hot, bitter), which can be experienced with the five senses (through the eyes, nose, ears, mouth, tongue); the royal cuisine is designed to satisfy the body whilst ensuring your health. This is why the royal cuisine and the “Dae Jang Geum” menu  is considered to be medicinal food. The “Dae Jang Geum” menu will become one of the most representative menus of The Korea House.