[Food]

[Food] Tangpyeong-chae (Mung Bean Jelly Salad, 탕평채)

Tangpyeong-chae is a traditional Korean court cuisine that has a very definite origin and history. 'Tangpyeong' means equity and justice in Korean and 'chae' means 'chopped'. Tangpyeong-chae was invented by King Yeongjo of Chosun dynasty in the 18th century. King Yeongjo implemented a policy called 'Tangpyeong' which appointed a government official from every political party fairly to prevent and resolve conflicts between factions.

When King Yeongjo discussed his 'Tangpyeong' policy to his officials, he served 'Tangpyeong-chae' to symbolize his policy. Tangpyeong-chae consists of chopped mung bean jelly, seaweed, vegetables and beef. It has four colors, which are white, red, blue and black. Each color represents one of the four factions that his officials belonged to, so tangpyeong-chae represents a peaceful mixture of them.

King Yeongjo explained and also emphasised that he would never be swayed or controlled by political factions through tangpyeong-chae.

Today, tangpyeong-chae is a popular traditional court cuisine in Korea that is very refreshing, savory and flavorsome without political bias. Koreans usually eat it in spring and summer as a cool salad dish.

Anyway, despite King Yeongjo's effort to remove conflict among factions, political conflicts in Korea (and even in the world) still continue on by different people and parties in the Korean Parliament. I'd like to serve these Korean politicians a dish of tangpyeong-chae to tell them, 'Please do not fight for your power and honor but for your people in Korea who voted for you'.

Bon Appétit!