Korean chef brings Hansik to New Caledonia

In the beautiful, tropical paradise of New Caledonia, a special event has been taking place this week involving prominent international chefs who are showcasing fusion cuisine - their country`s traditional food with a touch of French cuisine - at five top restaurants on the South Pacific island.

Among the select group of invited chefs is Ahn Jung-hyun, 59, a prominent Korean chef renowned for her expertise and finesse with traditional Korean wedding food.

The event, "Touch of France" opened on Tuesday for a five-day stint with chefs from Japan, Australia, New Zealand and France showing off their talents alongside local chefs.

Joining Ahn for this special culinary festival is Didier Clement from New Caledonia; Julie Le Clerc from New Zealand; Keizo Inoue from Japan; and Gabriel Gate from Australia.



Ahn, who has been instrumental in the globalization of Korean food, worked with local chef Jacques Prouchandy to create a fusion of French and Korean dishes as part of a special menu at Hippocampe Restaurant at Le Meridien Noumea Hotel.

Organizers said that her participation will help to promote Korean food worldwide.

World-renowned French chef Pierre Gagnaire once praised Ahn`s work as having created a refined taste with originality by reflecting the wonders of art.

She has extensive experience under her belt, including her role to feed the heads of state at the 2005 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation held in Busan.

Ahn`s background is diverse: She graduated from the Catholic University in Daegu, majoring in Applied Fine Arts. In 1975, she earned a flower arranging teacher`s certificate in Japan, studied candle art in Hongik University the following year and, from 1980 to 1985, she learned about Korean traditional cuisine from well-known traditional cuisine experts. With a background in floristry, Ahn is also well-known for incorporating beautiful flowers into her cuisine presentation.

Major points in her culinary career include serving since 1995 as the president of Somi and Jeongseong, a leading Korean wedding food and gift food company and, since 2004, her role as president of Wooriga, a noted Korean traditional haute-cuisine restaurant.

In April 2005, she led a demonstration of Korean traditional cuisine and wedding food for journalists from 16 countries, sponsored by the Korea Tourism Organization. In May, with the sponsorship of the Korean Embassy in the United States and the Korea Foundation, she hosted a Korean traditional banquet for 100 journalists, chefs, food critics and VIPs in Washington, D.C.

Ahn was head chef for the luncheon at the first Korea-ASEAN summit in June, and is currently one of the advisors to the government-led initiative to promote Korean cuisine worldwide.

(angiely@heraldm.com)



By Lee Joo-hee