"Korean cuisine is inclusive. It's not food that's made and eaten; it's food made by the people who eat it. Even with one bowl of rice and five side dishes, you can create 31 flavors. I think the inclusiveness and abundance of the side-dish culture are why Korean food is loved."
Actor who cooks Ryu Su-young said this at the 2025 Foodtech and Trend Conference held on the 23rd at the Westin Josun Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul. Hosted by ChosunBiz and supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the event brought together major food companies, Start - Up, and academic experts to share global food trends and directions for technological innovation.
Ryu, known by the nickname "Eonam Teacher," studies and promotes Korean cuisine. He appeared on variety shows such as Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant, where he showcased outstanding cooking skills, and recently published a cookbook, "Lifetime Recipes," containing 79 cooking methods. The book climbed bestseller lists at major bookstores and drew attention.
He has developed more than 300 recipes over the past five years. Most are home-cooking methods that can be made easily and without burden using ingredients costing 10,000 won or less.
Ryu said, "Seeing the interest in the book, I realized that what people want is not grand recipes but home-cooked meals they can make themselves," adding, "Home-cooked food is not flashy or intense but comforting; it is the food my mother made. Taste is important, but it carries emotion."
Ryu has visited about 13 countries, including the United States, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Sri Lanka, and Peru, using local ingredients to introduce Korea's home-cooked food to people around the world. Last year, he was invited as a speaker to the "Korean Food Conference" held at Stanford University in the United States.
Ryu said, "If you look at the shelves in U.S. supermarkets like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, you can see that the standing of Korean ingredients has risen significantly," adding, "The packaging says 'gochujang' rather than 'Korean chili paste,' and many private label (PB) products related to gochujang are being released."
He continued, "The fact that the name is preserved means that, in itself, it's delicious and 'hip.' This is Korea's standing," adding, "Localization matters for marketing, but in the long run, it's far more appealing to keep our names intact. This is the task for Korean cuisine."
Ryu said he confirmed the potential of Korean cuisine even in Third World countries where it is not well known. In Peru, he made galbijjim with alpaca and jjimdak with guinea pig. In Brunei, he made gamjatang with goat and kalguksu with freshwater crayfish.
He emphasized, "On Mota Island in Vanuatu, where 200 residents live, I made yangnyeom chicken, and seeing children suck the spicy sauce off their fingers made me think Korean food works around the world," adding, "Even without a common language, sharing a meal together can make you friends. The essence of cooking is the emotion and warmth it holds."
Manhattan, New York, known as a battleground of global food culture, has more than 50 Michelin-starred restaurants. According to him, more than 10 of them are Korean restaurants. He said, "Last year, chef Lim Jeong-sik's Jungsik became the first Korean restaurant in the United States to receive three Michelin stars."
Ryu said, "Korean cuisine is experiencing an unprecedented boom. K-pop and K-dramas spark curiosity, and that curiosity is translating into interest in and love for K-food," adding, "It doesn't work on cultural power or taste alone. There has to be a soul in it. I believe that soul is in home-cooked food."