Sweet Seoul Pastry Pop-Up
K-town is a foodie hot spot. From the bustling Food Gallery 32 to the extravagant Gaonuri, there are plenty of options bound to satisfy everyone and anyone -- except that is, if you’re looking for desserts. With the exception of bingsu (Korean shaved ice), and Bungeoppang (Korean taiyaki), there aren’t really that many options for Korean desserts in the city. In fact, off the top of my head, apart than bingsu and bungeoppang, the only other Korean dessert I can think of is...nothing. I can’t think of a single Korean dessert other than those two, and this is from someone who goes on monthly K-BBQ outings and eats Kimchi by the ton.
Luckily, I was very pleasantly educated on all things regarding Korean desserts at the Sweet Seoul Pop-Up exhibit at Jungsik last Thursday. Headed by top pastry chefs from restaurants Jungsik, Kimssiboon, Biwon, Gangjeong House, Dongbyung Sangryoun, and Haap, the event boasted one treat after another, including:
1. Fried Twist Cookies: a flaky, fried dessert infused with ginger juice and dusted with powdered sugar.
2. Sticky Rice Honey Cookies, Black Sesame Tea Cakes, Candied Apples, and Candied Ginger.
3. Half Moon Rice Cakes, Candied Lotus Root, and Honey Cookies with Walnut.
In addition to being able to feast on all of these delectable desserts, guests of the pop-up were also treated to a surprise performance from opera singers Olga Makarina and Hong Kyung Olivia Kim, both of whom blew everyone away with their renditions of Korean folk songs and classical Italian opera. However, the emotional impact of the event really came from the pastry chefs, including Jungsik’s own Eunji Lee. Hearing the chefs speak about their chosen dessert and their desire to share it with the world, it was clear that, to them, the desserts I tried that day signified more than the ending of a meal -- instead, they were markers of the Korean identity: desserts that could not have been created in a different country by a different group of people.
The Sweet Seoul Pop-up exhibit was a lesson in the diversity of the dessert world, as well as an eye opener to the particular uniqueness of Korean desserts. While going to Seoul to try one of these treats might be a little out of reach for the moment, hopefully it won’t be long before NYC has a Korean Pastry Shop to call our own. For now, though, I’ll see everyone at Spot.
