Select a language

- Budget
- Exclusive
- Hotels
- Hanok Stay
- Short Term Rentals
- Search
- Reservation

Royal Cuisine

The Joseon Dynasty was the heyday of royal culture in Korean history, and royal cuisine thus became the quintessence of traditional food culture in Korea. Royal cuisine was prepared by the best cooks in the court with quality ingredients procured from across the country, and this art has been passed on for generations since that time.

The meals served for the king consisted of local specialties and fresh seasonal foods, hence royal cuisine generally featured various local, seasonal, and holiday dishes.

Royal cuisine is the essence of Korean food culture, which has been passed down by the word of mouth of court cooks and royal descendants, as well as written records of royal feasts.

The Daily Meal Table in the Court

Records on the daily court meals of the Joseon Dynasty can be found in "Wonhaeng Eulmyo Jeongni Uigwe" (Royal Protocols of a King’s Procession), which was written in 1795. The Royal Protocols provide a detailed description about the meals served during an eight-day journey of the king from Changdeokgung Palace to Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, where he hosted a feast before he returning to the palace.

Usually, meals were served five times a day: restorative medicine, rice gruel or porridge in the early morning; a royal breakfast table at around 10 am; a simple meal in the afternoon; a royal dinner table at around 5 pm; and a simple meal at night.

The royal meal, called surasang, is served with 12 dishes, along with stew, hot pot, kimchi, sauces, and two kinds of rice and soup. Both white rice and sweet rice were served, and the soup was miyeok-guk (seaweed soup) and gomtang (beef bone soup).

Surasang was served to the king and the queen on a daewonban (a large, round table serving as the main table), a gyeotban (a small, round table), and a chaeksangban (a square table).

The Dishes of Surasang

Deoungui grilled or brochette dish made with meat or fish

Changui grilled or brochette dish made with dried seaweed,deodeok or vegetables

Jeonyuhwa pan-fried delicacies made with meat, fish, or vegetables

Pyeonyuk boiled pork slices

Sukchae boiled and seasoned vegetables

Saengchae raw seasoned vegetables

Jorigae braised dish made with meat, fish, or vegetables

Janggwa pickled vegetables

Jeotgal salted seafood

Mareunchan side dish made with dried, salted or fried beef, fish, or kelp

Byeolchan raw or parboiled meat or fish cooked with vegetables

Byeolchan suran (poached egg) or other special side dish

Chimchae three kinds of kimchi (fermented vegetables) - songsongi (diced radishkimchi), cabbage kimchi, and dongchimi (radish water kimchi)

Jochi two kinds of stew - tojangjochi (soybean paste stew)and jeotgukjochi (salted seafood stew)

Jjim steamed dish made with meat, fish or vegetables

Sura & Tang rice (white rice and red bean rice) & soup

Surasang Table Setting

[Daewonban] white rice, miyeok-guk, togu (bone plate), soy sauce, soy sauce with vinegar, red chili paste with vinegar, changui, deoungui, raw fish, janggwa, saengchae, sukchae, suran, jeonyuhwa, jeotgal, jaban (salted fish), jorigae, pyeonyuk, songsongi, jeotgukji, dongchimi, jjim, tojangjochi, jeotgukjochi

[Sowonban] red bean rice, gomtang, empty bowl, empty plate, tray, tea pot

[Chaeksangban] sesame oil, meat, egg, vegetable, jangguk (clear soybean soup)

[Jeongolteul] hot pot

The Banquet Meal in the Court

In the royal court, a number of events were held throughout the year. Annual events occurred on national holidays such as Jeongwol (the day of the first full moon day of the Lunar New Year), Dano (the 5th day of May on the lunar calendar), Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) and Dongji (the winter solstice), as well as the birthdays of the royal family members residing in and outside of the court.

Large banquets were held to celebrate national occasions, such as the annual and 60th birthdays of the king, queen, and the mother of the king, as well as the nomination and marriage of the crown prince, and even welcoming events for foreign envoys. A jinyeon or jinchan banquet was held to celebrate national events or celebratory occasions for members of the royal family. In both cases, the banquet was planned and prepared for months leading up to the event day and the preparation process was kept on record.

During a royal banquet, waist-high tables were placed side by side and 30 to 40 side dishes were placed on the tables to serve the king and the royal family. Foods was stacked up on plates and lavishly decorated with artificial flowers made of paper or silk on top of it. The food was not actually eaten by the king and the royal family members, however. Instead, they ate noodles served on a myeonsang (a noodle table) that came with side dishes.

Myeonsang was served to treat guests on a birthday or holiday, and consisted of rice cakes, snacks, fruit, noodles, and side dishes. The main dish on the table was hot or cold noodles, a sliced rice cake soup, or dumpling soup, and it came with side dishes like pyeonyuk, raw fish, jeonyuhwa and sinseollo (royal hot pot).

When a banquet was held, not only were the guests offered food, but other banquet participants as well, including the court musicians, dancers, and soldiers, although tables were served by rank and position. After the banquet was finished, the remaining dishes were distributed to the king’s relatives and servants.

Seonmyojojejaegyeongsuyeondo – a party for the elderly with court ministers attending

Inheritance of Royal Cuisine

Royal foods were prepared by court maids, who were given strict training about cooking from early childhood, as well as male cooks. Various kinds of royal cuisine were made with diverse cooking methods, as the foods were prepared using fresh seasonal ingredients, processed foods, and local specialties, including seafood, meat, vegetables and cereal, to be served to the royal family.

Vegetables and fish that looked irregular were not used. Only the best parts of the nicest-looking ingredients were used so as to offer the best flavor and style possible to achieve for the dish, in hopes that a more satisfied king would govern more justly. Strong seasonings were not used in food preparation, and salty and spicy foods with strong tastes or smells were avoided in order to allow the natural taste of the ingredients to be delivered.

The Joseon Dynasty's royal cuisine, with its strict customs and procedures, was proclaimed an Important Intangible Cultural Property. Han Hui-sun (the first master of royal culinary art, 1889-1971) was a court maid who prepared meals for the last two kings of the Joseon Dynasty (King Gojong: 1863-1907; King Sunjong: 1889-1971). Hwang Hae-sung succeeded to the title (the second master, 1920-2006) and promoted royal cuisine. Now, Han Bok-ryeo (the third master, 1947-) and Chung Gil-ja (the third master, 1948-) have followed in their footsteps.

A Taste of Joseon Dynasty's 600-year History

Royal cuisine is the essence of Korean food culture. With a history spanning over 5,000 years, Korea reached its peak during the Joseon Dynasty.

The Korea Tourism Organization has selected seven traditional restaurants that correctly serve royal cuisine according to the recipes that have been inherited and handed down over generations, so that more people can enjoy the taste and art of royal cuisine.

The Successor of Royal Cuisine

Jihwaja
(+82-2-2269-5834)