“Jang” master Gi Soon-do (C, in red) explains to a group of Japanese tourists how to make traditional fermented condiments at her farm in Damyang, about 250 kilometers south of Seoul, on Nov. 13, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s agricultural minister says she expects exports of traditional fermented sauces using soybeans, or “jang,” to grow down the road after the tradition of making them was recognized as intangible heritage by the United Nations cultural organization.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paraguay on Tuesday (local time) decided to add “knowledge, beliefs and practices related to jang making” to its cultural heritage list, noting that jang-making “generates a sense of peace and belonging for the communities concerned.”
“As jang is the foundation of the taste of Korean food, the market potential is boundless,” Agricultural Minister Song Mi-ryung said during a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency.
“This is the second Korean traditional food culture to be inscribed, following the tradition of making and sharing kimchi, which was listed in 2013,” Song said. “I am very happy and proud that the value of (jang-making) has been recognized globally.”
South Korea’s exports of sauce products, including jang products such as soybean and red pepper paste, reached a record high of US$380 million in 2023, up 6.2 percent from a year earlier amid the growing popularity of Korean food in global markets.
Song noted UNESCO’s recognition is expected to place related products in the global spotlight, leading to increased outbound shipments.
“For example, we can release red pepper pastes mixed with meat or strawberries,” Song said, emphasizing the potential for developing new products tailored to different markets.
“The prospects for the jang industry are extremely bright and will generate high added value,” the minister said.
Touching on food exports, Song said South Korea will work to diversify destinations to further boost shipments.
“Exports of Korean food products have primarily focused on the United States, China and Japan, which accounted for around half of the shipments. However, we must also target the Middle East, Latin America and India, which together make up 30 percent of the global population,” Song said.
Outbound shipments of agricultural products reached $9.05 billion over the January-November period, up 8.1 percent from a year earlier to hit a fresh high, the ministry’s data showed.
(Yonhap)
