By Reporter Kayla lee

In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Korea-Peru diplomatic relations, a gathering to share Korean and Peruvian food and culture was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and co-hosted by the Korea Food Promotion Institute and the Embassy of Peru in Korea.

The Korea Food Promotion Institute held the opening ceremony of the "Korea-Peru Food Culture Exchange Fair" at the Korean Food Culture Space "Eeum" in Seoul's Jongno-gu on July 19.

Lim Kyung-sook, the director of the Korea Food Promotion Institute, welcomed the attendees and said, "Korea and Peru have a commonality in having diverse food and culture. It would be great to compare the similar yet different cultures of these two nations."

She continued, "I hope this Korea-Peru Food Culture Exchange Fair becomes an opportunity to enhance the friendship between our two countries, and I look forward to the continuous exchange of food culture leading to agricultural and food exports and professional personnel exchange."

On the same occasion, Paul Fernando Duclos Parodi, the Peruvian Ambassador to Korea, introduced the event and proudly stated, "Peruvian people take great pride in the high value of Peruvian cuisine."

During the opening ceremony, both the Korea Food Promotion Institute and the Peruvian Embassy in Korea showcased Korean and Peruvian cuisines together. One of the most well-known Peruvian dishes in Korea is "cebiche," which uses abundant and diverse seafood as its main ingredients, and it was introduced by the Korea Food Promotion Institute and the Peruvian Embassy.

Other dishes presented at the event included "Causa rellena," a dish made by stuffing mashed potatoes with tuna, chicken, and crab meat, and "empanada," a pastry similar to Korean dumplings.

The planned exhibition for the Korea-Peru Food Culture Exchange Fair began at the Korean Food Culture Space "Eeum" on July 16 and will continue until September 3.

On July 20, there will be a cooking class featuring Korean and Peruvian cuisine, and a book concert on the theme of Peruvian food culture will also be held.

The opening ceremony was accompanied by congratulatory performances.