Sancheong-gun Holds the 1st Yakseon Jangdok Festival

Passing Down Traditional Food Culture and Sharing Regional Jang Flavor

Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam Province, announced on the 6th that it recently held the "1st Medicinal Fermented Soybean Paste Jar Festival" at the Traditional Food Outdoor Education Center of the Agricultural Technology Center.

This event was organized to inherit traditional culture and promote the local jang (fermented sauce) flavors. It was also held to disseminate the quality improvement technology for fermented sauces using starter cultures transferred from the Rural Development Administration.

The event was attended by about 50 people, including County Governor Lee Seunghwa and members of the Sancheong-gun Life Improvement Association, who conducted a tasting evaluation of 11 types of local fermented soybean pastes and soy sauces from various towns and townships.

The 1st Medicinal Food Jangdok Festival in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam.

In particular, Governor Lee and all members of the Life Improvement Association personally tasted and evaluated the local jang flavors from 11 towns and townships. As a result of the evaluation, the jang flavor made using the starter culture technology transferred from the Rural Development Administration was selected as the most preferred flavor for modern tastes.

The Jirisan-mul Doenjang from Sicheon-myeon, Sanghwang Mushroom Doenjang from Saengbiryang-myeon, and Gorosoe Soy Sauce from Samjang-myeon also received high marks for taste and color. Along with the tasting evaluation, side events included a lively jangdokdae (fermentation jar platform) warding-off ritual performed by the Obu-myeon Life Improvement Association and the Sanenrak Modum Buk Art Troupe, a ceremonial rite for the development of local foods, and a flower arrangement talent donation by the Sicheon-myeon Life Improvement Association.

Additionally, the production of medicinal fermented soybean paste using local herbal medicines such as licorice, Achyranthes japonica, and Acanthopanax, the transfer of rural resource development technologies, and exploration of rural colors were also conducted.

Governor Lee said, “All the jang flavors from every town and township are excellent to the point that it is impossible to rank them, so all towns and townships are first place,” adding, “Participants wore beautiful hanbok, which further elevated the dignity of the event.”

He continued, “We will continue to make efforts to inherit traditional food culture and widely promote local jang flavors.”

Meanwhile, Sancheong-gun plans to enhance the capabilities of the Life Improvement Association through campaigns such as the “Carbon Neutral Practice Dietary Life Go·Go·Go Campaign.”