Food Booths Operated Directly by Embassies of 19 Countries
Food Prices Set Below 8,000 Won
A multinational art troupe performing a dynamic parade at the '15th Seongbuk World Food Festival Nurimasil' held last year. (Photo by Seongbuk-gu Office)
The ‘Seongbuk World Food Festival Nurimasil’ will be held on the 19th of this month around Seongbuk-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Now in its 16th year, the Seongbuk World Food Festival Nurimasil is a representative festival of the Gangbuk area, attracting about 50,000 visitors annually. This year, under the slogan “The Taste Everyone Lives By,” the festival will be organized as a place to fully taste and enjoy the diverse and valuable foods and cultures of the world.
Participants include 19 countries from four continents such as Spain, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Oman, Nepal, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. Visitors can enjoy a global gourmet journey in one place in Seongbuk-dong by visiting the ‘World Food Chefs’ booths presented by chefs from each country’s embassy.
There will also be ‘Our Coexistence Chefs’ booths themed on temple food, local food, and vegan cuisine, as well as ‘Seongbuk Top Chefs’ booths featuring world foods from local stores and communities in Seongbuk-gu. All food prices are set below 8,000 won to allow visitors to enjoy the festival without stress from overpriced charges. The festival is also designed to minimize waste by using reusable containers for all food at the venue, reflecting a commitment to environmental and climate issues.
The opening ceremony, starting at 11:30 a.m., will feature a resident-participation parade and performances including magic, fusion gugak (traditional Korean music), and classical music. A market selling various items related to cultural diversity, zero waste, and fair trade, as well as an experience zone introducing traditional games from around the world, will also be set up.
The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the last food orders taken at 7:30 p.m. Visitors can get off at Hansung University Entrance Station on Line 4 and walk to the festival site.
Seung-ro Lee, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, “I hope you spend a time filled with culture and taste at the Seongbuk World Food Festival Nurimasil, where you can experience world food and culture with just a transportation card instead of millions of won in travel expenses.”
Seongbuk-gu is home to over 40 embassies and residences, and is a place where diverse cultures blend, including international students from eight local universities and marriage immigrants. Nurimasil started as a cultural festival that uses this regional characteristic to understand and respect diversity across race, culture, country, and generation through ‘food.’
With direct participation from embassies showcasing their representative national dishes, enjoyable experiences, cultural performances, markets, and events, the festival’s excellence was recognized last year when it was selected as one of the ‘Local 100’ regional cultural attractions by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
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