"Better to Have Leftovers Than Shortage"…Holiday 'Food Waste' Aftereffects [Matjalal X File]

Headache from messy leftover food
Recycling methods for various jeon, japchae, fruits, etc.
If you must throw away, follow 'separation and disposal' rules

Did you have a good Chuseok holiday? After a long holiday, many people may be struggling with Monday blues as they return to their daily routines. Holiday syndrome appears not only in our minds but also in other places?namely, the kitchen. Thanks to our unique culture of "it's better to have leftovers than to run short," after Seollal or Chuseok, we often struggle with leftover food that is difficult to handle. Various jeon (Korean pancakes), fish, japchae, rice cakes, and fruits that were on the ceremonial table or shared among family members are likely scattered messily throughout the refrigerator. There are also quite a few leftover vegetable scraps from cooking.

"Leftovers are better than shortages"…Seollal and Chuseok food waste increases by 20% compared to usual

In fact, holidays are the days with the most food waste throughout the year. According to the Korea Environment Corporation, a survey of food waste generated in apartment complexes nationwide during Seollal and Chuseok from 2021 to 2023 showed an increase of more than 20% compared to usual. For example, during the week including the 2022 Chuseok holiday, 21,335 tons of food waste were discarded, which was a 22% increase compared to 17,460 tons two weeks earlier.

Wasting food is a problem, but the cost of waste disposal and the fact that food waste contributes to global warming, which boomerangs back to us, is even more critical. Did you know that food waste is one of the main culprits of abnormal climate conditions? Food waste causes wastewater and odors, and during decomposition, it emits greenhouse gases. It is estimated that about 8-10% of global greenhouse gases originate from food waste.

So, although this is already past, the best way to solve food waste is to cook slightly less. Those who buy ingredients or cook will have less burden, and those who eat won’t need a holiday diet, making it a win-win-win-win situation.

Baek Jong-won's Cooking Log 'Jeon Jjigae' Capture

Jeon stew, japchae rolls, egg dumplings, vegetable kimbap…Holiday food resuscitation recipes

However, the holiday is over, and food is piling up in the kitchen. Let’s find out how to prevent leftover food from becoming waste. Freezing is the easiest option, but if kept too long, it will likely be thrown away eventually, so it’s better to use leftovers quickly. What are some holiday food resuscitation recipes?

A representative dish is jeon stew. Let me introduce Baek Jong-won's recipe. 1. Lay onions, mushrooms, radish, etc., in a pot and place the jeon upright like sticks. 2. Pour rice water or water just enough to barely cover the jeon and boil over medium heat. 3. Add minced garlic, salted shrimp or fish sauce, soy sauce, and coarse red pepper powder, and boil. Finally, top with Cheongyang chili peppers.

A bowl of spicy jeon stew broth will refresh your stomach, which may have felt greasy from rich holiday foods.

Japchae kimbap rolls are also ingenious. Wrap leftover japchae in rice paper and seaweed, then grill it to finish. If rolling is bothersome, you can make egg dumplings instead. Chop glass noodles and various vegetables finely, mix with beaten eggs, and pan-fry into half-moon shapes. If you have leftover bulgogi, making paninis or sandwiches is also a good idea. Additionally, holiday namul (seasoned vegetables) are useful ingredients for kimbap or yubu chobap (tofu sushi). Apples, pears, and other fruits left after the ancestral rites can be turned into spicy-sweet kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), which is a delicacy.

A student is holding a card to use the food waste volume-based fee disposal machine.

If you must throw away, separate waste properly…When in doubt, think 'Can animals eat this?'

Even if you use resuscitation recipes, if there is food waste that must be discarded, it is important to dispose of it properly. Basically, food waste should be placed in designated food waste bags or disposed of through food waste volume-based disposal machines (RFID) installed in apartment complexes. If you throw it away as general waste out of convenience, you may be fined 100,000 KRW. Although the chance of being caught may be low, it is important to pay special attention to proper separation to prevent environmental pollution.

Distinguishing between food waste and general waste is also important. When in doubt, remember one thing: "Can animals eat it?" If animals can consume it, it is food waste; if not, it is general waste. This is because food waste is used as compost or animal feed.

For example, peels of tangerines, bananas, apples, and soft stems of strawberries and tomatoes can be eaten by animals, so they are food waste. However, fruit seeds cannot be eaten by animals, so they are general waste. Crab shells and shrimp shells are the same. Hard nutshells like chestnuts, walnuts, peanuts, and coconuts are obviously general waste. Bones from cows, pigs, and chickens are also general waste, as are eggshells.

However, bean pods, onion skins, garlic skins, and corn husks are classified as general waste. Plant-based skins contain a lot of fiber, making them difficult to grind and unsuitable for animals to eat.

This Chuseok has passed like this, but let’s practice cooking appropriately for next year’s Seollal. More important than separating waste is not creating food waste in the first place.