Bonghwa County’s 29th Pine Mushroom Festival Sees Great Success with ‘Colorful Five-Flavored Large Bibimbap Performance’

500-Serving Bibimbap Blending Pine Mushrooms and Korean Medicinal Beef
Adding to the Festival’s Excitement as a Symbol of Harmony and Abundance

The highlight of the 29th Bonghwa Pine Mushroom Festival, the '4th Colorful Five-Flavored Large Bibimbap Performance,' was held with great success on October 16 at the special stage in the festival venue in Bonghwa-eup.

Bonghwa County, the 29th Pine Mushroom Festival's 'Five Colors Five Flavors Large Bibimbap Performance' a Great Success

This performance featured a massive bibimbap prepared for 500 people, using Bonghwa’s signature agricultural and livestock products-pine mushrooms and Korean medicinal beef-as main ingredients. Tourists and local residents shared the dish together, marking a vibrant opening to the festival.

Members of the Bonghwa County Traditional Food Research Association personally participated in every step, from preparing the ingredients to cooking and serving, adding sincerity and a local touch to the flavor. The aromatic pine mushrooms and the rich taste of Korean medicinal beef captivated the palates of visitors at the event.

As participants mixed the bibimbap together, symbolizing 'harmony and abundance,' the performance became a time to experience the warmth of the local community. The finished bibimbap was distributed to attendees through a sharing event, further enhancing the meaning of the festival.

Meanwhile, the Traditional Food Research Association operated a booth selling traditional foods throughout the Pine Mushroom Festival, showcasing the unique flavors and charm of Bonghwa.

The booth offered a variety of traditional snacks made with local agricultural products, including glutinous rice cakes, homemade sweet rice drink, apple and strawberry glutinous rice cakes, and rice ice cream. In particular, the apple and strawberry glutinous rice cakes, which combined traditional flavors with a modern twist, gained significant popularity.

Choi Sunja, president of the Bonghwa County Traditional Food Research Association, said, "We are grateful to everyone who visited the bibimbap performance and the traditional food booth again this year," adding, "We hope all visitors take home joyful and warm memories through the dishes we carefully prepared with ingredients from pristine Bonghwa."

The bibimbap, infused with the aroma of pine mushrooms, embodied the warmth and abundance of Bonghwa, adding to the festival’s excitement. It was a scene where local flavors became culture, and that culture in turn fostered pride in the community.