Examples of incorrect Korean food menus highlighted in the Korean Cultural Center in Germany's Korean Food Awareness campaign include amusing but misguided translations. For instance, "kimchi jjim" (kimchi stew) has been mistranslated as "Kimchi wishlist" due to a misunderstanding of "jjim" as meaning "to wish for something." Similarly, "kimchi jjigae" (kimchi stew) has been rendered as the puzzling "Kimchi G. Gay." Courtesy of the Korean Cultural Center in Germany

As the global popularity of Korean food has surged, so has the number of Korean restaurants worldwide, with over 100 in Berlin alone, according to the Korean Cultural Center in Germany.

Including restaurants that list Korean dishes as supplementary options, the number is even higher. In the early 2000s, only about 10 Korean restaurants existed in Berlin, highlighting the rapid growth of the cuisine's presence.

However, this quantitative growth has brought its challenges. With some restaurateurs lacking proper knowledge of Korean cuisine, restaurants like these have begun serving "dubiously authentic" Korean dishes or inaccurately labeled menus.

A popular Korean restaurant located in Berlin has garnered over 1,300 reviews on Google, one of the world's largest search engines. Yet, some of its dishes aren't authentic Korean food. When ordering a Korean rice cake, which generally means "tteok," diners are served a dish that resembles tteokbokki (a dish of chewy rice cakes simmered in fiery chili paste gochujang) but is difficult to categorize as such. Typically, tteokbokki is made by stir-frying rice cakes with gochujang sauce and served warm, but rice cakes are tossed in chili sauce here.

Similarly, the bibimbap (a bowl of steamed rice with mixed vegetables) includes ingredients like pickled radish, cucumber salad and pickled cabbage — unusual items for a traditional Korean bibimbap.

A Korean-speaking reviewer shared concerns online, saying, "This is not Korean food at all. I'm worried foreigners might think this is what Korean food actually is."

Another Korean restaurant in Berlin sells "pork doenjang jjigae" (fermented soybean paste soup) and "seafood doenjang jjigae." However, both dishes are labeled with the Japanese term "miso" in English. While both miso and doenjang are made from fermented soybeans, miso typically includes rice, barley and other grains, with a distinct fermentation process that sets it apart from doenjang.

Chef Kim Soo-young, right, who serves as a chef for the Korean Embassy in Germany, demonstrates how to make bibimbap for foreign restaurateurs at the Korean Cultural Center in Berlin, Nov. 6. This event was part of an initiative by the center to promote authentic Korean cuisine. Courtesy of the Korean Cultural Center in Germany

Growing demand for authentic Korean food

The Korean Cultural Center does not see this issue as solely a problem of the restaurants themselves. Given that Korean food had lower visibility internationally compared to cuisines like Chinese or Japanese, the rise of misinformation could hinder its global standing.

In response, the center launched the Korean Food Awareness campaign early this year, targeting Korean restaurants operated by foreigners. They distributed booklets detailing the correct names and basic preparation methods for popular Korean dishes like japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), bulgogi (beef marinated in sweet soy sauce) and bibimbap.

Recently, the campaign expanded to include a bibimbap-making class. The session, held at the center earlier this month, attracted over 10 participants of various nationalities, including those from Vietnam and India.

Chef Kim Soo-young from the Korean Embassy in Germany led the class, demonstrating the preparation of bibimbap using ingredients like bean sprouts, radish, zucchini, carrots, beef and egg. Kim also shared insights about the health benefits of bibimbap, calling it "a very healthy dish that allows you to consume carbohydrates, protein and fats in one bowl."

Bibimbap prepared during a "bibimbap-making" class held at the Korean Cultural Center in Berlin, aimed at foreign restaurateurs operating Korean restaurants, Nov. 6. Courtesy of the Korean Cultural Center in Germany

Attendees were pleased with the session. Bu Gia Huy Le, who operates four restaurants called "Wondeo Chicken" in Berlin and Hamburg, said, "I used to include seaweed, kimchi and cucumber in our bibimbap, but it was great to learn the authentic recipe today. Currently, we serve only bibimbap, chicken and street toast as Korean items, but I want to expand the menu with more authentic dishes."

Yang Sang-geun, director of the Cultural Center, expressed his commitment to promoting genuine Korean food culture in Germany, saying, "We will continue our efforts to ensure authentic Korean cuisine takes root in Germany."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.