Hiking, Gochujang and Buddhists with swords
by SARAH SHAW on Nov 5, 2012 – 4:37 pm
With the vibrant fall foliage currently dotting the Korean countryside in shades of gold, crimson and burnt orange, I embarked on a weekend getaway with Adventure Korea to the county of Sunchang, located in North Jeolla province. A number of traditional Korean foods originated in North Jeolla province, including bibimbap, mixed vegetables with rice, and gochujang, hot pepper paste. Last Saturday, Sunchang held a Gochujang Festival, proudly boasting its allegiance to the spicy paste that amps up a plethora of otherwise plain dishes.
On Saturday, we arrived at the Gochujang Festival in time to eat a portion from the newly set Guiness Book of World Record’s biggest pot of bibimbap, stirred in a massive bowl with huge wooden spoons. Unfortunately, our bus did not arrive on time to stir the monstrous beast, but eating was the best part anyway.
We had some free time to roam around the festival, eat lunch, try some free snacks, pose with vegetable mascots in photographs, and watch some old men pound rice into ddtok, rice cakes, with large wooden mallets. Of course, I was approached by a camera crew, and asked to take a bite of my bibimbap and say “It’s delicious!” in English. Yet again, I’m probably going to be that awkward foreigner in a video clip promoting the festival.
About an hour after arriving, we gathered around a large white tent and changed into costumes for the parade, where we marched through a few streets in traditional Korean clothing. In the photo above, I’m marching on the right wearing a male knight’s outfit. I knew I was wearing men’s clothes, even though the Koreans helping me step into each layer denied it. The shoes were one size-fits-all, and I felt like I had duck feet while I was walking. I can’t remember the last time I’ve participated in a parade, so it was quite fun to get dressed up and prance about town, even if I was constantly tripping over my own feet and stabbing the girl in front of me with my staff.
The men marching behind us were wearing farming outfits.
Next, we threw on aprons and kerchiefs and attempted to make the longest line of duenjang, soybean paste. Before connecting my chunk of paste to the others’, I decided to make a cat sculpture. “We’re all busting our asses, and Sarah’s over here making a cat,” my friend Charlie said when he saw what I was doing. It was a cute cat, although it didn’t have a very long life.
After measuring our trail of duenjang, we cut it into rectangular squares, and wrapped in in strands of straw. We hung each chunk from wooden beams to dry and begin the fermentation process.
Lastly, we learned how to make gochujang, red pepper paste, the pride and joy of this festival. It’s composed of four different ingredients: red chili pepper (고춧가루), glutinous rice powder (찹쌀가루), fermented soy bean powder (메주가루) and salt (소금). Here’s a recipe, if you’re eager to make your own batch.
The ingredients were already measured in each bowl, so in teams of two, we merely stirred them together. After creating a smooth paste, we left each bowl on the table, as the paste needed to ferment over a period of time. (Days? Weeks? I’m not sure how long this process takes.) Instead, we were given a new jar to take home. Yay! I’m definitely going to make myself a heaping bowl of bibimbap tonight.
That night, we ventured to our motel called BOOM, located on a quiet street with nothing but a convenience store and a few restaurants. A few group members and I ate daktoritang, spicy stewed chicken and potatoes in agochujang-based sauce, and we had too many drinks in the restaurant, conversing about topics such as reproducing spoons, kidneys, and houses in 3D printers. The businesses on the street closed down around 8 PM, and we moved the party to our rooms, where we eventually passed out around 10:30 PM. I guess that’s what happens when you start drinking at 6.
The next morning, I awoke to a group of middle-aged Korean men and women in full hiking gear, yelling outside our room’s window. After scarfing down peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, we embarked on a hike up Mt. Gangcheon. The hike was quite relaxing; we only climbed up some steep inclines for a mere thirty minutes or so. The remainder consisted of gradual inclines and flat walkways, where we could easily enjoy the beauty of the vibrant foliage. Here, we passed by a quaint Buddhist temple called Gangcheonsa.
Moments later, we passed a suspension bridge and came across this mini sex-based sculpture park.
Our leader, Gyeongsu, posed with the men’s bathroom symbol, and Charlie fondled his favorite sculpture in the park.
After stepping over pools of water and gazing at Gujanggoon Waterfall, we continued on our way.
We reached the summit, called bukbawi, meaning “northern rocks,” and ate a snack before wandering upon this place where Zen Buddhism is practiced. I noticed a rack of swords and an archery target in the distance.
There was a man standing in front of his small shop, with a long, gray beard and sword at his hip. One of the leaders on the trip told me that his entire family used to live there, and he continues to teach Zen Buddhism. I was fascinated with this man, because although I’ve seen shamans perform gut ceremonies on Korean mountains, I’ve never seen any signs of Zen Buddhist teachings. I asked if I could take a photo and he complied.
Towards the end of the hike, we walked along the Geumseongsanseong Fortress. According to the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration:
Historians believe the mountain fortress was built in the first place during the Three Kingdoms Period. It was renovated in the 9th year of King Tejong (1409) of the Joseon Kingdom and in the 2nd year of King Gwanghaegun (1622), respectively. An inner fortress and a government office inside were also built in the 2nd year of King Gwanghaegun. Since a small fence on the wall along was fixed again in the 4th year of King Hyojong (1653), its military function was upgraded and consolidated extensively.
The outer fortress is 2 km long and the inner one 700m long, which were stone built, both. During the Donghak Movement (1894), the peasants’ uprising in the late Joseon Kingdom, most of the buildings were burned down, now only the sites of south, north, east and west gates are left.
After imagining the blood that was shed on this fortress wall throughout history, we reached the base of the mountain and walked towards Damyang Spa. Before embarking on the five hour bus ride back to Seoul, we indulged in luxurious baths with water from natural hot springs, green tea baths, bamboo soap baths, and two different types of dry saunas, fully naked with our fellow group members of the same sex. I bought a type of tea called maemilcha and relaxed in the bubbling water? my favorite way to end a weekend full of invigorating activities.
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This trip is called “Autumn Foliage hiking and Gochujang Festival.” Adventure Korea leads this trip once a year in November, and it costs 76,000 won (approximately $70), including transportation (a chartered limousine bus), 2 meals (Sunday breakfast, sandwich for lunch), hotel, park entrance + festival experience fees. For more trip options, visit Adventure Korea’s homepage.
