Korean ceremonial food

Traditions of Korean family ceremonies were mainly established during the Choseon dynasty (1392-1910) which adopted the Confucianism as its ruling philosophy. As the Korean society becomes confucianized, family ceremonies such as Gwan Hon Sang Je (관혼상제; 冠婚喪祭), the four family ceremonies (coming-of-age ceremony, wedding, funeral, and ancestral rite) which were considered important in Confucian culture have elaborately developed and continue to influence Korean life to these days. Ceremonial food was an important part of such cultural tradition and developed with variation across different regions and cultures.

Childbirth

When a child is born, the family offers a samshin sang (삼신상; 三神床), a table consisting three bowls of rice and three bowls of Miyeok guk (미역국), Korean sea mustard soup, to the gods of childbirth (삼신; 三神), as three has been traditionally believed a fortunate number in Korea. The same food is also offered to the mother. Sea mustard, rich in iron and calcium, is considered beneficial for new mother's health.

Baby's 100th day (Baekil)

Baekil (백일; 百日), a baby's 100th day is celebrated with a feast including rice, sea mustard soup, steamed white rice cakes (백설기), and five-colored songpyeon (송편) with family's friends and relatives. The rice cakes are distributed to neighbors. The white rice cake represents innocence, and five-colored songpyeon harmony.

First birthday (Dol)

During dol (돌), the first birthday of a baby, the baby is elaborately dressed with a colorful outfit, and food including rice, sea mustard soup, steamed white rice cakes, five-colored songpyeon, steamed noodle, jujubes are prepared. Various objects such as a book, coins, raw rice, a bow and an arrow (for a boy), and a ruler (for a girl) are put on the celebration table. This is for a tradition of foretelling the baby's future by observing which object the baby touches first (book for a scholar, coins for a rich person, etc.). The occasion is celebrated by family's friends and relatives, and rice cakes are distributed to neighbors.

Coming-of-age ceremony (Gwallye)

Gwallye (관례; 冠禮), the coming-of-age ceremony, is performed between the ages of 15 and 20. After the ceremony, a man begins to wear sangtu (상투), Korean topknot, and gat (갓), a Korean traditional hat and a woman jjok (쪽), a traditional bun hairstyle of Korean women and binyeo (비녀), a Korean traditional hairpin. The ceremonial food includes rice wine, rice cake, noodle soup, sikhye, and sujunggwa. Unlike other traditional ceremonies, gwallye is rarely performed in Korea these days as it has been incorporated into the wedding ceremony and the traditional hairstyle is no longer worn by most Koreans.

Wedding ceremony (Hollye)

In hollye (혼례; 婚禮), traditional Korean wedding ceremony, a table called daeryesang (대례상; 大禮床) is placed between the groom and the bride. The table setting varies according to regions, but usually consists of rice wine, rice cakes, chestnuts, jujubes, and other foods as well as a vase with pine branch and a bamboo branch, a red candle, a blue candle, a live rooster and a hen wrapped in red and blue clothes. The color of red represents groom, and blue the bride; chestnuts and jujubes mean longevity and fertility, and pine and bamboo fidelity. The groom and the bride bows to each other and shares rice wine in a decorated gourd cup.

Foods prepared by bride's family for groom's parents are called pyebaek (폐백; 幣帛). Chestnuts and jujubes are offered to groom's father, and pyeonpo (편포), Korean steamed beef patty, yukpo (육포), Korean beef jerky, and braised chicken to mother. Groom's father also gives jujubes to his new daughter-in-law, which represents fertility. With other foods, noodle soup is usually served to wedding guests, which represents longevity. .

Funeral (Sang Rye)

In Sang Rye (상례; 喪禮), traditional Korean funeral, mourners stay up all night in the funeral hall. Alcoholic drinks, pork or beef head meat (머릿고기), and Yukgaejang (육개장) is frequently served to them. The red chili pepper powder in Yukgaejang is believed to protect guests from ghosts and spirits.

Ancestral rite (Je Rye)

Je Rye (제례; 祭禮) or Je Sa (제사; 祭祀), the Korean traditional rite for ancestors, is performed on Seol (설), Lunar New Year's Day, Chuseok (추석; 秋夕), Korean thanksgiving day, and anniversaries of ancestors' deaths. Rules for table setting in ancestral rites are set in Confucian literature, but variations exist according to regions and clans. Some of general rules are as follows.

• On the first row of the table, rice, rice wine, spoon and chopsticks are placed.
• On the second row, noodle soup, rice cakes, beef soup, chicken soup, and fish soup are placed. Rice cakes are placed on eastern part of the table and noodle on western part.
• On the third row, meat and fish dishes are placed. Fish is placed on eastern part and meat on western part.
• On the fourth row, kimchi (made without chili pepper) and vegetable dishes are placed. Kimchi is placed on the eastern part and other vegetables on the western part.
• On the fifth row, fruits (jujebe, apple, pear, chestnuts, etc.) and sweets are placed. Red fruits are placed on eastern part and white fruits on western part.

Foods prohibited in rites

Foods traditionally believed to expel ghosts and spirits, such as red chili pepper, garlic and peaches, are prohibited in ancestral rites. Fish without scales which had been considered unclean and fish of which names end with the Korean letter "Chi" (치) - anchovy (멸치), mackerel pike (꽁치), cutlassfish (갈치), which had been considered cheap, are also not placed on ritual tables.

Regional variations

Food for the ritual ceremony varies considerably between regions due to different cultures and availability of foods. For example, grilled shark has been uniquely offered in the ceremony in the Gyeongsang province and skate dishes in the Jeolla province.

See also

• Korean cuisine
• Korean Traditional Festivals
• List of Korea-related topics