Among the well-known Kaesong specialties are yakpap (sweet rice dish), chuothang (loach soup), sollongthang (beef and rice soup) and phyonsu (a kind of dumpling).
Yakpap has been a holiday food on Jongwoldaeborum, or the 15th day of the first month by the lunar calendar, and a traditional dish which was a must in any big parties since olden times.
According to historical records, honey was often regarded as yak (medicine in English) and the boiled rice mixed with honey was called yakpap.
It is prepared by evenly mixing steamed glutinous rice with sesame oil, honey and sugar and adding date, chestnut and soy sauce, before steaming it again. It is told that the Koreans have taken the dish from the period of the Three Kingdoms. At that time, neighbouring countries called it Koryoban, praising it as a rare food.
Chuothang, sometimes called chuthang, is a tasty and very nutritious food.
In the Kaesong area, it was made by boiling loach with bean curd and red pepper.
It was widely used to help people recover from illnesses or weakness and to promote the growth of children.
Sollongthang, whose name was derived from a Korean onomatopoeic word suggesting the sound of liquid simmering gently for a long time, is said to have been made in the Kaesong area first.
In the olden days poor people in the area purchased the cattle’s hooves and pluck thrown away by the rich at a cheap price and boiled them hard. It was tasty and nutritious and good for making weak people recover health. Since then, it was widely known throughout the country and became a popular dish loved by all, rich and poor.
Phyonsu means thinly rolled dumplings cooked in water.
It is made by rolling dough thinly in the shape of a square, putting pepper-flavoured stuffing made of pork, pumpkin, bean curd and egg mixed with different seasonings, joining its four corners to form a dumpling and cooking it in boiled water. It is served in clear and cold meat soup.
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