February 26 this year is Jongwoldaeborum, or folk holiday which falls on the fifteenth day of the first month by lunar calendar.
Since olden times, the Korean people have celebrated the day on a large scale as folk holiday next to the lunar New Year’s Day.
They have cooked and eaten such typical foods as ogokpap (a dish made with all five grains) and dishes made of nine kinds of dried greens.
Ogokpap is made of five kinds of grains, especially rice, millet, kaoliang, soybean and adzuki bean, and the grains differ according to localities.
The nine-dried-green dish is prepared with hot pepper leaf, bracken, osmund, goosefoot and others in Pyongyang, and platycodon, Codonopsis lanceolata, aster, brown seaweed and others in the area of Hamgyong province. They were called “black edible herbs” as the colour of dried edible greens is black.
Folk have said that such dishes on the day make people highly resistant to intense heat and diseases as well that year.
The custom of preparing and eating ogokpap and nine edible greens is associated with the love for their native land of the Korean people, who have created the way of dietary life of their own and developed food culture by using different food materials which are available in their localities.
It also contains the idea of the principle of taking care of their health that they can live in good health only when they have ogokpap and a variety of dried edibles evenly without having an unbalanced diet.
Such a custom is still carried on today to add national flavour.
More From Pyongyang Times
Proud entities visually showing the rapid development of the socialist countryside flourishing day by day are being built one
December 11, 2025
Proud entities visually showing the rapid development of the socialist countryside flourishing day by day are being built one
There was the second-day sitting of the 13th Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on
December 11, 2025
There was the second-day sitting of the 13th Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on
Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s
December 11, 2025
Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense of China urged Japan to fulfil its obligation as a defeated nation at a press conference
December 11, 2025
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense of China urged Japan to fulfil its obligation as a defeated nation at a press conference
Choe Son Hui, minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, No Kwang Chol, minister of National
December 11, 2025
Choe Son Hui, minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, No Kwang Chol, minister of National
The secretary office of the premier of the Cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on December 10 informed the Korean
December 11, 2025
The secretary office of the premier of the Cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on December 10 informed the Korean
Pak Jong Chon and Jo Chun Ryong, secretaries of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Jae Ryong, department
December 11, 2025
Pak Jong Chon and Jo Chun Ryong, secretaries of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Jae Ryong, department
Amid the growing joy of the macrobians leading a blessed life under the socialist system of the DPRK, Yonha-dong of Sinuiju City,
December 11, 2025
Amid the growing joy of the macrobians leading a blessed life under the socialist system of the DPRK, Yonha-dong of Sinuiju City,
The provincial building materials exhibition-2025 opened with due ceremony at the Sci-Tech Complex in Pyongyang on December 9.
December 11, 2025
The provincial building materials exhibition-2025 opened with due ceremony at the Sci-Tech Complex in Pyongyang on December 9.
A potato farina production factory was newly built and inaugurated in Jangjin County, South Hamgyong Province. The factory has a
December 11, 2025
A potato farina production factory was newly built and inaugurated in Jangjin County, South Hamgyong Province. The factory has a
Developing countries are paying close attention to education, regarding it as a crucial issue for achieving national prosperity.
December 10, 2025
Developing countries are paying close attention to education, regarding it as a crucial issue for achieving national prosperity.
The Hungarian minister of foreign affairs and trade opposed a plan of the European Union to ban the import of Russian energy throu
December 10, 2025
The Hungarian minister of foreign affairs and trade opposed a plan of the European Union to ban the import of Russian energy throu
Japan continues to contaminate the sea with successive discharge of nuclear waste water.On December 4 the Tokyo Electric Power Com
December 10, 2025
Japan continues to contaminate the sea with successive discharge of nuclear waste water.On December 4 the Tokyo Electric Power Com
Agricultural workers moved with pleasure into the modern houses newly built in farm villages of Jagang Province as part of the
December 10, 2025
Agricultural workers moved with pleasure into the modern houses newly built in farm villages of Jagang Province as part of the
The Samjigang Farm in Jaeryong County of South Hwanghae Province has overfulfilled its state grain production plan this year, too.
December 10, 2025
The Samjigang Farm in Jaeryong County of South Hwanghae Province has overfulfilled its state grain production plan this year, too.
The Kangso Sprayer Factory has produced a lot of backpack sprayers to send them to the socialist countryside this year. Among the
December 10, 2025
The Kangso Sprayer Factory has produced a lot of backpack sprayers to send them to the socialist countryside this year. Among the
A delegation of the Ministry of Disaster Management headed by Vice-Minister Ri Ki Chol left Pyongyang on December 8 by air to
December 10, 2025
A delegation of the Ministry of Disaster Management headed by Vice-Minister Ri Ki Chol left Pyongyang on December 8 by air to
The Enlarged Meeting of the 13th Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was convened on
December 10, 2025
The Enlarged Meeting of the 13th Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was convened on
Choe Son Hui, minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sent a message of condolence to Sergei
December 09, 2025
Choe Son Hui, minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sent a message of condolence to Sergei
Bearing in mind the noble soul and spirit of the revolutionary forerunners, youth and students successfully made a study tour of
December 09, 2025
Bearing in mind the noble soul and spirit of the revolutionary forerunners, youth and students successfully made a study tour of
More Articles
