From Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s chicken and beer summit to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s K-beauty haul, the recently concluded APEC summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, offered an endless stream of behind-the-scenes stories. But for the United Arab Emirates delegation, one unexpected highlight stood out: stir-fried kimchi.
According to officials from Busan’s hotel industry, the UAE royal family and delegation, led by Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, were particularly taken by the Korean comfort dish during their stay at Ananti Cove in Busan.
Although the UAE is not an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation member, it participated in the summit as a guest and the crown prince held a bilateral meeting with South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung on Friday.
The crown prince stayed in Ananti Cove’s presidential suite, measuring 1,540 square meters, reportedly the largest guest room in the country. In preparation for the royal visit, the hotel is said to have conducted nine simulations and 10 facility inspections to ensure compliance with halal and hygiene standards, working closely with UAE officials.
Among the menu items served, the stir-fried kimchi — originally created to comply with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s restrictions on serving fresh kimchi — quickly became the delegation’s favorite.
Made by pan-cooking fermented kimchi with sesame oil, the dish is a simple, homestyle favorite widely enjoyed in Korean households as another popular way to savor kimchi at different stages of fermentation.
At the request of the UAE guests, Ananti staff vacuum-packed large portions of the stir-fried kimchi as gifts for them to take home.
tammy@heraldcorp.com
