Storytelling exhibitions revive Joseon-era flavors — from jang and kimchi on the royal table to records in ancient cookbooks; a residents-only experience booth debuts this year
Jongno-gu will transform Unhyeongung palace (464 Samil-daero) into a showcase of Joseon-era fermentation culture this Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., filling the grounds with traditional earthenware jang crocks.
The district is hosting the 2026 Royal Court and Yangban Traditional Food Festival, now in its 19th year, presenting a full day of royal and aristocratic fermentation heritage passed down through generations.
This year's theme is "Jang and Kimchi of the Court and the Aristocratic Household." The festival spotlights jang-making and kimjang culture — both designated as national intangible heritage and inscribed on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity — and introduces the Korean table through historical research and documentation.
The centerpiece is an exhibition drawn from ancient Korean cookbooks. The Royal Court Food Hall recreates the jang and kimchi that graced the king's dining table, illustrating the refinement of the royal kitchen, while the Aristocratic Household Food Hall traces how the flavors of jang and kimchi in Joseon-era yangban homes evolved across different periods.
Laid out as a storytelling exhibition — from the standards used to select ingredients to the long waiting times of fermentation — the displays let visitors gauge the food of historical records with their own eyes.
Jongno-gu is also offering a wide range of hands-on programs for visitors to experience food culture with all five senses. Under the guidance of culinary masters, participants can make baechu kimchi, cheongbyeong (a type of rice cake) and makjang (a fermented soybean paste), and try their hand at crafting duteop-danja, an elaborate royal court rice cake, and goji berry makgeolli at the Traditional Food Masters Hall and Traditional Food Experience Hall.
A dedicated experience booth exclusively for Jongno-gu residents debuts this year. A separate space will allow local residents to explore Korean food culture in greater depth, with six 40-minute sessions led by culinary masters.
A Traditional Crafts Hall will also be on hand, where visitors can make tarae beoseon keyrings and moon jar brooches, broadening the experience beyond food to traditional culture.
Side events add further variety. A children's scavenger hunt, "Find Jang-geum!," and an interactive game, "Challenge! I'm a Royal Kitchen Chef," in which participants set a royal dining table themselves, bring a playful element to the day. A dietary consultation booth based on the four-constitution theory of traditional Korean medicine offers personalized health advice rooted in traditional food culture. Tasting corners featuring dishes made with jang and kimchi, traditional games and a stamp tour round out the program.
Experience programs can be reserved in advance through the Seoul Metropolitan Government's public service reservation system, and on-site registration will also be available for walk-in visitors.
Jongno-gu District Mayor Yoo Chan-jong said the festival "brings together in one place the culture of jang and kimchi, in which the wisdom of our ancestors has accumulated over many long years."
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