Lessons in balance
Balance isn’t just about flavours, textures and colours on a plate. It’s not just following steps on a page or ensuring perfectly precise measurements. Rather, balance comes from within. It is shaped by our experiences, environments and memories.
In eastern Asia, seeking harmony is a way of life. It is what gives the multitudes of cuisines a complexity that makes them so strikingly distinct from the Western palate.
Philosophies rooted in balance may be impossible to grasp without lived experience, but putting them into practice in the kitchen is an easier task. To help us better understand how, we speak to six experts who share the guiding principles for their region’s cuisines. From flavours and ingredients, to history and culture, here are some key lessons.
KOREA
Bibimbap. Japchae. Gujeolpan. Banchan. Korean food is known for its distinct vibrancy and expertly harmonised dishes. Its roots can be traced back to Obangsaek – the Korean colour spectrum, which consists of white, black, blue, yellow and red, and represents the
