"Why World-Class Chefs Are Heading to Osong": Sempio Emerges as a Hub for K-Fermentation

[Financial News] Renowned international chefs and culinary experts visiting South Korea are making a series of visits to Sempio Foods Company, which has systematically researched jang and fermentation.
According to Sempio on the 3rd, four chefs recognized on the global culinary stage—including winners of the James Beard Award, often called the Oscars of the American culinary world—visited Sempio’s Woori Fermentation Research Center, the company’s R&D center in Osong, North Chungcheong Province, on the 2nd.
The group included Richard Lee, executive chef of Sejong, a San Francisco fine-dining restaurant with two Michelin stars; Faryal Abdullahi, an Ethiopian-born chef who leads New York’s Hav & Mar by combining East African heritage with a global sensibility; and Genie Kwon, co-owner and chef of Chicago’s Kasama, the first Filipino restaurant in the world to receive a Michelin star and a 2023 James Beard Award winner.
The visit came about after chefs who visited the Woori Fermentation Research Center last year recommended it to their colleagues.
A Sempio official said, "Under our vision of ‘Delighting people around the world with our flavors,’ we will continue to engage and collaborate with experts from various fields and promote the value of Korean jang and fermentation around the world."

[email protected] Kim Seo-yeon Reporter