What’s In A Sauce? Nigeria Vs Korean Sauces Exchange

At the Korea Culture Center Nigeria (KCCN’s) latest Hansik (Korean Cuisine) class, the sauce reigned supreme. 

The Gochujang Sauce – consisting – Korean pepper paste, sesame oil, sugar, a tablespoon of water, toasted sesame seed (replaced by crushed seaweed) vinegar and minced garlic – was the blending or binding factor in traditional Korean cuisines Bibimpap (Korean Mixed Rice) and Gojuchang Jjigae (Chili Pepper Chicken Soup) prepared by the students of the Red Dish Culinary School, Abuja.

Unlike the previous Hansik classes themed to the Korean weathers and holidays, the recent class lays a foundation for the maiden Korean Food Festival themed ‘Korean Traditional Sauce’ and scheduled to hold June to August 2024. 

Why sauce? KCCN Cultural Events Manager, Su Yeong Kim, said sauces can be inspirational sources for food fusion, for the simple fact that there are some Korean sauce ingredients that are accessible in Nigeria, like sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, allowing for certain close substitutes such as the addition of the Habanero pepper to the Korean Chili Sauce, to suit the spicier palette of Nigerians. 

“We thought this theme will resonate more with Nigerians,” said Kim.

So, what’s in a sauce? And where does creative cuisine and exchange occur?

For the participants, the difference between Korean and Nigeria sauce lies in the fermented, natural-based and uncooked preparatory method of the former (Korean sauce) compared to the fresh, MSG-(Maggi)infused and heat-inclined (cooked) Nigerian sauces. 

“Korean sauces are largely fermented, for instance, the soy sauce. They contain natural ingredients and aren’t as spicy as Nigerian sauces,” said culinary student, Dominic Ihediobi.

“Korean sauce contains acidity, sweetness, and a host of different flavours. Despite the use of sugar, the acidity of some of the sauce’s ingredient balances flavours, particularly, the sweetness in a food,” said Okeola Eneeola who found it as ironic as the writer, that despite the use of sugar in the Bibimpap sauce, Korean sauces appear more natural-based than Nigeria’s MSG-infused sauces.

This has led to recent calls for disuse of Maggi’s in cooking – with claims that it causes cancer. Eneeola refutes this claim, noting that moderate use of Maggi is not cancer-inducing. 

Conversely, aspiring chef, Ita B. Onuigbo makes an indirect case for Nigerian sauces by noting that much of the ingredients of the Gochujang sauce, are to an extent ‘processed and ready to use’ which makes sense to ‘add and mix’ compared to Nigerian sauces that deal with largely fresh spices/produce – like pepper, tomatoes etc. that has to be cooked’.

Regardless of their differences, a little bit of creativity can unlock a treasure trove of food fusion – via the use of either the ingredients, or preparatory method of Korean sauce to enhance Nigerian sauce, and vice versa, or creating an entirely new sauce.  

“The connection might just be the spicing up of Korean cuisine with Nigerian spices. What’s a Nigerian meal without spices?” said Ihediobi.

“In my head, I am trying out the (Bibimpap) sauce on our local Jollof rice,” said student Michael Atolagbe.

“I thought about adopting the acidity aspect of the Bibimpap sauce, in our local sauces, to balance flavours, especially sweetness in a food. I do see a fusion cuisine here. We can also apply the preparation techniques of Korean sauces to ours. In Nigeria, we cook our food unlike the Korean sauce we saw today that wasn’t cooked, like the garlic that was added raw to the meal,” said Eneeola. 

The maiden Korean Food Festival Nigeria will test the mettle of the near hundred chefs and chefs-in-training trained on Hansik cuisines and sauces by the center.