▶Follow us on SNS to read more articles
<Facebook> https://www.facebook.com/chosunenglish
<X> https://twitter.com/chosunenglish
Pascal Barbot (51) is a renowned French chef who quickly rose to the ranks of culinary excellence. At the age of twenty-eight, in the year 2000, he opened his restaurant “L’Astrance” in Paris and was awarded a Michelin Guide star within five months.
For a chef in his twenties to open a restaurant and acquire a Michelin star so rapidly is an exceptionally rare feat. It is comparable to achieving the title of “So-nyeon-deng-gwa,” a term for young scholars who achieved high honors in the imperial examination in the past. Unlike the saying of the past that goes, “No one died a good man after achieving the title of ‘So-nyeon-deng-gwa,’” Barbot continued to progress and ascend. Five years later, in 2005, he received a second star, and in 2007, at the age of thirty-five, he was honored with the highest accolade from Michelin – three stars. This achievement, which may take a lifetime for most chefs to accomplish, was reached by Barbot in his mid-thirties.
The dish that Barbot has posted at the top of his Instagram account is called “Ssam Vegetal.” On a circular plate, he places various lettuce leaves, chicory, kale, and other vegetables, and finishes it off with a vibrant pink “Ssam Sauce (la sauce Ssam)” made by mixing chili, ganjang (soy sauce), garlic, ginger, sesame oil, yuzu juice, and doenjang (soybean paste).
Invited by the hotel group Marriott International, Barbot presented his cuisine at a dinner event held at JW Marriott Seoul and Jeju Resort & Spa. He explained that the dish is his own interpretation and creation inspired by the deliciousness of Korean ssam rice. He emphasized that Korean cuisine is an important source of inspiration for his culinary creations.
◇ “Ssam” Dishes and Sauce Inspired by Ssam Rice
- When did you first encounter Korean cuisine?
“12 years ago. I was invited to the gourmet event ‘Seoul Gourmet 2011.’ It was my first time experiencing both Korea and Korean cuisine. I visited places like Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul and Jeonju in North Jeolla Province to taste Korean dishes and learn about Korean culinary culture.”
- I heard fermented foods like soy sauce, doenjang, gochujang, as well as pickled vegetables and kimchi left a strong impression for you.
“I was amazed by the fact that pickled vegetables could be made using only soy sauce and water without complicated cooking techniques or chemical flavors. I was so fascinated by the process of pickling and making sauces that I even postponed my trip back to Paris. I rented a bus and, along with three restaurant staff members, went to visit Gameunsa Temple in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, to meet a temple food expert, Ven. Wookwan. We crouched in the cabbage field, listening to her stories about temple food. I even got to taste the gochujang (red pepper paste) that she had fermented for three years. Oh là là! It was not overly salty, had a sweet and savory flavor, and left a long-lasting aftertaste.”
- Is there a memorable story that Ven. Wookwan shared with you?
“Ven. Wookwan said, ‘Korean cuisine starts with fermentation. It takes at least a year to make soy sauce and doenjang from boiled beans. It’s truly slow food.’ I realized that Korean cuisine is not something cooked by chefs, but rather, it’s food that is crafted by time.”
- You cooked doenjang soup together with Ven. Wookwan.
“We went to the kitchen with vegetables from the field and freshly prepared doenjang. Ven. Wookwan cut the zucchini with a wooden spoon, and she hand-tore the rest of the vegetables before putting them in the pot. When I asked why she didn’t use a knife, she said, ‘Vegetables are alive. I didn’t use a knife so that I wouldn’t harm their lives in essence. In Korea, they say vegetables become bitter if touched by metal. That’s why we sometimes use wooden knives.’ I was surprised by the practice of not using metal knives to prevent vegetables from being harmed. It seemed to resonate with my culinary philosophy of infusing ‘a second life’ into food through cooking.”
- When did you develop the ssam sauce?
“On the way back to Seoul after parting ways with Ven. Wookwan, I stopped by a large supermarket and purchased ingredients for gochujang such as gochugaru (red pepper flakes), meju powder (fermented soybean poweder), and rice syrup. When I returned to Paris, I made gochujang myself. Through research and experimentation, I developed my own sauce. Ssam sauce goes well not only with vegetables but also with any ingredients or dishes, including beef, pork, and fish. Local customers in France also loved it, and I received many inquiries about whether it could be purchased. After the COVID-19 pandemic, I started selling it online. It’s the top-selling product.”
- You seemed to have visited Korea afterwards.
“Until before the COVID-19 pandemic, fortunately, I was able to come almost every year. Each time, I learned new things about Korean cuisine. In one year, I tasted ssiganjang (aged soy sauce that is included when making new soy sauce) that had been preserved for over 360 years by a master of traditional food in Damyang, South Jeolla Province. It had a deep, intense color like ink, and its taste was rich, complex, and profound. In another year, I had the precious experience of seeing the original copy of the first Korean cooking book written in Hangul, ‘Eumsik Dimibang,’ in Yeongyang, North Gyeongsang Province, and tasting the dishes mentioned in the book.”
◇ First Encounters Asian Flavors During Military Service
In 2005, the restaurant guidebook “Gault & Millau,” considered to be on par with the Michelin Guide in France, named Pascal Barbot as the “Best Chef in France.” Gault & Millau explained their selection by stating that Barbot managed to update traditional French cuisine while still maintaining its essence. He achieved this by reducing the use of heavy ingredients like cream and butter commonly used in traditional French cooking, opting for lighter dishes, and incorporating a wide range of Asian and American ingredients and cooking techniques to achieve rich flavors. He mentioned, “During my early 20s while serving in the military, I first tasted Asian ingredients and spices.”
- You encountered Asian cuisine during your military service?
“I was born in a small rural town in France, in Auvergne, known for its typical French dishes rich in butter, cream, and cheese. I grew up eating these traditional French foods. In the past, military service was mandatory in France. When I was twenty, I was assigned as the exclusive cook for the Admiral of the French Navy’s Pacific Fleet and spent a year stationed in New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean. During that time, I visited Fiji, Tonga, and Indonesia. It was my first exposure to various Asian cuisines. I first tried coconut milk in New Caledonia and encountered my favorite spice, chili, in Indonesia. I also worked in Sydney, Australia, for two years starting in 1998. Through my military service and work experiences in Australia, my preconceived notions about how food should be were shattered. I became much more open-minded.”
- Is it true that you realized you were meant to be a chef when you were seven years old?
“As is common in many rural homes in France, our house also had a vegetable garden. We grew various vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and potatoes. We also raised rabbits and chickens. On weekdays, I would play in the vegetable garden after school, and on weekends, I would help my father with the garden. I often assisted my mother in the kitchen, and while it was fun, I somehow felt that cooking was something I had to do.”
Barbot enrolled in a hotel culinary school at the age of fourteen. Standing out at school, he graduated and gained elite chef experience by working at renowned restaurants such as “Maxim’s” in Paris, “Les Saveurs” in London, and “Troisgros” near Lyon. His six years at “Arpege” in Paris, in particular, had a decisive influence on his cooking. When “Arpege” received its 3 Michelin stars, Barbot was the sous-chef, allowing him to firmly establish his name in the culinary industry and solidify his position.
- What did you learn from Arpege’s owner and chef Alain Passard?
“Above all, I learned that ‘all ingredients are equally honorable.’ I didn’t just learn recipes; I learned how to think like a chef. The experience and teachings at Arpege allowed me to elevate ingredients traditionally considered side dishes or garnishes in Western cuisine to become the main focus of a dish.”
- World-class restaurants everywhere have intense work demands. In Seoul, it’s said that finding staff is not easy.
“It’s the same in Paris. Fine dining restaurants involve early morning arrivals for ingredient preparation, cooking during service hours, and cleaning and tidying up the kitchen, which doesn’t end until midnight. However, to grow as a chef, you have to deal with this. In my younger years, I intentionally applied to kitchens with heavy workloads. I heard that young people value work-life balance and try to avoid demanding jobs. While I respect their choices, that approach won’t make you a great chef. Just like in sports such as soccer, basketball, or tennis, cooking also requires time and effort, as much as innate talent, to reach an exceptional level.”
The Warring States Period of “National Singing Contest”, Why?
Monthly Electricity Bill for a Three-Person Villa Charges $1600, why?
A Unique Way of Idol Fans Secretly Critiquing Idols, ‘Sseo-Bang’ [K-Slang]
