Jeonju Hanjeongsik, a Generous Table Setting & Jeonju Baekban, the Typical Jeonju-Style Table Setting

Jeonju Hanjeongsik, a Generous Table Setting

Jeonju Hanjeongsik (a Korean-style full course meal prepared altogether in a single table) combines the flavors from mountains, seas, rivers, and fields. The fresh and various seafood from the Yellow Sea, crops and vegetables from the fertile Honam Plain, and the wild greens and herbs from the nearby mountains have been recipes for the dishes of Jeonju.

All these dishes combined into one is the culinary culture of ‘Jeonju Hanjeongsik.’ A table of Jeonju Hanjeongsik usually consists of around 30 dishes, including dishes of hot pot, stew, cooked greens, barbequed meat and fish, pickled seafood and others.

Jeonju Hanjeongsik satisfies the food enthusiasts’ senses with its generous and bountiful table setting. ‘The Ten Flavors of Jeonju,’ the traditional and renowned local products including bean sprout, radish, minnow, pumpkin, freshwater crab, yellow mung bean jelly, and others, constitute the Hanjeongsik table. Given its variety, generosity, flavor, aesthetic presentation, freshness, and history, Jeonju Hanjeongsik is incomparable to other full-course table settings.

Jeonju Baekban, the Typical Jeonju-Style Table Setting

Baekban, a traditional home-made table setting of Jeonju, consists of rice, stew, main dish, and several side dishes.

Jeonju Baekban is famous for the variety of side dishes if offers, and it is considered a humbler version of Jeonju Hanjeongsik. Baekban is one reason why the visit to Jeonju is often called a gourmet trip. Throughout history, Jeonju was a home to the provincial office of Jeolla region (the Southwestern part of Korea). Around the site of the Old Provincial Office, many time-honored restaurants specializing in Jeonju Baekban are still receiving guests.

The locals have long enjoyed Jeonju Baekban, and the Baekban restaurants have flourished within the walls of Jeonju.

According to Professor Song, Hwa-Seop of Jeonju University, “Jeonju Baekban is an orthodox Jeonju cuisine. While the famous bean sprout hot pot was mainly consumed around the markets outside the walls of Jeonju, Baekban was mainly consumed by the locals living inside the walls.”

Restaurants serving Jeonju Baekban are frequented by the office workers. The locals recommend the old Jeonju Baekban restaurants that are concentrated around the Old Provincial Office, City Hall, and Deokjin Park. They serve the homemade-style Jeonju Baekban.