[매경학생기자]2024 Houston Korean Festival

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[매경학생기자]2024 Houston Korean Festival

Korean culture, even far away in the United States, continues to captivate many locals with its distinctive appeal. This “distinctive” appeal was particularly evident in Korean cuisine. The Houston Korean Festival, which began in 2009, has been held every October in downtown Houston. It has grown in popularity, attracting thousands of visitors each year.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary, this year‘s event drew a record-breaking 35,000 attendees-atestament to the rising interest in Korea through K-pop, K-dramas, and more. At the festival, local Americans and children immersed themselves in a variety of Korean cultural experiences. Visitors enjoyed activities such as fan-making, mask decorating, kimchi-making, paper folding, Korean slap-match games, hanbok (traditional clothing) trials, gonggi (stone game), and jegichagi (a shuttlecock game). The event also featured a performance by the six-member boy group NCHIVE, who debuted this April.

However, it wasn’t the Korean cultural experiences or idols that brought 35,000 locals to this event. What drew such a large crowd was none other than Korean food. The festival transformed into a bustling Korean food street, offering a variety of dishes. The creativity inherent in Korean food culture stood out through fusion dishes like kimchi tacos, kimchi birria, and kimchi quesadillas, which captivated the eyes and palates of visitors. Many locals were impressed by the harmony of Mexican cuisine paired with kimchi, commenting that the spicy flavor of kimchi enhanced the richness of tacos, birria, and quesadillas.

Additionally, many attendees praised the festival’s ice cream, noting that it had a unique reminiscent of traditional Korean desserts, making it both novel and delightful. “Korean food and culture are truly incredible and astonishing. Especially Korean food-it’s absolutely delicious. The greatest charm is its opposite nature compared to my own culture,” said one visitor. “I couldn’t forget the Korean food I tried last year, so I came again this year,” remarked another.

Buoyed by the heightened interest in Korea, this year’s Houston Korean Festival was held over two days for the first time. It concluded on Sunday, October 20th, showcasing that K-food, alongside music and dramas, could also serve as a cornerstone of cultural exchange.

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