Local Food
Savory and spicy, like the people of Geumsan, healthy food bringing you closer to nature with items unprocessed, untouched, and pure.
Head of States attending the ASEM Summit in 2000 declared Geumsan Ginseng Liquor "fragrant" after tasting the soft, amber-tinted drink, and could not stop smiling and nodding in approval at the ginseng cuisine served as the main course.
Every part of ginseng is edible, except for its fruit, and is used as an ingredient. It is known for its excellent flavor and nutrients. You’ll be able to appreciate this more with a ginseng table d’hote, served with a variety of dishes made with ginseng-pickled ginseng, ginseng preserved in honey and seasoned ginseng.
Insameojuk (Ginseng Fish Porridge)
Geumsan samgyetang is made from clean, non-polluted ingredients produced in Geumsan. Chicken and fresh ginseng is mixed with deer antler, jujubes, chestnuts, and additional medicinal herbs. This dish is not only tasty, but also helps to invigorate one’s body and health. Once you have experienced a bowl of Geumsan samgyetang made with fresh, high-quality ingredients, you will never forget it!
You will find many restaurants specializing in loach soup that prepare their food in the traditional method using wild loach instead of farmed loach in Geumsan-eup and Majeon-ri of Chubu-myeon. The loach soup served in this area is well-known for not having the typically unpleasant fishy odor, and being highly nutritious with fresh, natural ingredients.
Hanwoo can be enjoyed pretty much anywhere in the country, but the first place that offered this was actually Boksu-myeon in Geumsan-gun. Here, the Korean beef restaurants sell fresh meat every single day, one of the reasons they are always packed, even on weekdays. Hanwoo is known for its tenderness and flavor, and is widely appreciated as a local specialty food of Geumsan.
A freshwater fish dish that goes well with ginseng fish porridge is doribaengbaengi. It is easily digestible and highly nutritious with a high calcium, mineral and vitamin content, enjoyed even by children and seniors. The crunch with every bite makes eating doribaengbaengi more enjoyable.
