Catalan cuisine travels to South Korea with pa amb tomàquet and traditional cooking workshops

On 30 September the Catalan Government Delegation to South Korea and Prodeca held, in Gyeonggi-do province, the first Catalan Food Workshop in South Korea, a set of culinary workshops to spread Catalan cooking and strengthen the presence of Catalan agri-food products in the Asian country. The event, supported by the Catalan Government Delegation to South Korea, was held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government headquarters — a region twinned with Catalonia since 1999 — and was attended by the Catalan Government Delegate to South Korea, Bekiu Kim Jung, the Director General of the International Cooperation Division, Mr Park Keon-Kyun, and the Vice-Governor for Economy of the Gyeonggi-do provincial government, Mr Ko Young In

Through the morning, attendees could take part in four pa amb tomàquet workshops, one of the most emblematic dishes of Catalan cuisine, paired with Catalan products available in the Korean market. The activity drew close to 500 participants, with more than a hundred signed up for the pa amb tomàquet workshops and 330 diners at the food truck , and was completed by typical Catalan dishes for tasting such as salt cod esqueixada, fricandó with mushrooms, cod with samfaina and crema catalana.

The workshops were led by chef Manuel Manzano, born in Montgat and based in South Korea for more than a decade. Manzano runs The Xef restaurant in Seoul and his career combines professional experience in the country with deep roots in Catalan culinary tradition.

The event, open to the public, drew Korean citizens interested in food and culture as well as local food influencers. Beyond the culinary side, the day included a sardana workshop to introduce traditional Catalan music and dance.

With this project Prodeca has helped strengthen the international reach of Catalan cooking within Catalonia's recognition as World Region of Gastronomy 2025. The initiative aimed to champion the Catalan agri-food products already present in South Korea, build recognition among consumers and consolidate the Catalan Food brand's image in a strategic, growing market.

Gyeonggi-do, the country's most populous region with almost 14 million inhabitants, was chosen both for its long-standing institutional relationship with Catalonia and for its ability to reach a broad, diverse audience. The activities took place at the Provincial Government headquarters, an emblematic building housing close to 4,000 workers that symbolises the region's modernity and international outlook.

With initiatives like this Catalonia consolidates its institutional and commercial presence in South Korea while projecting the distinctiveness of its cooking and agri-food products to the world.