The National Palace Museum, in collaboration with the Royal Cuisine Cultural Foundation, announced that it will present a special exhibition titled “Royal Cuisine, the Table of Reverence and Sharing” from the 20th of this month at the museum’s second-floor special exhibition hall.
This exhibition covers more than 200 items, including records and paintings related to royal cuisine. A museum official explained that “royal cuisine was not only the meals that maintained the daily lives of the king and the royal family but also a means of governing as ingredients from all over the country provided insights into the lives of the people.”
The exhibition begins by introducing the process of offering seasonal ingredients to the royal family from various regions across the country. During the late Joseon period, provinces excluding Pyeongan, which bore the burden of entertaining envoys, such as Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, Jeolla, Jeju, Gyeongsang, and Gangwon, offered tribute products, with Jeju preparing tangerines.
Visitors can also explore stories about the spaces and people responsible for royal cuisine. The exhibition displays the ‘Suragan’ signboard, the bustling activities of ‘Suksu’ royal chefs, and cooking utensils like wooden cutting boards, knives, and ladles.
Recipes recorded by court ladies in the 18th to 19th centuries and ‘uigwe,’ which document royal banquets and contain details about various side dishes and ingredients, offer insights into royal meals. The museum noted that “the commonly known 12-dish banquet style is reminiscent of the servings from the era of Gojong (reigned 1863-1907) and Sunjong (reigned 1907-1910). Prior to that, typically about seven side dishes were served.”
One noteworthy section of the exhibition is its focus on banquet foods, which best illustrate royal culinary culture. The royal family held grand feasts on celebratory occasions, such as weddings, the birthdays of the king and queen, and the crown prince’s appointment. The exhibition introduces the 1892 commemoration of Gojong’s 30th year of reign and 41st birthday with a banquet at Gyeongbokgung.
The museum also plans to reopen its permanently renovated second-floor exhibition hall on the 20th. After roughly eight months of refurbishment, the hall is divided into two sections: ‘Joseon Kings’ focusing on the king’s quarters, and ‘Royal Life’ dealing with the queen’s quarters, showcasing over 450 royal artifacts.
In the ‘Joseon Kings’ section, visitors can see the pristine relics that symbolize the Joseon dynasty’s history and legitimacy, including the UNESCO World Documentary Heritage ‘Joseon Royal Seals and Books,’ and blue tiles excavated from Gyeongbokgung.
The ‘Royal Life’ section delves into the queen’s quarters, showcasing the everyday life of the royal family from the queen’s appointment and childbirth to her later life as the queen mother, through various artifacts and immersive visuals.
The special exhibition will run until February 2nd next year.
(Photo provided by the National Palace Museum, Royal Cuisine Cultural Foundation, Yonhap News)