Magazine F #12
Magazine F is a food documentary magazine cocreated by B and Baemin, a Korean food delivery unicorn startup. Each issue introduces one ingredient that has had a significant impact on the table around the world, with particular focus on how everyday ingredients are produced, how they are used from region to region, what the economic impact is, and how chefs handle each ingredient. In short, F encompasses the past, the present, and the future of food culture.
This issue is all about kimchi: Kimchi is a millennia-old, preserved food of Korea, and kimjang, the making and sharing of kimchi to be eaten over winter months, was designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. Napa cabbages and Korean radishes are salted, coated in red pepper powder, garlic, and other savory ingredients, and then left to ferment. As each family developed their own recipe, kimchi became more diverse with each passing generation. Kimchidok crocks kept in the ground have been replaced by refrigerators in the home specifically for kimchi storage—evincing the everlasting symbolism of kimchi on the Korean table. Today, fermentation is a major trend in gastronomy culture, and this naturally fermented, probiotic-rich food is revered worldwide.
Seoul, South Korea; 170mm x 240mm; 152 pages