Kimchi draws cultural battlelines between South Korea and China over ISO certification

After years of heated Kimchi dispute with Japan, South Korea has w officially wd cultural-cuisine warfare with China about  territory where world-famous pickled dish originated and which nation can cook it better. fermented cabb dish is a central part of Korea's food culture, but recently, China claimed that it had won ISO certification from International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) for  best process to cook dish.

Triggered by China’s occupation of dish’s merits and its food expansionist nda, South Korean government jumped in to remind Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of China that 'famed spicy cabb' and how to cook it properly was, in fact, South Korea’s "internal matter". 

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Refuting China’s claims, South Korea said that traditional side dish represented Korean culture and China had thing to do with it, escalating fresh tensions since 1996 historic Kimchi dispute. In year 2000, South Korea had approached Codex Alimentarius of United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation with an appeal to formulate international Kimchi standards to protect sovereignty of dish.

South Korea wd a cuisine conflict with Japan for introducing Japanese Kimchi, 'kimuchi' in Atlanta Olympic food festival. committee, however, left issue in condition of draft, saying that it will introduce international standard for Kimchi in July 2001. An informal truce was reached between two countries over years. However, from time to time, Japan reiterated that South Korea held mopoly on cabb.

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'Pao Cai' version

Defending international certification, China’s ministry clarified on social media that country’s cabb dish standards were ackwledged for 'Pao Cai', a separate version of same cuisine but t exactly one South Korea identified as its 'national soul food'. statement triggered a strong response from South Korea, who reminded Chinese authorities that changing title of staple Korean cuisine implied that it was Kimchi ‘made in China’. Shortly afterward, South Korean civilians clashed with Chinese on social media, attacking each or for stealing food. 

On website naver.com, South Koreans called Chinese "burglars" that stole ir dish idea, meanwhile Chinese citizens retaliated on Weibo to call out Korean failure to meet standard of dish implies a loss of sovereignty on dish altoger. Some argued that dish’s name sounded like it originated in China.

Many in Chinese ranks argued that Kimchi was first cooked in Sichuan. South Koreans, however, defended rights on dish saying that process of cooking Kimchi was called 'kimjang' and that explained its Korean-ness. According to Yonhap News ncy, Koreans urged for a "strong action" against China for robbing ir "cultural asset" as battle of wits and chopsticks tickled social media. 

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