Maria Osetrova
Institute of China and Contemporary Asia

Received June 24, 2024; Revised version received August 5, 2024; Accepted August 20, 2024

Abstract

A dish of buckwheat noodles in cold broth (raengmyŏn) has existed in Korean diet at least for several centuries and was mainly spread in the northern regions of the peninsula. However, in the situation of national division in the latter half of the 1980s, the DPRK realized the need to elaborate its independent vision of cultural authenticity in the sphere of national cuisine and to construct its own national food symbol. This is how the name Pyongyang Raengmyon has been actively promoted in the North Korean media and propaganda sources since the late 1980s until today. The combination of the dish’s name (raengmyŏn) with the name of the North Korean capital city was intended to form a clear and strong link between Korean cuisine and the DPRK. This article examines how and when Pyongyang Raengmyon has been made into a North Korean national food symbol and explores the reasons behind this process. The case of Pyongyang Raengmyon as an example of the North Korean national food symbol construction is not only interesting in its own right but also illustrates how food issues can serve as an instrument of ideology and cultural politics of a country.

Key Words : Pyongyang Raengmyon, Korean cuisine, national food symbol, North Korean cultural politics