China’s Unexpected ‘Kimchi Process’ … Insist “We Are the World Standard”

Pao Chai, a Chinese pickled vegetable

After the ‘Northeast Fair’ and the ‘Hanbok Fair’, China is trying the ‘Kimchi Process’ this time. The China-led International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to create an industry standard for Chinese pickled vegetables, Pao Chai, and Chinese state media presented it as a ‘kimchi standard’.

On the 28th, Huangu Sibo from China (環球 時報) cited a report on the 26th from the “ China Market Supervision Service ”, which specializes in the supervision and management matters of the Chinese market, and reported that on the 28th December the International Paochai Standard was established. .

According to this, the ISO international standard was established by China, and the Meishan City Market Supervision and Administration Office in Sichuan Province was responsible and directed.

This is the result after China, a permanent member of ISO, adopted the Pao Chai International Standard, which includes experts from a total of five member countries along with Turkey, Serbia, India and Iran, as an ISO agenda in March. 2019. At the same time, he argued that China’s industrial technology standards were recognized around the world.

The Chinese Market Supervision Service (中國 市場 監管 報) reported on the 26th that the international standard for the China-led Paochai industry was officially established on the 24th. [중국 환구망 캡처]

In China, Pao Chai means salty vegetables. However, in China, Korean kimchi is also called Pao Chai. In other words, Korean kimchi has been considered a kind of Chinese pao chai. But this time, after creating the international standard of Pao Chai, in China, Korean kimchi is also called Pao Chai, so he showed the logic of making it an international standard for Korean kimchi. In a report that day, the Hwangu Times noted that a South Korean expert, who is proud of Pao Chai’s successor, was not involved in setting the standard. Also, while broadcasting the current status of Korean kimchi imports from China, he selected the title ‘Korean Media Blast: Pao Chai Creator’s Humiliation.

The government is in a position not to claim the international standard of Pao Chai as the international standard for kimchi. Kimchi was already recognized as an international food standard in 2001. The International Committee on Food Standards (CODEX, Codex), operated jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), develops international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice with the participation of more than 180 member states. In 2001, when Korea’s ‘kimchi’ became an official English name, the controversy over Japan’s ‘Kimuchi’ and other suspected countries also ended. Gochujang and dried persimmon products were recognized as international food standards in October, and ginseng products in 2015.

However, in late 2019, China published a Pao Chai agenda at ISO, stating that Pao Chai is the international standard for kimchi. At that time, the Korea Food Research Institute issued an opinion to the effect that “the agenda should be clarified that the agenda is not Kimchi, but Pao Chai standards.” ISO stated in this Pao Chai standard document that “the food standard does not apply to kimchi.”

Lee Sang-hoon, director of standards policy at the Technology and Standards Agency of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, said: “Since kimchi is internationally famous, it seems that China has also added kimchi.” In reality, kimchi and pao chai are different foods than the way they are prepared. Pao Chai does not have the stage of mixing it with seasonings like kimchi. Salted vegetables are either fermented immediately or boiled and then fermented. Lee Ha-yeon, president of the Korea Kimchi Association, said: “There are many pickles and sauerkraut (Germany) in the world for pickled vegetables, but kimchi is the only food that has been fermented and aged with more than five seasonings (red pepper powder, salted fish, garlic, ginger, green onion). ”He explained the difference.

Beijing = correspondent Yoo Sang-cheol
Sejong = Reporters Seongbin Lim and Namhyun Ha [email protected]