As many companies are restructuring to a five-day workweek system and a special trend called well-being are spreading all over Korea, the Gyeonggi-do provincial government resolved to install Slow Food villages where hands-on experience and tourism of traditional cooking can be learned. 

According to the government on May 3, a city, seven villages and 2 sights that has inherited unique, traditional cuisines such as kimchi, snails, temple meals and more, will be designated as special areas where tourists from inside and outside of Korea may visit to learn well being through direct and actual experiences. 

Slow food experience zones are planned to not only provide recipes and sale products, but also provide hands-on experience programs to make traditional Korean cuisines. 

To activate Slow Food experience zones, the provincial government has finalized enrollment for an Internet domain (www.slowfoodvillage.com), installed a main call center (information) in associated areas and the provincial office, registered as an intellectual property (trademark), installed directional signs and also established an homepage on the 26th of last month. 

The very first Slow Food zone will be the Cheongsan Kimchi Village located in Choseong-ri, Cheongsan-myeon, Yeoncheon-gun. About 8 billion won will be invested to build exhibition halls, laboratories, education centers, kimchi market, lodging and etc. by 2006. 

Villages designated as Slow Food villages are Seohae Ilmi Village in Hwaseong (traditional knife-cut noodles, small octopus and oyster cuisines), in Paju, Jangdancong Village (bean and processed food), Hanbang Village in Pocheon Yaksa Village (herbal soybean paste, herbal pork), Yeongyangjat Village in Gapyeong (pine-nut rice, pine-nut porridge), Borigogae Village in Yangpyeong (boiled rice, bran cake), Gangchon Dotori Village in Yeoju (acorn-starch jelly, acorn-starch noodles), Buraemi Ureong Village in Icheon (ureong soybean paste, ureong noodles) and other areas. 

Also Pyeongtaek Temple (traditional temple meals) and Anseong Seoil Farm (traditional paste) are already famous as slow food areas. 
Slow food is a new table culture that standardizes flavor and a movement against fast food that has been threatening traditional food heritages. 

Source: Kyeong Gi Ilbo, May 3, 2004