If you have ever been to a traditional Korean restaurant, have you ever seen and used a bowl with a golden color like this? At some point, did you even doubt that these bowls were all made of gold? However, it has become a neglected Korean food culture to the extent that no one has taught me what metal these bowls are made of, when and where to start making these beautiful bowls.
Source: Noddam Bangjja Yugi Seon 4-person organic bowl half table set gift wrapping with bojagi (notdam.com)
These days, with the development of Korean silver food culture, these golden bowls appeared in front of foreigners' eyes and formed a close relationship with Korean traditional food, but not many friends know the history of these bowls.
So, let’s learn about “Bangjja Yugi” with such a beautiful golden color!
Source: [Noddam] Bangjja Yugi Royal Court Noodles - Our Dining Table | Style your dishes (wtable.co.kr)
Bangjja Yugi refers to a vessel made of copper alloy (brass).
In a narrow sense, it refers to the technology of making various objects with bronze (organic), an alloy of copper and tin, and objects made therefrom. It is also used as a word meaning. Of course, it was made from the Bronze Age because it required skill in handling copper.
(Source: Namu Wiki Reference and Arrangement)
From a historical point of view, high-quality tableware was commonly made in the Korean peninsula, and this is called brassware. There is a record that there has been a national institution specializing in making brassware since the 8th century, Shilla, and that it was transmitted to Japan. Jeong Chang-won Shilla Organic Bowl, Jeong Chang-won Shilla Organic Plate, Jeong Chang-won Shilla Spoon). During the Goryeo Dynasty, the technology developed further to make organic products that were thin and glossy, and Korean organic products at this time were treated as precious by foreign countries as Shilla-dong and Goryeo-dong.
(Source: Namu Wiki Reference and Arrangement)
Source: The level of organic bowl sets exported by Shilla: Cliang (clien.net)
Today, with the development of Korean food culture, Bangjja Yugi bowls, which have been favored by Koreans since ancient times, appear on the table of high-end Korean food, appearing in front of people from all over the world.
If you go to a Korean restaurant and see these golden bowls and use them, don't doubt that they are made of gold, and know that they are Korea's unique Bangjja Yugi culture.
