Fun & Spicy: Goesan Red Pepper Festival 🔥🌶
Hot summer days come to an end, but the heat during the harvest season emerges once again for another round of fiery fun during the Goesan Red Pepper Festival. From spicy food lovers to people who enjoy a good festivity, here is what you need to know about red spicy peppers and the plenty of activities the festival can offer.
Usually held at the end of August and lasting until the beginning of September, the event takes place in the central region of South Korea, Goesan county. Nestled in the Goesan Sports Complex and near the Dongjincheon Stream, the festival has a lot of space to spread many food stands, places for games, concerts and spots where you can buy some red peppers and other produce that were grown or made in the area. In Korean, the chili peppers are called gochu (고추). Considering its appearance, the vibrant red pepper resembles a vegetable, but because of its internal edible seeds, it is actually a fruit. Either in a form of a paste (gochujang), flakes (gochugaru) or just as a whole, the red pepper is used in many Korean dishes, such as kimchi, the majority of stews, sauces, marinades for meat and so on.
The festival has many fun pepper related activities to show the Goesan red pepper agriculture including pepper-picking, a pepper recipe competition, and a cooking contest for those who are interested in showing off their skills for creating new, rich and unique tastes, garden pepper planting to get a firsthand experience, learn from professionals and be able to plant some peppers at home, and many others.
Of course, the program also offers events such as exhibitions of worldwide peppers and food made with them, a singing contest, many local specialty stalls to try some unique and flavorful dishes. It is a great place to spend the time with your family, playing games and enjoying the fun all around you. For those who are curious to know more about the growth of red peppers, there is a possibility to talk to the farmers themselves.
The red pepper culture is rich not only in flavor but also in the festive spirit the people keep spreading each year. The festival is a special event, creating a good environment for the farmers to promote their produce that has been grown and cared for in the fertile soil, as well as bringing people together to have fun and spice up their daily lives.
You are more than welcome to join this fun cultural experience as well as share what activity you would like to try in the comments below!
Written by Ruta Balzekaite
