Hwang Shin-hye visits Anyang Art Park for traditional soybean curd stew

Actress Hwang Shin-hye visited Anyang Art Park to enjoy a soybean curd stew made with Mungyeong beans and old pumpkin. The restaurant has maintained its meticulous four-hour cooking process for 15 years to create the dish.

Actress Hwang Shin-hye visited Anyang Art Park to enjoy a soybean curd stew with a 15-year tradition. In this video reported by TV CHOSUN FOOD, the scenery of Anyang is paired with Hwang Shin-hye's reminiscences and carefully prepared local cuisine.

Memories of Anyang: "There were no rivals"

Meeting amidst the winter scenery of Anyang Art Park, Hwang Shin-hye showed a humble side while reflecting on the past. Having swept cosmetic advertisements immediately upon her debut and being considered one of the top beauties of her era, she remarked, "There were no rivals," while recalling those days. While revealing her status as a brand that dominated an era, she showed a charming side by sharing an episode where she ran into a police station to avoid the stares of male students during her school days.

Deep flavor of soybean curd stew made with Mungyeong beans and old pumpkin

The menu that caught Hwang Shin-hye's attention was a stew combining pork backbone and soybean curd. This restaurant adds depth to the flavor by using beans from the Mungyeong region. In particular, old pumpkin is added to enhance the flavor of the broth. The old pumpkin provides a deep, sweet taste, while the added young zucchini adds a fresh flavor to balance the dish.

The broth is prepared by mixing bean water with water extracted from boiled pork bones. Along with a savory texture where the beans can be felt being chewed, the umami from the thoroughly cooked, tender pork backbone melts into the broth. Hwang Shin-hye expressed satisfaction with the tender texture of the meat while enjoying the meal.

A 15-year commitment to the nature of beans and a meticulous cooking process

The flavor of this establishment comes from the persistence maintained for 15 years since a husband from Sangju, Gyeongsang Province, and a wife from Seosan, Chungcheong Province, settled in Anyang. The process of washing and soaking Mungyeong beans dozens of times is a laborious task, but it is an essential process to bring out the natural flavor of the ingredients.

The cooking method is also meticulous. Because the contents may overflow if worked on outside when grinding and boiling the beans, they undergo a cooking process inside for approximately four hours. As a result of understanding and researching the properties of beans and putting in sincere effort, a stew is completed where the nuttiness of the beans and the savory flavor of the meat harmonize.

Source: TVCHOSUN JOY (YouTube)