SUWON — The Gyeonggi Tourism Organization is launching "Bapsim Week," a hands-on local travel program built around Gyeonggi rice, one of Gyeonggi Province's signature agricultural products.
The program runs on three Saturdays from the 17th to the 31st as part of "Weekends in Gyeonggi," the organization's local travel brand, the organization said on the 15th.
Bapsim Week reframes rice, the most familiar food in daily life, as travel content. Participants do more than taste Gyeonggi rice: they meet growers, sample cooked rice by variety and try their hand at cooking it, experiencing the regional stories and food culture behind a single bowl.
The centerpiece is a Gyeonggi rice tasting led by a rice sommelier. Participants compare rice cooked from four Gyeonggi varieties — Chamdream from Paju, Suhyangmi from Hwaseong, Alchanmi from Icheon and Jinsangmi from Yeoju — examining differences in flavor, aroma and texture. The session gives them a chance to taste rice they usually eat without a second thought and to find the variety that suits them.
Participants also learn how to cook rice well from the sommelier. They eat the rice they cook themselves alongside side dishes prepared by a rural experience village in Icheon, learning how to bring out the qualities of Gyeonggi rice at their own tables.
Each session has its own featured activities. In the first session on the 17th, participants meet farmer Kyung Kyu-seung of Yeoju's "Naega Nongbu" to hear about how Gyeonggi rice is grown and milled. Rice sommelier Ham Seung-il then leads a tasting of the four varieties and a rice-cooking class, followed by a visit to the five-day market at Icheon's Gwango Traditional Market to sample local food and market culture.
In the second session on the 24th, rice sommelier Shin Jong-chan of "Wonee Ssalbap" introduces the characteristics of each Gyeonggi rice variety. Participants also take part in a "make your own rice blend" activity, combining varieties to match their own preferences.
The third session on the 31st is for foreign participants. Led by Ham, it centers on tasting Gyeonggi rice and cooking it to experience Korea's rice culture and the appeal of Gyeonggi rice.
The itinerary also includes tasting Icheon rice cream bread at "Cafe Heungmanso," a local business in Icheon, and viewing a range of rice bowls at Yesspark, the Icheon Ceramic Art Village. The program is designed so that rice serves as a thread connecting the region's cuisine, culture and industry.
Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization plan to add two encore tours under "Weekends in Gyeonggi" in mid-November, separate from the existing 17 programs. One session each of the Gyeonggi rice culinary tour "Bapsim Week" and the Yeoju ceramics tour "Soso Week" will be offered, with details on schedules and how to apply available on the official website.
"We want to reinterpret the taste and value of Gyeonggi rice as tourism content and offer hands-on travel that connects local growers with local businesses," an official at the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization said. "We hope participants come away feeling that a bowl of rice they eat every day can become a special journey."