North Korea’s Kim to be served Swiss rösti at inter-Korean summit

North Korea’s Kim to be served Swiss rösti at inter-Korean summit

Although an upcoming inter-Korean summit will have far-reaching political implications, it will also be an opportunity to find out what foods are most enjoyed by North Korea's Kim Jong-un and South Korea's Moon Jae-in.

Kim Jong-un’s time in Switzerland left him with a taste for Swiss food. (Reuters pic)
SEOUL:
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will be served Swiss rösti with a Korean twist at a summit on Friday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the South’s presidential Blue House said on Tuesday.

The fried potato dish was chosen as an homage to Kim’s childhood spent in Switzerland, the Blue House said in announcing the menu for Friday’s welcome dinner.

Baked John Dory, a dish made from the flat sea fish, will be served as a nod to Moon’s younger days in the South Korean port city of Busan.

North Korea has never confirmed Kim Jong-un was educated in Switzerland, but former classmates and teachers have said they spent time with him there. Swiss newspapers have also reported Kim went to school under a pseudonym in Switzerland.

Another item on the menu will be naengmyeon, cold noodles served in a chilled meat broth.

“President Moon had requested Pyongyang-style cold noodles from Okryu Gwan be included on the menu and North Korea gladly accepted,” said Kim Eui-kyeom, the Blue House spokesman.

Okryu Gwan is North Korea’s best-known restaurant famous for the dish. It has branches in China as well.

The cold noodles will be made by the head chef at Okryu Gwan, who will travel to the truce border village of Panmunjom where the two leaders will meet on Friday, the Blue House spokesman said.

Kim and Moon can wash down their meal with a fragrant wine made from azaleas.

Also on their table will be a distilled liquor known as munbaeju that is 40% alcohol by volume and which originated in the North, but is now traditionally made in the South.

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