From Barcelona to New York: a chef’s culinary journey
Korean plant-based fermentation and plant-rich cuisine
When I initially arranged an interview with chef Jaume Biarnes at Yondu Culinary Studio at South Street Seaport, I expected a brief conversation of about 45 minutes. To my surprise, our engaging discussion lasted nearly two hours, leaving me with a growing list of questions and an insatiable curiosity.
Chef Jaume, with over 25 years of experience in the food industry, is a passionate sharer of knowledge and a pioneer in culinary research and development, with a particular focus on health and sustainability. His culinary journey began in his hometown of Barcelona, where he honed his skills in various restaurants. He then spent five transformative years at the renowned El Bulli restaurant under chef Ferran Adria. Starting as head chef, he eventually became a key figure in the creative department, leading the development of innovative culinary techniques.
Following his gastronomic experience, chef Jaume deliberately moved towards community projects. He joined the Alicia Foundation, an independent, nonprofit culinary and research lab, as culinary director. In this role, he led a multidisciplinary team of chefs and scientists, collaborating on projects tailored to local communities, with a strong focus on health and sustainability since 2005.
Throughout his illustrious career, Chef Jaume has led culinary R&D initiatives in collaboration with universities, businesses and research centers globally. He also contributed as a contributing author to numerous technical publications and the elBulli Restaurant Books (1994-2005).
Today, Chef Jaume is the director of Yondu Culinary Studio in New York, a culinary space dedicated to promoting the fermentation of Korean vegetables and promoting a healthy, plant-rich diet. At the base is the flagship, Yondu Vegetable umami.
During our conversation, I touched on topics centered around how chefs can take inspiration from diverse global cuisines and enhance the flavors of plant-based dishes.
Chef Jaume, could you briefly explain how Yondu Culinary Studio promotes Korean vegetable fermentation and your role?
The Yondu Culinary Studio is a test kitchen as well as an event space. We develop new plant-based recipes using Korean fermented ingredients and host events centered around cooking delicious vegetables. Our goal is to share knowledge of Korean soy fermentation with American chefs to broaden their taste horizons. I work on developing new products, creating new recipes and coordinating culinary events.
A new national survey, Consumer Curiosity Report, showed that consumers are looking for flavor-packed, globally influenced plant-based meals and are hungry for new ways to prepare vegetables. How can chefs satisfy this consumer desire?
I think the main challenge for chefs these days is to create vegetarian dishes that are both delicious and healthy. It’s difficult to create flavor without animal proteins and without trying to control salt, sugar and fat.
As consumers, we all struggle with what we know is good for us and what we actually want. As a leader, I have to find ways to satisfy both things.
I discovered Korean fermented soy products 10 years ago and realized they could be a very valuable tool for balancing consumer needs. These products are packed with umami flavors and lend remarkable depth to any dish, but they’re not overwhelming and can be used in many styles of cooking, across borders.
What is the biggest challenge in plant-based cooking and how can chefs overcome it?
Flavor. We all know we need to serve more vegetables, but the reality is that in many cases they don’t sell very well. As chefs, we must adapt to consumer demands, but we must always go further. Today, that breakthrough is creating delicious vegetable dishes. But for these dishes to be commercially successful, we need to figure out how to create flavor without falling for the good old tricks of adding sugar, fat or too much spice. We want to respect the flavor of vegetables as we respect the flavor of good beef or delicate fish.
This is the challenge we face collectively and individually today. How to create indigenous plant-based cuisine that highlights plant flavors and sells well. In my opinion, we need to move forward and move beyond the initial phase of imitating meat proteins. We need tasty indigenous vegetable cuisine.
One of the pleasures of Korean cuisine is banchan, the serving of small vegetable side dishes, arranged in the middle of the table for sharing. During our conversation, you mentioned that traditional American side dishes could be more exciting with a Korean flavor. Could you please explain?
What’s more interesting to me about small Korean side dishes is that customers can choose how to combine them on the table. With so many different elements on the table, the combinations of flavors and textures are endless, making the meal much more exciting. In a way, I feel like in a Korean restaurant, the customer “cooks” at the table because they decide how to combine the different flavors and textures based on each person’s preferences.
In Western cuisines, we have had a very rigid structure, centered on the piece of animal protein. We spend so much effort on the quality of animal proteins that we often don’t have time to think about side dishes. In my opinion, vegetable accompaniments are just as important. Even at a steak house, a good combination of crisp, fresh and interesting vegetables can not only make the meal more interesting and fun, but can also make the steak taste even better. When enjoying a nice piece of meat, I prefer crunchy, garlicky, slightly umami broccoli to cleanse my palate over mushy spinach soaked in creamy cream.
I think we can take inspiration from Korean side dishes and their secret flavor: fermented soy ingredients, soy sauce, soy paste, chili paste, etc.
For 20 years, Sempio, the manufacturer of Yondu, has focused on selling to Koreans. Their goal now is to transition into traditional catering and retail under your leadership. How do you and your team achieve this goal?
We focus on quality above all. Sempio products have a superior flavor profile. They are all gluten-free and clean label. American consumers, especially chefs, are well informed and seek quality ingredients. Sempio is South Korea’s oldest food brand. This family business has mastered the art of soy fermentation for over 75 years. This is the benchmark and gold standard for Korean ingredients and we market these products unaltered to the US market.
According to our experience, the best way to win people’s hearts is to try the products. When it comes to chefs, it’s usually very simple because chefs have an eye for quality. In retail, we need to do more education, because even with the hype around Korean food – and Korean culture in general – people are still confused by the myriad of different ingredients with long names and difficult to remember. However, it is only a matter of time. I’m convinced that, like many other products before, from balsamic vinegar to soy sauce, Korean ingredients are destined to become part of our growing flavor toolbox.
Learn more about Yondu Vegetable Umami at Yondu Official site.
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Maple Glazed Vegetables and Spicy Chimichurri
A mixture of chili and coriander that will spice up your vegetables
By Yondu Culinary Studio
Total duration: 60 minutes
For 4 people
Yondu Effect: Spicy and umami
Recipe Benefits: Delicious Holiday Side Dish
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs mixed fall vegetables, peeled and cut (carrot, turnip, parsnip, cabbage, mini potato, Brussels sprouts)
- 2 tbsp. Yondu umami sauce
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
For the spicy chimichurri:
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tbsp. Yondu umami sauce
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon spicy Yondu
- Preheat the oven to 400F. On a baking sheet, mix the vegetables with the olive oil and Yondu.
- After about 20 minutes, add the maple syrup to the vegetables and stir well. Continue cooking for another 20 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
- Meanwhile, prepare the spicy chimichurri by combining all the chimichurri ingredients in a bowl.
- Serve the maple-glazed vegetables drizzled with sauce or as a side dish.
Notes/tips:
Adjust your preferred heat/spice level at the last minute by adding a few extra drops of Yondu Spicy.
