Leading Kimchi Brand Connects Traditions of Fermentation to Fruit and Vegetable Preservation Partnering with Seed Savers Exchange, Chef Kristen Kish and NYC's Dirt Candy
HACKENSACK, N.J., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jongga, the No. 1 Kimchi brand in Korea, today launched its multi-faceted Generation Preservation campaign focused on raising awareness of biodiversity, how our favorite vegetables and fruits that we take for granted are more fragile, and how we, as a community, can keep them robust for generations to come. In creating this purpose-driven campaign, Jongga connects the Korean tradition of making kimchi – with fermentation at its core – with a more universal call to preserve the fruits and vegetables we enjoy every day.
In fact, fermentation originated as a tool by which communities could preserve the food they grow, critical during the long winter months, times of conflict or drought and famine. Before pickling, fermenting and canning became trendy, these were life-sustaining measures, aimed at extending the life of our food supply, making a little go a long way.
"Kimchi is an iconic representation of fermented foods that have become very popular – not just at Jongga or in Korean culture, but across the world," said Jennifer Lee, Head of Global Business Unit, Daesang, representing Jongga. "In fact, Jongga Kimchi is made from a variety of vegetables including cabbage, garlic, onion and leak. When we found out the alarming statistic that 95% of all cabbage varieties that existed in the early 1900s are now gone, we immediately knew that as a plant-forward kimchi brand, we needed to raise awareness around the importance of preserving plant biodiversity, so that generations to come needn't worry about losing their favorite vegetables."
To help add deep expertise to the conversation and bring biodiversity to the forefront, Jongga has partnered with Seed Savers Exchange, a Decorah, Iowa-based non-profit that preserves heirloom plant varieties through growing, saving, and sharing seeds and plants. The organization, founded nearly a half century ago, estimates many hundreds of varieties of vegetables, once widely available as seed and produce, have disappeared. According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, in the last century, the world has lost 75% of its edible plant varieties.
"A lack of biodiversity can leave food production vulnerable to stress events – such as outbreaks of disease, pests, and climate change – which ultimately could impact the fruits and vegetables available to future generations," said Sara Straate, seed historian at Seed Savers Exchange. "Increasing biodiversity is at the heart of our work, and the more people we can engage in becoming long-term seed stewards in their home, market, and community gardens, the greater the opportunity these varieties have to adapt to ever-changing environmental pressures."
Other activities aimed at spreading awareness for this mission include Jongga's dinner event series called (P)reserve a Table at New York City's iconic vegetarian restaurant Dirt Candy. The two-night experience will be free to consumers (on a first reserved, first served basis), who will enjoy a custom, one-of-a-kind five-course tasting menu created by Chef Amanda Cohen, highlighting Jongga Kimchi alongside a carefully curated collection of heirloom vegetables and fruits. To book a reservation, guests can visit resy.com/cities/ny/dirt-candy.
Jongga has also enlisted chef, tv personality and author Kristen Kish, whose Korean background and inventive culinary craft are famous the world over. Kish will help generate even more awareness of this mission and the delicious versatility that kimchi provides.
As this is a global issue, Jongga is also activating the campaign in the United Kingdom, with Garden Organic serving as that country's charitable partner, and London's hot new restaurant Apricity hosting their (P)reserve a Table activation.
About Jongga In Korean tradition, recipes are passed down from generation to generation; this strong tradition is called 'Jongga'. As the first brand to commercialize packaged Kimchi globally, Jongga has been the No.1 Kimchi brand in Korea since 1987. With its continuous innovation, Jongga has released a variety of plant-forward, gluten-free, probiotic-rich Kimchi products for different global consumer lifestyles – vegan, halal, and kosher – so that Kimchi can be enjoyed by everyone in the world. Visit www.jonggaglobal.com for more information.
About Daesang Corporation Founded in 1956, Daesang Corporation has been one of the world's largest producers of fermented food products for over 60 years, and has grown to be the global leading Korean based food company by operating global brands such as Jongga, and O'Food, which provides sauce, ready-to-eat meals, and many more products. Headquartered in South Korea, the company has also manufacturing subsidiaries in United States, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Visit www.daesang.com/en for more information.
About Seed Savers Exchange Since 1975, Seed Savers Exchange has protected the biodiversity of our food system—and our planet—by preserving rare, heirloom, and open-pollinated varieties of seeds in our seed bank at Heritage Farm and encouraging gardeners and farmers worldwide to grow, harvest, and share heirloom seeds as well as recount the inspirational stories behind them.
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