• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.135-144
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• 2013

This study sought to identify unique semiotic codes of Korean cuisine, including table settings, service styles, service ware selection, cooking techniques, and the logic behind menu composition. This research also aimed to verify that yangnyomjang reflects the code of Korean food culture. One of key findings from this study was that hidden codes of Korean food were found in their daily set-up for bapsang (dining table), which was found to decodify polysemic characteristics with an emphasis on harmony. These semiotic codes were influenced by the yin and yang philosophy and impact dining activities in our daily lives. Korean bapsang, composed of bap (rice), guk (soup) and banchan (side dishes), helps every individual diner share the semiotic codes of Korean cuisine within the context of paradigm and syntagm. Yangnyomjang, a major component of the Korean menu, also represents a unique code of Korean cuisine in its structure, main ingredients, production, and usage. This study also mathematically verified that a synchronic table setting of Korean cuisine provides diners with more opportunities for potential flavor combinations, compared to the Western service setting.