Stone-pot rice in Icheon · Photo: by Junho Jung at Flickr from South Korea / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
KoreaGyeonggiIcheon Rice: A Stone-Pot Rice Feast Made With Grain Once Sent to the King
Icheon in Gyeonggi Province is famous for rice sold under the "King's Brand" name, and eating a rice set meal with a table full of side dishes is practically a rule when you visit. Here is the royal-tribute story, why Icheon rice tastes so good, how to eat stone-pot rice, and where to learn about rice.
Rice Said to Have Reached King Seongjong's Table
The "King's Brand" name traces back to a story from the reign of King Seongjong of Joseon. According to a late-15th-century record of an Icheon magistrate's achievements, Seongjong stopped in Icheon on his way back from paying respects at King Sejong's tomb in Yeoju. Rice from Icheon was served at his royal table, and he liked it so much that it was afterwards sent to the court as tribute rice. Parts of the tale are close to legend, but other texts also record Icheon as a famous rice region. The Joseon-era farming text Poji notes that rice grown in Icheon is good, and the geography Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam describes Icheon as a renowned rice district that offered the king jachae rice prized for its flavour. This tribute story became the root of the Icheon rice brand today.
Why Icheon Rice Tastes So Good
Icheon City credits its land and climate. Icheon sits in a basin in the middle of the peninsula, with plenty of sunshine and rain, big seasonal and day-night temperature swings, and strong sunlight while the grain ripens. Abundant groundwater and soil rich in clay that holds nutrients well are also cited as ideal for rice farming. Variety control is strict too. Farmers focus on varieties with translucent grains that turn glossy when cooked, and local cooperatives and rice processing centres buy the harvest jointly and manage drying, storage, milling and distribution. The "King's Brand" label was first used in 1993, and in 2005 Icheon rice became the first rice to receive geographical indication status. People often say freshly cooked Icheon rice tastes sweet even with no side dishes at all.
The Icheon Rice Set Meal: A Table Full of Side Dishes
In Icheon, eating a "rice set meal" or "stone-pot rice set meal" at a rice restaurant is a travellers' classic. When you order, Icheon rice is cooked fresh in an individual stone pot, and meanwhile the table fills with side dishes such as seasoned greens, savoury pancakes, grilled fish, bulgogi and stew. Some places add specialties like soy-marinated crab or bossam (boiled pork), so prices vary widely. Since the rice is the star, try a spoonful on its own before touching the side dishes. Rice fresh from the stone pot is glossy, with every grain intact, and you will understand at once why a set meal built around rice itself exists. When you finish, the crust stuck to the bottom of the pot becomes a treat of its own.
How to Eat Stone-Pot Rice and Nurungji
When the stone pot arrives, the trick is to move all the rice into the empty bowl right away. Then pour warm water into the hot pot and put the lid on. The crust on the bottom softens into nurungji and turns the water into sungnyung, a toasty rice tea. Eating this nurungji and sungnyung at the end of the meal is how an Icheon rice set meal is finished. Sometimes staff pour the water for you, so just follow their lead. The stone pot is extremely hot, so be careful not to touch it and use the rice paddle to transfer the rice. Side dishes are usually refilled, but specialty dishes often cost extra. Many rice restaurants also sell bags of Icheon rice, and plenty of visitors buy some as a souvenir if they liked the taste.
Where to Eat and Where to Learn About Rice
Icheon's rice restaurants are scattered around the city, including the Saeum-dong area and Sindun-myeon. Sindun-myeon is home to a ceramics village, so it is a good place to combine pottery browsing with a rice meal. Most places are easiest to reach by car, so if you are using public transport, take a taxi from Icheon Station or Sindundoyechon Station on the Gyeonggang Line. To learn more about rice, visit the Rice Culture Exhibition Hall inside Icheon Agricultural Theme Park in Moga-myeon. You can try old farming tasks such as threshing, pounding grain in a mortar and winnowing, and there is an on-the-spot milling experience too. It is open 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from April to October and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter, closed Mondays. The Icheon Rice Cultural Festival is held every autumn; this year it took place in mid-October and has already ended.