Edward Lee introduces soybean paste stew made with domestic soybeans.

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Yoon-gu = The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Korea Food Promotion Institute, and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, together with Chef Edward Lee, held a "Learn to Cook with Beans" event at the Han-sik Munhwa Gonggan Ium on the 8th. This event was planned to raise consumer interest in domestic beans through a demonstration by a famous chef. Edward Lee, the runner-up of Netflix's "The Black Cook," made a strong impression by showcasing various dishes made from tofu and was the overall chef for the welcome banquet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Gyeongju last month. At the event, he presented dishes he had developed using domestic soybean paste. Beans are a representative item of plant-based protein rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber and are widely used. In particular, domestic beans grown in South Korea contribute to strengthening food security and have lower carbon emissions due to the short transportation distance between the production and consumption areas, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. However, there is concern about an oversupply of domestic beans due to the recent government's direct payment policy, which has significantly increased the cultivation area. An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, "We will continue to promote various recipes and expand support to increase the variety of processed domestic bean products available for consumers to choose from." ykim@yna.co.kr