S2024-G033
Local Specialties and Everyday Taste
Narrative
Gwangju’s food culture is shaped not only by celebrated local specialties, but also by tastes woven into everyday life. From long-standing neighborhood bakeries to agricultural products rooted in the natural environment of Mudeungsan Mountain, these foods reflect how place, people, and daily practice come together.
Local bakeries such as Gungjeon Bakery and Verviers represent the city’s modern culinary identity. Built over decades by individual bakers and artisans, their signature breads and pastries have become familiar tastes for residents while also symbolizing Gwangju’s distinctive approach to confectionery culture.
At the same time, the specialties of Mudeungsan Mountain tell a longer story shaped by nature and tradition. Products such as Mudeungsan Watermelon and Chunseol Tea embody the mountain’s soil, climate, and the labor of those who cultivated them. Their presence in poetry, ritual offerings, and agricultural education reveals how food carries cultural memory beyond the act of eating.
Together, these everyday tastes and local specialties form a layered portrait of Gwangju, where food serves as both a reflection of daily life and a record of regional history.
Story Map
