음식디미방 표지

Eumsikdmibang is a recipe book which was written by Lady Jang Gye-hyang from a noble Yangban family. She wrote it for her descendents in Yeongyang, Gyeongsangbuk-do province 340 years ago. This book introduces various food recipes, stored, fermented food and food storage tips of a noble family in Gyeongsang region in the mid-and late period of the Joseon Dynasty in the 1600s. Eumsik Dimibang is the first recipe book written by a woman in East Asia, and is the first one in Hangeul as well. Before Eumsik Dimibang, there had been several books on Korean cuisine. However, they had all been written in Chinese and had dealt with the subject very briefly. But, in Eumsik Dimibang Lady Jang Gye-hyang introduced a variety of special recipes which she had herself created herself or which had been handed down from ancient times. This book, including "how to cook flour-based food, Ddeok (rice cake), fish & meats" and "how to brew various alcoholic beverages", is very valuable literature to study and gives us insight into Koreans' dietary living in the mid 17th century.