Take a road trip to see Korea's southern gems

IF YOUR exposure to Korean food has been limited to what's on either side of the Han River in Seoul, BT Weekend magazine invites you on a road trip down South, for an eye-opening journey to discover the heart of the country's traditional cuisine. In Friday's issue, we head to the province of Jeollanam-do, which is to South Korea what Provence is to France, and Naples to Italy. Blessed with warm summers, mild winters and terroir just brimming with nutrition, Jeollanam-do is home to some of the country's most bountiful produce.

One of the first stops is Jangheung county, which is not-to-be-missed for its speciality treat of samhap - a delicious combination of marbled beef, shiitake mushroom and pen shell clam, the all-star products from the county's rich mountains, forests, rivers and sea. That's not all. You can literally eat your way through the region, with its plentiful fresh seaweed, abalone, octopus and dried croaker - a prized delicacy for the Koreans.

With such cherished ingredients also making their appearance in fine-dining restaurants in Seoul, we move to Taipei, where a growing number of chefs are also spearheading the locavore movement - putting the country's home-grown produce in the spotlight.