The Healing Properties of South Korea’s Bamboo Salt
87 Video Views·May 31, 2023
In South Korea, bamboo salt is as ubiquitous as the table variety, except it’s considered a form of medicine used to combat disease, indigestion and pain. One of the country’s most trusted forms of bamboo salt was invented by famed medicine man, Dr. Kim Ilhoon, who patented a top-secret, 1,300-day long process to create the highest quality version of the stuff. Now, he’s handed down his practice to his son, Kim Yoonse, who has carried on his father’s legacy by establishing Insanga, a company distributing bamboo salt throughout South Korea and beyond.
For centuries, Koreans have believed
in the medicinal properties of a folk remedy called ju-gyeom,
or in English, bamboo salt.
Bamboo salt is ubiquitous in South Korea.
It is made by repeatedly roasting salt in stalks of bamboo.
Its adherents claim it combats disease,
indigestion, and pain.
But what's certain is it's not easy to make.
The definitive method was fashioned in the early 20th century
by a famed medicine man named Kim Il-hun.
Near the end of Kim Il-hun's life,
his son, Kim Yun-se, established a bamboo salt company
that preserved and industrialized
the family's salt-making method.
For Kim, the three-year process is worth every minute.
Producing it is a way to honor
both this uniquely Korean remedy and his father's legacy.