[Hang on] Korea's bakery master, Ham Sang Hoon, "On Christmas, I'll have a mousse cake and melted cookies".

■ Broadcast: YTN Radio FM 94.5 (20:20-21:00)
■ Date: December 22, 2024 (Sunday)
■ Proceedings: Professor Lee Seong-gyu
■ Dabble: Korea's Bakery Masterpiece No. 8 Ham Sang-hoon Masterpiece

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information.

◆ Professor Lee Seong-gyu (hereinafter referred to as Lee Seong-gyu): When I was young, cakes were a food that could only be tasted on special days. a floral decoration on a white buttery cake I also remember the whole family gathering to light candles on the cake and make a wish. The bakery must be busy for the Christmas season. Lee Sung Kyu's happy comma. Hold on. <There's no one like this.> Today, we will talk with the No. 1 Korean bakery master, Ham Sang-hoon. Hello,

◇ Master of Confectionery No. 8 of the Republic of Korea Master of Confectionery Ham Sang-hoon (hereinafter referred to as Ham Sang-hoon): Yes, hello.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: No, from what our writer teacher said, it was really hard to invite him this time. I heard that you made time while you were busy. Thank you.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Thank you for inviting me.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: The master of the Republic of Korea. It started in 1986, and I heard that the first master craftsman was born in the bakery field in 2000. Now, Korea's bakery master, you're No. 8, how many people are there in total?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Seventeen people so far this year.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Yes. Seventeen people. Do you meet them often?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: We meet often because we have a meeting of masters. And since I'm in this industry, I know them all. a relationship between seniors and juniors

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: You're the 8th master, but it's hard to be a master, right? What kind of process do I have to go through?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: It's not just looking at that skill. When I do it, I have more than 20 years of experience in baking, and after that, I will comprehensively evaluate all kinds of social services, patents, and papers, and only the first place in the job will be reviewed, so I will be given the condition to receive on-the-job training due diligence. After that, when I passed the on-site inspection, the interviewer was 16 minutes. And I have to go in alone and pass through there. If about 30% say "NO", they will fail the interview.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Then we have to be in the 70% range. But they must have all the criteria for evaluation.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: I ask a lot of questions. I asked various questions, so what I felt during the interview was that about 80% of the professors were there. Then, there were many people who studied abroad, so I received a lot of questions because I compared foreign and Korean.

◆ What about snacks?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: I take all the questions there, just like snacks and bread. For all the fields of baking.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: But those who have learned in Korea may be a little far from foreign ones.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Yes. Since there's a lot of aid in Europe. The food culture is a little different between Korea and Europe, so there are few things that are 100% the same in Europe. Changes have been made little by little to suit the taste of Korea.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Yes. But he became a master. Then what's the difference?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: The social image of a master has increased considerably now, but when I became a master, there were a lot of people who didn't know him well. For example, when I became a master, I received about 50 orchids or wreaths, but 90% of them asked me if I had opened a store. Even if you write a masterpiece like this. And about 5% said, for example, 'Oh, that's amazing' if I say that Korea's Roaring Currents is the eighth. In addition, 5% of people who were technical or professional knew a little. But now, a master craftsman has a lot of media coverage, so now his image has become high.

◆ When you think of bread, you have to come out early in the morning. Then do you have to move from the morning?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Yes. Bread usually takes about 3 to 4 hours to be completed, so usually early houses have to work from 5 a.m. In our case, we start working at 6:30 these days.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: So all the employees have to come out.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: We all come out and start working around 6:30 p.m.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: So when do you open a store that starts selling snacks or bread that you made that day?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: The store and the factory are attached as soon as they come out, so when you work, even if you don't turn on the lights at the store, if you hear a lot of customers on their way to work in the morning, there are no employees at the store and only people working at the factory before opening, but if you come in and ask for bread, we sell it. As soon as it comes out.

◆ It's a hot bread. Do you go home late in the evening, too?
◇ Ham Sang-hoon: It's 11 o'clock when you get in as soon as possible.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Oh my gosh.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Because bread usually takes four hours, I need to prepare to go to work in the morning before opening, so I prepared a little bit.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Should we consider this a hot time? It's before Christmas. How many cakes do you usually make at this time of the year?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: In our case, we usually sell about 200 to 300 units on the 24th because we produce them on the same day and sell them on the same day.

◆ Is it a cake?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Yes. Usually, franchises can produce all of them and bring them in and make a lot of them. In our case, same-day production and same-day sales are the principle, so I don't think it's possible to make that much.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: So same-day production, same-day sales. It's really hot. What should I do with the leftover if I can't sell it?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Almost all of them are sold. Since it opened almost in 1999, there was no food bank at that time. in the early days So now, when a food bank is created, 100% of it is donated to the food bank. A day has passed. But in the early days of that time, they also donated to nursing homes and nurseries like this. in the early days

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Flower cake. Can this be seen as a signature of a master?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Yes.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: But I think we need to put a lot of effort into that. If you want to make a flower shape like this, it's all handcrafted, right?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Yes. You have to squeeze each and every bite of the petals. To make one rose, you have to have three beats at the same time. So you can't make pretty flowers if the three beats don't match well with the left hand. Flowers can be salty, but it's hard to squeeze those very broad flowers.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: But I think it'll take a long time.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Since we have to squeeze the petals one by one, it takes a lot of time to prepare and function.

◆ How many roses will it take for the cake to go up? In one.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Yes. It's not for a few hours. I always plan it, so it's a bit fast. But when you're fully prepared, it depends on how many roses you put on. For example, in the case of the best bouquet cake No. 2 in my house, I think it takes about 10 minutes to just make flowers.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Yes. But these days, there are pilgrims to famous restaurants and "Bangji Pilgrimage." There are a lot of pilgrims, so will a lot of people come to the master's shop? Do you stand in line?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: I don't think I've ever lined up.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Who do you remember the most among the guests?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Yes. There are a few people who I remember, but the most memorable thing in my head is international students. At first, I didn't know it was an international student. I come here once or twice a year and they buy me a cookie gift set. But once, there are six kinds of cookies in the gift set, and I order one intensively and take it. So I didn't know until then, but once, I didn't even know that he was that student. I didn't know you were an international student, but I got a call from the United States. He came to Korea to give the cookie he bought to the professor. I bought it on my way. The professor is in a seminar in Korea, and I think the most memorable time is when I got a call to be nice to my house because the cookies were delicious.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: But are these cakes and cookies trending, too?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Yes. I think it's very fashionable.

◆ What kind of style is popular these days?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: If you look at the cake, it's more like a mousse cake than a mousse cake or whipped cream. Cookies are ones that melt when they go into your mouth. These things are very popular.

◆ Lee Sung Kyu's happy comma, wait a minute. <There's no one like this.> Today, we are talking with Ham Sang-hoon, the No. 1 flower decorative cake in Korea and the No. 8 Korean bakery master. We need to listen to the song recommended by the master. I heard from our writer that you applied for "All You Need Is Love" sung by Lyndon David Hall in the OST of the movie "Love Actually." By the way, do you like that song?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: My wife likes it more than me. Since today's show is coming out, my wife especially asked me to request this song, so I requested it.

◆ It's a perfect song for the Christmas season, too.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Yes. My wife always works and always opens up in the store. By this time.

◆ Lee Sung Kyu's happy comma, wait a minute. <There's no one like this.> Today, we are with Ham Sang-hoon, the 8th Korean bakery master. Master, there are some smells that make people happy. One of them is the smell of freshly baked bread. Do you like this smell, Master? Still?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: I think I'm always happy. I think I'm always happy because I do what I like and smell bread.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: But since when did you think you would become a baker?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Ever since I was in the countryside. When I was growing up, rice in the countryside was the best in a way. But if there was bread, I didn't eat rice and liked bread. That's why it's hard for my family to graduate from middle school and go to a higher school. I need to learn skills, but I thought I wanted to learn bread. So, I have never chosen a bakery and have never worked in a line other than a bakery. So when I think about it, I think I chose something that suits my aptitude. At that time, I just started because I liked it, but when I think about it these days, I think, 'Oh, I chose something that fits my aptitude so well. ’ I sometimes think like this. When I think about it.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: So it's worth coming to Seoul recklessly when you were 17 years old.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: In a way, there was a little bit of fear at the time. In the countryside, I just lived in a mountain valley in Inje, Gangwon-do, and when I came up to Seoul, I think I came up with half fear and half expectations.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Yes. You said you came up from Gangwon-do, what kind of house did you work for the first time?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: There was a small house on 5th street in Jongno. I don't know if the person who introduced me for the first time was suitable, and there were so many bakeries that woke up at 4 a.m. and did it until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m., so I said, "Try it." ’ So after about a month, I asked if it fits my aptitude and said, 'Oh, I like it very much. Working at a bakery. ’ Then I said, 'If you're going to learn, go to a big house and learn properly. ’ So, he introduced me to Myungbo Confectionery, run by actor Shin Young-kyun. So I started working at Myeongbo Confectionary.

◆ Is it next to Myeongbo Theater?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Yes. It was right next to me.

◆ Is it still there?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: The Myungbo Confectionary Department is gone. I don't know now, but not too long ago, I think I demolished the Myeongbo Jegwa and Myeongbo Theater, and only the Myungbo Theater remained.

◆ Does the master have a teacher then?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: I was in the Myungbo Confectionery Division first, and Chairman Shin Young-kyun called the first confectionery master, Park Chan-hoe, the chairman at that time, but I think the purpose of the chairman scouting and opening his eyes to technology and why he should make bread.
◆ Lee Seong-gyu: The master. You must have practiced countless times to implement this flower decoration technique in your own way. How long have you practiced?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: After work, I do it alone at night for more than a month without anyone knowing, and then I gradually draw a cake. So I practiced almost all night for more than a month, so it wasn't as good as it is now, but I think I kept on improving as I did with it.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: But why did you think that you have to make a flower decoration like this in three dimensions?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: People in Korea like roses the most. Among the flowers. And I personally think that roses are the hardest in baking, and I also tell my juniors. That's why I think I insist on roses.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Yes. Then you decided to open your own store.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Yes. There's something I'm a little disappointed about. What I always say when I go to my juniors' lectures, it's very good to give preference to engineers in Europe or Japan. Before I opened it, the industry started quite late. Very late. So if I don't do business, if I don't make money, I think my country is on the low side, so I have no choice but to start a business. Even now, when I was giving a lecture to my juniors, I said, 'If it were Japan or Europe, I would probably have not done business and would still remain an engineer. ’ I often say that.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: But after sending in the store, let's get investments in the 2nd and 3rd stores and pay for this. ’ Or let's open a bakery cafe. ’ Did you have any suggestions like this?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: There were a lot. Can I give you one example? It's a province, but in the case of Wonju, this is about three years ago. The real acreage is 100 pyeong, and when I come, I sign a two-year contract, and then there is no deposit or anything like that. I can sell it or fold it after two years. After that, I just need to pay the maintenance fee, and when I come, they provide all the places and give me 450 million won in cash. So I didn't even go for such a proposal.

◆ Lee Sung-gyu: But why do you insist on doing it alone like that?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: First, the biggest concern among the various concerns before going. If you go down there, you have to go all-in there. At that time, I taught five schools called Myeongjang Gongbang in a specialized high school. Then I think that I might not be good at class at all. Also, the reason why I go to that master workshop five schools at a time is that I started working at that age, so I thought it would be a great reward for my life if I could give even one dream and hope to my students. Rather, I think it was more rewarding to go to school and teach students like this.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Don't you have any occupational diseases?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: There are a lot of people who start out with occupational diseases and give up because their legs hurt. And I think there are the most people who have back pain. So I think the most people gave up in the middle because of back pain. For those who start for the first time, the soles of their feet and calves are very tense.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: The soles of the feet.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: So in the first stage, there are the most people who give up.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: But how did the master overcome that?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: I don't think I felt anything like that because I thought about learning bread from the beginning. So, it can be said that he went into the Myeongbo Confectionery and rolled his little hair in a way. I swept the floor like this, so I remember that the seniors were so pretty because they were good at work, so I learned it a little faster.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: But I think the master has a principle or something like, 'I will keep this.'

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Yes. I think the principles should be followed thoroughly. That's the basic, then the standard. You can do this as much as you want with a little trick. There are many ways to do it quickly, but I keep it thoroughly because I think the original principles I present should be kept the same.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Basic.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Basic, standard.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Christmas is coming soon, and many people will eat cakes and snacks made by the master. What are you going to do on Christmas?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: At Christmas, I think I was just focused on making cakes without ever thinking about my wife or family. So I think the 24th and 25th were just thinking about how many cakes I would make.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: That's also a principle. Netflix cooking contest programs are popular these days. Are there any stories about "Black and White Bakers"?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: I've never heard of that. if there is a suggestion Now that I think about it, I think it would be better to give opportunities for juniors.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Why?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Because can I say this? I rejected SBS's "Master of Life" three times. I've rejected it three times and reviewed it twice. One time, before Christmas, at a cake competition, a master of life. There was also a contest to make bread and judged twice. That's why the artist filmed the products we make at home. I asked them to do it, but I didn't want it that much, so I turned down a master of life exactly three times.

◆ Is it also a principle not to go out and show it like that?

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: When you go out, sales do well if you go to the media. But then I think it's better to just do it modestly because there are difficulties in making products and I don't think I can do it with all my heart.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Yes. Lastly, please say something to those who dream of becoming a baker like the master.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: The most important thing is unceasing passion. And you have to work harder than others. Then, if I don't have persistence, I give up in the middle and I talk about those three most intensively.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: <There's no one like this.> Today, we talked with Ham Sang-hoon, the 8th Korean bakery master. Thank you for the nice words.

◇ Ham Sang-hoon: Thank you.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: <There's no one like this.>You can listen to it again through the YTN radio website and YouTube.