This study will introduce the foods recorded in Gyemiseo and disclose the substantive characteristics of traditional Korean food in the early stage of the Joseon Dynasty. Gyemiseo is a cook book manuscript written in the Chinese language that was rebound into book format at the end of the Joseon Dynasty in 1911, some 358 years after it was originally written in the 163rd year of the Joseon Dynasty (1554) While the majority of cook books begin with recipes for various types of wines and liquor followed by those for fermented sauces, fermented vegetables (such as kimchi), vinegars and storage methods, etc., Gyemiseo begins with recipes for fermented sauces, followed by recipes for various kimchis, how to make vinegars, main meals, side dishes, rice cakes and confectionaries, with recipes for wines and liquor introduced last. Therefore, it can be assumed that the methods of brewing wines and liquors were additionally recorded for bookbinding. There are a total of 128 recipes recorded in Gyemiseo, including 13 for fermented sauces, 14 for kimchi, 11 for the main meal, 26 for side dishes, three storage methods, four for rice cakes and confectionaries, and 44 for wines and liquors. It is believed that contents of Gyemiseo will provide a foundation on which to pursue researches on the process of transition of cooking methods of traditional cuisines of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty.

The aim of this study was to review Byung-Kwa-Ryu recipes in old cookbooks of the head & noble family (Jong-Ga). As for details and classification, we examined the materials and recipes of Byung-Kwa-Ryu. To accomplish this, old cookbooks of the head & noble family (「Soowoonjabbang」,「Eumsikdimibang」,「Onjubub」, and「Jusiksiui」) were reviewed. The introduced Byung-Kwa-Ryu recipes numbered 47 total; four from「Soowoonjabbang」, 18 from「Eumsikdimibang」, nine from「Onjubub」, and 16 from「Jusiksiui」. We classified the foods (Byung-Kwa_Ryu) into two categories, Tteok-Ryu (Korean rice cake) and Kwa-Jung-Ryu (Korean traditional cookie), on the basis of previous studies. These were further classified into 11 categories: Tteok-Ryu (Jjin-tteok, Salmeun-tteok, Chin-tteok, Jijin-tteok), Kwa-Jung-Ryu (Yumilkwa, Yukwa, Jeongkwa, Dasik, Kwapyun, Dang (Yeot), and others. The most common Byung-Kwa-Ryu type was Jjin-tteok in Tteok-Ryu (14). The next most common Byung-Kwa-Ryu types were Yukwa in Kwa-Jung-Ryu (6) and Yumilkwa in Kwa-Jung-Ryu (5).