KOREA FOUNDATION

REVIEW

AKF 5th Team Mission, ASEAN Dessert Truck

On October 1 and 2, the fifth 2021 ASEAN-Korea Futurist team operated their “ASEAN Dessert Truck.” The purpose of the food truck event was to offer desserts from ASEAN countries to Koreans and foreign residents of Korea to give them the sense of having “traveled” to an ASEAN country amid ongoing travel bans caused by COVID-19. The food truck featured some of the most famous desserts of ASEAN, including martabak manis from Indonesia, kaya toast from Singapore, teh tarik from Malaysia, cafe sua da from Viet Nam, and nam wan from Lao PDR. These were offered alongside various events, including traditional ASEAN games, a roulette giveaway event, a ppopki game (Korean-style lottery), and putting stickers on the name of an ASEAN country that they wish to visit.

The food truck went beyond simply introducing the foods of individual ASEAN countries, giving visitors the chance to taste these desserts while enjoying the cultural elements that are associated with them. The two-day event turned out to be a special experience not only for visitors but for the members of the fifth AKF team as well. In particular, AKF participants noted that, while it wasn’t easy learning to make desserts from ASEAN countries and explain them to visitors with little background on Southeast Asia, the food truck strengthened their team bond and made them more knowledgeable about ASEAN countries.

The food truck event was held in various parts of Busan, including in front of Busan Multicultural International School, Busan University of Foreign Studies, and Youth Jakdangso. Visitors were able to experience ASEAN culture safely through the food truck’s takeout-only policy. The COVID-19 social distancing regulations designated by the Korean government were strictly adhered to on both days.