Also called Chusok and Hangawi, the Korean Harvest Festival is similar in spirit to Thanksgiving, but with less football and much more garlic.
Black garlic, in this instance, the product of fermentation that neutralizes the garlic's pungency and gives it a slightly sour, prunelike flavor. These cloves were set out as samples to entice purchases by home cooks; black garlic didn't figure in any of the straightforward fare available at the festival.
In addition to the black-garlic stall, a pavilion of large tents was managed by supermarket chain Han Ah Reum; another small stall was pulling and packaging the Korean equivalent of dragon beard candy. The hot-food options however, were less plentiful and less varied than at previous Korean festivals. Most of the photos below (mouse over the photos for descriptions) were taken on a single afternoon several years ago, when this event was held in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. This year, on Randall's Island, one could enjoy bulgogi on a taco rather than a hotdog, but grilled quail and grilled fish, as well as savory pancakes and sikhye, were nowhere to be seen.
Korean Harvest Festival
Randall's Island Park (near Icahn Stadium), Manhattan
www.RandallsIsland.org/news-events/event-calendar?cgid=1&ceid=27
(The 2013 festival was held on October 12 and 13)
