In the first episode of T cast E Channel's 'Student Study Abroad', the first destination of the 'food experts' triplet Ryu Soo-young, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Gi-hyun in Porto, Portugal, was revealed. The triplet was treated to 'Porto cuisine' by the 'master of regular meals' in Porto and reciprocated with the newly created local recipe 'Ryu Soo-young's dish', featuring pork and clam in a thick doenjang sauce.

In the first episode of T cast E Channel's 'Student Study Abroad' aired on 17th (Saturday), before Ryu Soo-young, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Gi-hyun embarked on their cooking study abroad, they checked each other's chemistry. Ryu Soo-young prepared 'butter mentaiko pasta' with a kick of mayonnaise, making everyone's mouth water. Yoon Kyung-ho, who tasted Ryu Soo-young's cooking for the first time, noted, "Isn’t there a taste that you imagined from Ryu Soo-young's recipe? It went beyond my imagination."

The rules for the culinary study abroad destination were also revealed. Ryu Soo-young, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Gi-hyun were informed by the production team that they must eat at least one meal of the local cuisine, learn at least one representative recipe, and complete at least one 'study abroad recipe' each. There was even a rule stating, 'If I cannot complete my own study abroad recipe, I cannot return home,' which created a sense of tension.

Meanwhile, Yoon Kyung-ho went home and reviewed the 'butter mentaiko pasta' recipe. His daughter, who appeared unexpectedly, remarked, "Dad, you don’t have to be perfect. That’s your charm." However, Yoon Kyung-ho's homemade pasta received a shocking evaluation, saying, "It tastes like a store-bought one. But it’s not my taste," which brought laughter.

Finally arriving in Porto, a historic port city in Portugal, as their first culinary study abroad destination, Ryu Soo-young, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Gi-hyun headed to the home of the 'master of Porto cuisine' early in the morning. The elegant woman who has upheld traditional cooking methods, Elena, served the triplet a seafood rice dish made with tomatoes and various seafood as their first meal. Gi-hyun expressed his amazement, saying, "I can’t believe it tastes like this halfway across the world." Afterward, Gi-hyun tasted pork and clam stir-fry served in a traditional pot called 'cataplana', which has a similarly shaped halved lid, and described it as "a blend of braised meat and meat skewers," immediately finding a familiar taste.

Additionally, everyday yet diverse meals from Porto were introduced, including a stew made with beef entrails called 'tripa.' Yoon Kyung-ho was surprised noting that the 'tripa' with spicy chorizo tasted like budae jjigae (army stew). In response, Ryu Soo-young, who began to analyze the recipe closely, explained, "That’s because of the beans that are used in it," identifying the baked beans and the strongly flavored pork sausage called 'salchichón' as flavor cues.

Having received the food, Ryu Soo-young said, "I’d like to make some side dishes," and got up from his seat. Since he received Porto cuisine, he wanted Elena to experience the taste of Korean food, so he began searching for soy sauce and doenjang (fermented soybean paste). At that moment, 'Kyung-ho-mong' Yoon Kyung-ho appeared as a savior, pulling out various seasoning kits from his bag.

Inspired by the cataplana he was served, Ryu Soo-young tossed in some pork and clams, creating a 'Ryu Soo-young's dish' consisting of pork and clam in a thick doenjang sauce seasoned with clam, doenjang, and paprika powder. He implemented the taste of Korean food locally using basic ingredients like garlic and onions, along with doenjang flown in from Korea and paprika powder as a substitute for gochugaru (red pepper powder). Moreover, Ryu Soo-young added a final touch with 'kolrabi pickles' instead of 'ssam mu' (pickled radish), achieving the perfect balance of sourness. Elena, the 'master of Porto cuisine', praised him saying, "I’ll take this home to share with my family," and gave a heartfelt review, stating that it was really delicious when paired with wine.

Meanwhile, Ryu Soo-young, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Gi-hyun were shocked to taste the 'tongue dish' made from bacalhau (salted cod), one of Portugal's representative ingredients, which is known to have over a thousand cooking methods. The dish, which uses eight pieces of cod tongues per plate, was vividly described by Gi-hyun, a 'master of flavor expressions', as "a taste that brings about double eyelids."

The TAE KWANG CORPORATION media affiliate T cast presents the food world tour of Ryu Soo-young, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Gi-hyun, the 'food experts' triplet! 'Student Study Abroad', which involves eating, learning, and completing global cuisines, airs every Saturday evening at 5:20 p.m. on E Channel. It will also be available later on Netflix, Wavve, TVING, and watcha.

[Photo] OSEN DB, 'Student Study Abroad'

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