Abstract
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 $163^{rd}$ 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.