CULTURE CLASH ON RICE CAKES HEALTH OFFICIALS INSIST BAKED KOREAN STAPLE MUST BE KEPT REFRIGERATED.

Byline: Chris Rizo Staff Writer

SACRAMENTO - Legislation to preserve a 2,000-year-old Korean tradition from being driven out of Los Angeles County is winding its way through the state Legislature.

The proposed law is sponsored by Assemblywoman Carol Liu, D-La Canada Flintridge, who said health regulations amount to ``harassment'' of people who enjoy a safe food that is also a cultural staple.

At risk are traditional Korean rice cakes, a favorite treat for many Koreans. Los Angeles County health officials say the way the dumpling-like rice cakes are sold poses a threat to public health.

Terrance Powell of the county Department of Health Services said the rice cakes could cause serious illness if not refrigerated after baking. So when county health officials adopted stricter food inspection guidelines last July, they decided rice cake vendors ought to refrigerate their goods or face disciplinary action by the county.

But rice cake bakers say the guidelines would ruin not only their product but also their livelihood.

``This would be a significant loss to the entire Korean community,'' said David Kim, who represents 22 rice cake bakers in Los Angeles County. ``Rice cakes are a significant part of the Korean diet.''

According to the Korean Rice Cake Association, rice cake bakers stand to lose more than 80 percent of their daily revenues if they cannot sell ``marketable'' rice cakes.

Refrigeration, they say, causes the cakes to harden and become almost indigestible. Korea Town advocates denounced the county ordinance as an attack on their culture.

``It is unfortunate that the health department could so easily wipe out such a huge part of our culture,'' said Jeanne Chang of the Korean American Coalition.

Korean immigrants brought the rice cakes to Los Angeles years ago. Since that time, no documented cases of food poisoning from the cakes exist, according to county health officials.

This is not the first time health regulations have clashed with the ethnic marketplace. After animal-rights activists decried conditions that fish and other live animals were kept in many Asian markets, state officials clamped down on the businesses. Korean bakers say they are just the latest target.

But Powell said the health department is only trying to protect the public.

``This is a public health issue, not an attack on the Korean community,'' he said. Even so, health department officials have gone so far as to strip bakery shelves of unrefrigerated cakes.

One day after an Assembly committee voted to support legislation to shield bakers from the county ordinance, David Lee said county health officials came into his Korea Town bakery and stripped his bakery shelves, throwing away 50 pounds of fresh rice cakes.

Assembly Bill 187, authored by Liu, could protect bakers from the regulation as long as individual purveyors agree to date-stamp packages of rice cake and follow strict cooking guidelines outlined in her bill.

The bill was unanimously approved by the state Assembly. It now sits before the Senate before moving to the governor's desk.

``This bill keeps a needless regulation from obliterating a 2,000-year- old tradition,'' Liu said.

Powell disagreed. He said sculpting of food-safety regulations should be left to the hands of public health officials.

``Her bill is based on history and tradition, rather than science,'' he said, ``and that's not prudent.''

Liu called the regulation harassment and said she intends to take the health department to task for unfairly targeting Korean businesses.