The Korean Cultural Center announced that during his visit to Hungary, Jeong Kwan will deliver a lecture on the art of church cuisine, maintaining health, and the importance of sustainability.
As written, the Buddhist nun never went to culinary school or had her own restaurant, but in 2022 she won the title of “Asia’s Culinary Icon” in the World’s 50 Best Asian Restaurants.
A Korean Buddhist monk approaches cooking not as a chef, but as a Zen practitioner.
In her mid-twenties, she left home to practice Buddhism and “find the deeper meaning of life.” After learning the basics of Zen Buddhism, he began to closely study the relationship between nutrition and life. There is nothing too complicated or too fancy about his gastronomy, as the emphasis is on raw materials and their natural flavours.
It has been said that Korean Buddhist temple cuisine is a culinary tradition that celebrates the beauty of simplicity and awareness. Food here is not just nourishment, it is also a spiritual experience.
Time is the most important element
In Korean Buddhist temple cuisine, the choice of ingredients is extremely important. When preparing food, chefs take into account the season and width of the specific region, so fresh and local ingredients are always included in the food.
They often use traditional techniques such as fermentation, steaming or braising, which preserves the natural flavor and nutritional value of the ingredients.
Time is one of the most important ingredients in Jeongkwan cuisine.
The monks prepare everything themselves, including the soy sauce, which can take several years. However, according to them, this allows the ingredients to come together in harmony.
Cooking as a spiritual practice
According to the statement, the principles of a vegetarian diet are also strongly present in Korean temple cuisine. As part of Buddhist practice, many temple meals are vegetarian or vegan, using plant proteins such as tofu or mushrooms instead of meat, fish, and dairy products. This cuisine avoids so-called pungent spices such as onions or garlic.
Respect, presence and love for ingredients show that cooking can be a kind of spiritual practice that fills our daily lives with deeper meaning.
– says Jeong Kwan, who urges everyone to spread awareness not only about cooking, but about life as well.
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