Why temple food could be the next global wellness trend
How Buddhist chefs Jeong Kwan and Toshio Tanahashi are leading a global revival of temple food
In a world with more on the menu than ever, temple food is trending – largely thanks to two accidental chefs: Jeong Kwan and Toshio Tanahashi. The Korean nun and former Japanese salaryman are feeding foodies – and impressing chefs – around the world.
Jeong Kwan was featured alongside Michelin-starred gastronomes in Netflix’s Chef’s Table series.
I’m a meditator, not a professional chef
“First, when [Netflix] approached me to film the documentary, I said no,” she tells the South China Morning Post on a recent trip to Hong Kong. “I’m a meditator, not a professional chef.”
Jeong Kwan was in Hong Kong to showcase Korean temple food. For her, Korean temple food is a route to enlightenment. “I believe cooking can set one’s mind free,” she says.
Like many chefs, Jeong Kwan is concerned with the quality of her ingredients.
“I look at the ingredients and feel the energy so spontaneously that I come up with ideas to cook.”
Since Korean temple food contains no meat, she pays a lot of attention to vegetables – including those that she grows.
“These are my children,” Jeong Kwan told The Guardian in 2016. “I know their characters well, but even after all this time, they surprise me every day.”
