Jeong Kwan facts for kids
Jeong Kwan (born in 1957) is a special kind of chef. She is a Seon Buddhist nun who cooks amazing Korean cuisine. She lives in a quiet place called Chunjinam Hermitage, which is part of the Baegyangsa temple in South Korea. There, she cooks for other nuns and monks, and sometimes for visitors too. Jeong Kwan is unique because she doesn't own a restaurant and never went to a cooking school!
Jeong Kwan was born in Yeongju, a city in North Gyeongsang Province. She grew up on a farm and was one of seven children. She learned to make noodles by hand when she was only 7 years old. When she was 17, she left home. Two years later, she joined a group of Seon nuns. This is where she found her special purpose: sharing Buddhist teachings, called dharma, through her cooking.
Jeong Kwan's Unique Cooking Style
Jeong Kwan's cooking is very special. She uses fresh vegetables like aubergines (eggplants), tomatoes, plums, oranges, pumpkin, and tofu. She also uses herbs like basil and spices like chili pepper. Many of these ingredients she grows herself!
Her recipes are strictly vegan, meaning they don't use any animal products. But there's another interesting rule: her dishes don't include garlic or onions. Some Buddhists believe these ingredients can make it harder to meditate and find peace.
Impact on the Culinary World
Even without a restaurant or formal training, Jeong Kwan has become very famous. She has inspired many well-known chefs. These include Mingoo Kang, who runs the Mingles restaurant in Seoul, and René Redzepi, from the famous Noma restaurant in Copenhagen.
She is also friends with Éric Ripert, another chef who is a Buddhist. He has invited her to New York City to cook for special guests at his restaurant, Le Bernadin. In 2017, Jeong Kwan was featured on the popular Netflix show Chef's Table. This helped share her amazing cooking and peaceful philosophy with people all over the world.
See also
In Spanish: Jeong Kwan para niños
