To mark South Korea's National Foundation Day on Oct 3, the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in Thailand under the Embassy of the Republic of Korea held an alms offering ceremony at Wat Arun.
Especially for the occasion, venerable Korean Buddhist nun Jeong Kwan, recipient of Asia's 50 Best Icon Award 2022, flew in from South Korea to cook and present Korea's highly-acclaimed temple cuisine dishes to 111 Thai monks.
Jeong Kwan, the director of Chunjinam Hermitage at Baekyangsa Temple located at the edge of Naejangsan National Park, has dedicated herself to temple cuisine for four decades.
Growing up on a farm in a rural province, she developed a high respect for nature and seasonal produce, aspiring in shunning any harm to sentient beings. At the age of 17, she joined a Buddhist monastery and immersed herself in veganism.
Cooking for her fellow abbots and occasional visitors to the monastery, Jeong Kwan showcases innate creativity, technical skills and a profound appreciation for ingredients. Her strictly vegetarian culinary flair inspires not only chefs in South Korea but also Michelin-starred names in Europe and USA.
Recently Jeong Kwan has been named Master of Korean Temple Food by the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea. Her story is also featured in Netflix's series Chef's Table.
Dishes offered to the monks at Wat Arun were cooked at the site by Jeong Kwan herself. The food was presented on traditional Thai khan toke (wooden pedestal trays).
The line-up included braised shiitake mushrooms with rice malt; assorted root vegetables with sweet and sour sauce; steamed zucchini and tofu; and fresh vegetable kimchi with soybean curd sauce.
"Thank Buddha, the embassy and the Korean Cultural Center for this alliance with Thai monks," said the venerable Jeong Kwan.
Phra Sophonwachiraphon, the assistant abbot of Wat Arun, said: "Thai Buddhism and Korean Buddhism share several similarities. I believe the effort of the embassy and the KCC will further strengthen cultural harmony and expand the bilateral exchange between Thailand and Korea."
The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea HE Moon Seoung-hyun said: "It is a great honour to offer healthy and eco-friendly Korean temple food. This is to pass on graciousness through cooking. I hope it will contribute to the cultural exchange between Korean and Thai Buddhism."
