Jeong Kwan is a South Korean Buddhist Nun, master gardener and chef.
“I am not a chef, I am a monk. I make food as a meditation” ~ Jeong Kwan
MD, Dr. Garth Davis highly recommended an episode from the Netflix Series, “Chef’s Table”. As best selling author of “Proteinaholic”, Garth has a great deal of “credibility and is a great person to follow on Facebook. So, I eagerly watched this stunning mini documentary twice, the second time with a notepad.
An accomplished chef noted of Jeong’s meals, “The food was as good as any meal you could get from any chef on the planet”. Jeong’s story will evoke an emotional response and may alter your view of ingredients, food preparation and more.
Jeong’s food was described as vegetarian. She does not use meat or dairy and I didn’t see any evidence of eggs being used either. I view eggs as liquid meat, as that’s effectively what they are. Jeong’s food appeared to be vegan to me, 100% plant based.
“When you become a monk, it’s not about learning Buddhism more deeply. It’s about living with Buddhism. Living with it … eating with it … praying … working … chopping wood … pulling weeds … all of these things become a study. This is perhaps Buddhism itself” ~ Jeong Kwan
Jeong explains the difference between her “Temple Food” and “Secular Food”. Secular food creates energy.
Temple food keeps a person’s mind calm and static, enhances meditation, is flavored with nature, is simple but with many seasonings, uses no instant ingredients and is deeply connected to spiritual energy. Jeong uses fermentation often and organic ingredients. Jeong prepares meals with bliss and eats with joy. She uses very little sugar as it’s a preservative, noting that soy sauce is the foundation of seasonings. Every food is recreated with soy sauce! She teaches her students to respect the ingredients.
“Using all senses for food preparation is a source of enlightenment.” ~ Jeong Kwan
“Creativity and ego cannot go together. If you free yourself from the comparing and jealous mind, your creativity opens up endlessly. Just as water springs from a fountain, creativity springs from every moment. You must not be your own obstacle. You must not be owned by the environment you are in. You must own the environment, the phenomenal world around you. You must be able to freely move in and out of your mind. This is being free. There is no way you can’t open up your creativity. There is no ego to speak of. That is my belief. ~Jeong Kwan
Wow. You may want to read that prior paragraph a few more times!
One of the visiting American chefs said, “Jeong’s influence is more about philosophy than the techniques. Her philosophy is Buddhist. It’s about being in the present. It’s about respecting the ingredients … the planet … making people happy … how to be happy in the process … how to put good energy into the food. That’s the influence of Jeong Kwan.
“The food I prepare is an expression of gratitude to my parents”. ~Jeong Kwan
The chef who visits Jeong in South Korea as part of the documentary goes to learn her techniques as a chef. In addition, he learns our place in the orchestra that is the universe.
Often I think of a one hundred mile foot race as a form of meditative, moving yoga, a 25-37 hour full body massage! I love to grow and prepare food, although running is when I typically feel most in tune with the orchestra. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of the best seller, “The China Study”, notes that our biochemistry is an infinitely complex orchestra. And, it’s very clear the best support for our internal orchestra is a high quality plant sourced “diet”, like Jeong’s.
The picture above happens to show my typical 100 miler sandal choice, the Bedrock Cairn Pro with custom modifications made with a buck knife, a leather hole punch, kitchen scissors and a belt sander. But, my primary footwear is nothing at all or Xero Shoes. #XeroAmbassador