Korean Court and Temple Foods

Royal food, which also reflects
the rules of the universe

KOREAN FOOD (Court and Temple)

Korea, a country that boasts 5,000 years of history, was ruled by royal dynasties. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1920), in particular, an elegant and colorful culinary culture sprouted from the court. Today royal cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty is prized as the exquisite embodiment of a style and philosophy unique to Korean cuisine that has been designated as an important intangible cultural heritage.

FOODS REFLECTING THE RULES OF THE UNIVERSE

Korean royal cuisine developed around the traditional philosophy of eumyang ohaeng - the yin and yang forces, and the five elements of the universe. The universe can be described as the balanced co-existence of a cold and dark energy, and a warm and bright energy along with a harmonized combination of tree, fire, earth, metal and water.

Cold kimchi is complemented by hot gum (soup); meat is balanced with vegetables; products from the mountains form a parallel with products from the sea; and foods are carefully selected to include the five cardinal colors (obangsaek), in which green represents trees, red represents fire, yellow represents earth, white represents metal, and black represents water.

HEALING FOODS

One of the philosophical grounds for cuisine is yaksikdongwon, meaning food and medicine are of the same root. This philosophy was the foundation of royal cuisine during the Joseon Dynasty. “Jewel in the Palace” (aka “Dae Jang Geum”) - globally celebrated Korean drama dealing with Korean royal cuisine - well portrays this aspect. The heroine Jang-geum immerses herself in creating food that enhances health, and finding ways to cure the ill through food. In one of the episodes, Jang-geum finds out the Chinese ambassador to Joseon has diabetes and prepares for him vegetable-based dishes that are good for diabetics.

Goldongban (traditional bibimbap of the royal court)

FOODS PRESENTED TO THE KING

During the Joseon Dynasty, specialties indigenous to different regions and the first harvests of the seasons were presented to the king as offerings. These offerings included rice from Yeoju and Icheon, gochujang from Sunchang, abalone from Wando, tangerines from Jejudo, honey from Inje, oysters from Seosan, dried persimmon from Sangju, and crab from Yeongdeok and Uljin. Breakfast and dinner prepared for the king was called surasang, which was a 12-cheop (dish) table consisting of 12 different dishes in addition to bap (rice), guk (soup), kimchi, jang (condiments), jjigae (stew), jeongeol (casserole cooked on the table), and jjim (a braised dish). Through the foods set on the table, the king was able to see whether his subjects were having a bumper year or a lean year.

FOOD MADE FOR BOTH CULINARY & AESTHETIC APPRECIATION

Deformed and damaged vegetables and fish could not be used for the king’s meal. Only the best of ingredients could be included in accordance with the belief that it helped the king stay clear and right-minded. The chefs of the court carefully selected ingredients that were aesthetically representative and included only the most palatable parts to ensure the best flavors and presentation. Royal cuisine avoided the use of overly salty, pungent, and strong-smelling ingredients and spices. Instead, it focused on boosting and highlighting the flavor unique to each ingredient.

TEMPLE FOODS: AN APPRECIATION FOR ALL LIVING THINGS

Korean temple food has been prepared and consume fro more than 1,700 years. To a Buddhist monk, eating is more than enjoying good taste and nutrition; it is also a process of seeking the truth. Today, temple food is gaining renewed attention for being as close to nature as possible, and for reminding people of the essence of life.

THE AVOIDANCE OF MEAT AND THE FIVE SPICES

Korean temple food is distinguished by the philosophy that all living things depend on each other for existence. Non-vegetarain ingredients such as meat, fish, chicken, and eggs are prohibited. Also banned are osinchae, which are five spicy and pungent vegetables - green onions, garlic, chives, wild chives, and heunggeo (Scilla scilloides) - the stimulating flavors considered to interfere with Buddhist practices.

A NATURE-FRIENDLY AND HEALTHY DIET

Temple foods are often known for what they lack: not only meat and osinchae but also artificial condiments. Fresh seasonal vegetables, grains, beans, and a variety of fermented foods like kimchi, sauces, and seasonings are the staples of temple foods, all of which are a great source of quality protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and medicinal properties. Used in place of osinchae are mild-tasting seasonings like mushroom powder, kelp powder, sanchae (Xanthoxylum piperitum) powder, perilla seed powder, and fresh bean powder.

THE SIMPLE YET RICH TASTE OF NATURE

Due to the Buddhist inclination to eat seasonal vegetables and grains as close to the natural form as possible, temple cuisine has relied on basic cooking techniques that are simple and not greasy such as seasoning, steaming, roasting, picking and wrapping. Only one or two condiments are used to enhance flavors. The resulting dishes are simple and light, bringing out the natural flavor of the ingredients. The simple-tasting and low-calorie cuisine made of 100% vegetarian ingredients has come to represent a nature-friendly and healthy diet. 

BARU BONGYANG

Baru gongyang (literally, "wooden bowl" + "offering") is the communal meal tradition of Buddhist monks originating from the asceticism of Sakhamuni Buddha 2,500 years ago. This ritual meal begins with an expression of appreciation to everyone involved in the making of the food. Then, rice, soup, side dishes, and water are placed in one of four baru bowls. Gongyang means eating, and is the assertion of determination to find the truth and practice it in life; thus, the term signifies that eating is also a part of the Buddhist discipline.

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SOURCE: e-book “Hansik” on the Visit Korea webpage.

Spirit of Kwangju

Back in May 2015, Robert Koehler led a tour to Gwangju, the queen of southwest Korea, a city proud of its history of arts, culture and political activism (particularly the Gwangju Democratic Movement of May 1980), which many already know about. What is lesser known are some of the early modern historical sites, particularly Yangnim-dong, where American missionaries with the American Southern Presbyterian Mission established a base at the turn of the 20th century and played a significant role in the culture, social and spiritual development in the tumultous times of poverty, sickness, colonialism, and social, religious, governmental instability.

The neighborhood is still the home to missionary homes, mission churches and a historic mission school. Also is a missionary grave yard where 22 American Southern Presbyterian missionaries and their family members are buried, including the pioneering American missionary Rev. Eugene Bell. On one side of a building in the area is a Last Supper scene but replacing the traditional view of the 12 disciples are 12 of the leading church members of the time.

An interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" from left to right:

Martin L. Swinehart - 서로득선교사 (1874-1957)

절대고독의 시인 / 김현승 - (1913-1975)

Robert Manton Wilson - 우월순선교사 (1880-1963)

광주의 어머니 / 조아라 - (1912-2003)

Eugene Bell - 배우지선교사 ((1868-1925) 

Elisabeth J. Shepping - 서서평선교사 (1880-1934)

Owen Clement Carrington - 오원선교사 ((1867-1909)

Wiley Hamilton Forsythe - 포사이드선교사 (1873-1918)

오방/ 최흥종 - (1880-1966)

Herbert Augustus Codington - 고허번선교사 (1920-2003)

중국의 3대 작곡가 / 정율성 - (1914-1976)

검은 머리의 차이꼬프스키/ 정추 - (1923-2013)

Too little is said about missionaries who laid the foundation for literacy, medicine and much social reform in Korea. So seeing a building that actually salutes the missionary class is something rather novel in today's high-tech society filled with comforts and conveniences but which now pays little regard to the spiritual.

24 Solar Terms

Traditionally, Korea has had 24 "jeolgi" seasons, like many East Asian countries. These 24 seasons were based on the lunar calendar. While the west used the solar calendar which is based on the earth's rotation around the sun and a solar year division of 4, the east used the lunar calendar based on the phases of the moon and from moon phases calculated the seasons and dates within them. [This system took into account that some years actually had 13 months and could still effectively plan agricultural and fishing success!] With this kind of calculation, time was divided into segments of four based on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices. And exactly between these four were the beginning of spring, summer, fall and winter, and between those divisions were the waxing and the waning periods ... totalling 24 seasons.

Sounds complicated, but the "seasons" were efficiently and scientifically calculated to harmonize the predominantly agricultural and fishing society with the subtle climactic changes in the year -- for example, frosts, cold snaps, the warm spring rains, the periods of extreme heat. Following the 24 seasons insured success in both the planting and harvesting and in maritime work.

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Every semester I get truly insightful presentations from my Public Speaking students. While Korea has a history of using the 24 seasons, instead of the typical 4 used by westerners, in the present day and age with a radical drop in agriculture and fishing, the 24-season concept is no longer needed and so for several decades has not been taught. To my huge delight, two Chinese and one Mexican students explored Chinese seasonality for their culture-related presentation. This cyclical clock apparently developed in China but of course was also used in Korea. Thank you Michelle, Xiaohui and Jiayin for providing me with information I've heard about but struggle to find in present-day literature!

This PPT largely represented Chinese culture. While Korea also used a 24-season calendar and there were some cultural foods shared between cultures, e.g. moon cakes / rice cakes on harvest moon day, the majority of seasonal foods are unique to their own specific cultures. For more on Korean "cheolgi" food, GastroTourSeoul gives a "taste" of specific foods and how that food fits on the cheolgi cycle.

Hanok: Traditional Residence Architecture in Seoul

Among the fine traditional Korean houses which have been transported from elsewhere to form the Namsangol Hanok Village, at the foot of Namsan, stands a house built by master craftsman Lee Seung-eop. The house originally stood in Samgak-dong, next to Gwangyo Bridge over Cheonggyecheon stream, but in the course of development and redevelopment, the house recognized as a fine specimen of middle-class architecture, was dismantled and reconstructed in a collection of other hanok to create the Namsangol Hanok Village. The house was originally known as 'Hongmun (Red Gate) Seot-gol (Standing Town), Ibyeokdong-daek (residence of Ibyeokdong)'.

This remarkably fine house with unusual embellishments was built for his own use by Lee Seung-up, the master builder who worked on rebuilding Gyeongbok Palace in the latter half of the 19th century. Gyeongbok Palace, which had fallen into disrepair over many decades, was ordered to be restored by Heungseon Daewongun (1820-1899), the father who ruled in stead of young King Kojong (1852-1919).

Approximately a decade after master carpenter Lee Seung-eop constructed this house, he encountered financial hardships and was forced to sell, whereupon in 1889 the yangban grandfather (Kyoungju Lee clan) of Lee Sang-oak, our tour guide but of no direct relationship to builder Lee, purchased the house. Three generations of Lee (Yi) lived in the house: Yi Chaeyun (1837-1917), Yi Chong'ik (1889-1966), and Yi Yong'u (1917 - ??? [the book was published in 1998]). 

Lee Sang-oak, our guide, was born in this house, as were his two sisters and elder brother. He lived there until 1964 (he was about 20) when the house was sold to P'unghan Company and remodeled. From 1970 - 1996 Cho Heung Bank used the residence as a small bank museum. During that time, in 1977, Seoul city government designated the residence as City Cultural Asset No. 20. And finally in 1996, the house was sold to the City of Seoul along with four other residences around the city and all five were relocated to the north side of Namsan with the intent of making a park for the preservation of traditional architecture.

Guide Lee Sang-Oak told us stories of his growing up, the foods and cultural events enjoyed by the family, the symbolism and in particular the pungsujiri (geomantic principles) employed in the architecture, and other insights about the construction of the home, its impact on King Kojong (story later!), and details about personal life. Whoever really considers the stories the walls can tell if someone is willing to patiently listen!

Dr. Lee Sang-Oak and Brother Anthony, friends that go way back, explaining the topography of Seoul and why the original location of his house was so propitious. Located in front of the "Red Gate" entrance to his former house/courtyard.

Dr Lee Sang-Oak explaining the functions of the various parts of the house ... and how they were originally, and then after "renovation". Basically, as one historian puts it, "the city butchered his house". To give examples, brick walls are now plastered, whitewashed walls, the ondol passageways are minuscule and nonfunctional now, the traditional three-steps leading to the house were reduced to the convenient one. [Three steps up meant as a person approached house of prestige or standing, the visitor had to look up and be struck by the grandeur created by height.

Evidently the Namsangol Falconer's Organization has an operator here. There was always a stream of kids around the guy with his kestrel and his falcon. He didn't mind if people touched the larger bird either ... and the bird didn't seem to mind either!

For W5,000 a person could have the kestrel fly and land on his or her hand.

Petting was encouraged!

"Commercial" over, now back to Dr. Lee Sang-Oak. Dr. Lee showed up the geomantic symbols. The whole house had symbols hidden on walls, corners. roof beams, and more.

Pungsujiri (geomatric symbols here): the inverted swastika for Buddhistic thought, bats, trigrams like those found on the Korean flag (each trigram represents a humor: earth, air, etc), clouds, patterned windows for well wishes, ...

 

Originally this was the men's residence and was just a single room. Now it's divided into guest residence rooms for privacy.

Even the bird looks at the woman in hanbok gliding around the grounds.

A bit of entertainment for the foreigners and kids who visit the hanok village: "Walk Like a Yangban". Walking like a yangban was to walk confidently (thus, the wide appearing tiles for "authentic" practice),

The Red Moon Gate, the single entrance to the house: Originally the gate stood tall and proud like this one. What's interesting is that when there were no high-rises, King Kojong could look out of Gyeongbokgung and see ... the Red Moon Gate, and supposedly, discomfited he asked, "Whose gate is that?" And once he found out ... the Lee family was asked, which means told, to lower the gate so that King Kojong wouldn't see a gate taller than himself in the near distance. Of course they lowered the house ... and had to bend way down in order to enter, which conveyed indirectly humility to the king.

A spring look at Dr. Lee's former residence.

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About our guide and the author of the book on his first home:

Book: A Traditional Residential Architecture in Seoul: A Study of the Yi Byeokdong Residence of Hongmun-dong (1998), Hollym University Press.

Sang-Oak Lee earned his B.A. and M.A. from Seoul National University, an additional M.A. from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. in Linguistics with a doctoral fellowship from Harvard University. He is now an emeritus professor at Seoul National University, where he was for many years a professor in the Department of Korean Language and Literature.

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The essentials about the house -- from Dr. Lee Sang-Oak's book (pp 10-13).

Lee Sang-geun, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 42

Lee Sang-geun is a traditional comb design artist, and a perfectionist. His painstaking work has been recognized since 2000 as having outstanding cultural significance and since that year he has continued to be recognized and awarded for keeping to tradition and exquisitely hand-carving wooden combs of various designs.

2010 - appointed as Wood Comb Master (Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 42)
2007 (October) - awarded certification for excellence in handicrafts by UNESCO
2007 (Nov) - invited by UN headquarters to hold an exhibition
2003 - appointed as a successor of Korean handicrafts (wood combs)
2003 - appointed as a successor of Korean ethnically special crafts
2002 - appointed as a successor of cultural tradition (No. 51) by Chungcheongnam-do
2000 (January) - published in National Geographic

A shop in Insadong is hosting a special exhibition with many spectacular works of art created by Lee Sang-geun. Normally people aren't allowed to take pictures of heritage artwork, but I explained to the lady running the shop that I am an anthropologist and write on things Korean, and then asked if I could spread the word about this incredible Intangible Cultural Heritage artist. (Intangible Cultural Heritage artist is also informally known as Living Cultural Heritage, confusing when trying to do accurate web research.) She allowed me to take a few pictures, and being thankful that she so graciously did so, I only took pictures of the combs, since that is what Lee Sang-geun is most famous for. 

However, he's a master carver of fans and other intricate art forms as well. In the shop he had on display spectacularly and intricately carved fans, which he had also hand-painted. Each fan represented multiple hours of work and one was valued at nearly a million won, as it should be! It was truly a masterpiece! 

With permission I share the following representative comb masterpieces:

Very old-style comb used by men and women after they had tied their hair in knots. The comb was then dragged through the tight hair, arranging each hair to lie smoothly with the rest. With the cutting of hair and hair not being pulled back into knots, these types of combs quickly went out of fashion.

A simple yet perfectly carved comb. Inscribed with Chinese and signed by the artist.

One of my favorite pieces in the shop - intricate giant lily pads carved with birds. Imagine the skill needed to carve such delicate detail and to create such rough texture for background and smooth foreground objects. This represents one of Lee Sang-geun's most unique carving styles!

So many combs on display. These particular ones were still priced at a couple hundred thousand won each, while the more intricately carved ones like the lily pads and birds above could be twice the amount.

Traditional decoration for the home. The eight-sided object represents the emperor (in Confucian times) while the fish symbolizes good luck and the string longevity. 

And a unique, non-traditional but fun idea - the traditional yutnori game played with, not the traditional sticks, but acorn-shaped wood pieces. I guess Lee Sang-geun wanted to put something for even the younger generation in his craft repertoire.

Jinkwansa Temple: Cooking Class and Tea with a Monk

Jinkwansa Temple hosted a special food exhibition and contacted Sonja Glaeser, Founder and CEO of Hippie-Korea, a private travel group based in Suwon, to see if she could organize a group for the event. One reason Jinkwansa contacted Sonja is because she had told them about her travel group when she had very recently applied to do volunteer work with them, and the second reason was they needed a travel group who would be willing to be filmed for an upcoming Buddhist program while experiencing Jinkwansa's famed temple food.

About 25 people attended this spontaneously organized program, and I rather doubt anyone regretted it, despite the pouring rain. The food was fabulous, but then of course it was. Jinkwansa is a biguni (Buddhist nun) temple that is renowned as a temple food mecca. The head nun-monk, Ven. Gyeho, is around 70 years old and is the epitome of positivity, good health and food knowledge. While demonstrating the fine-cutting of veggies, she challenged anyone to compete with her cutting speed. No one did, and the only person who ever did and out-cut her was when former US President Obama recently came on tour to the temple and his private chef accepted the challenge. The chef not only out-chopped the monk but his cuts were even finer! To test how fine the finely cut veggies are, they are flung against a whiteboard and in such fine pieces they don't have much weight to make them fall off. Obama's chef's veggie whisps stuck for an impressively long time!

The Garden of Mind, Jinkwansa Temple (so-called on the brochure)

Jinkwansa Temple, located to the west of Seoul, is one of the four major temples around Seoul. The temple was dedicated to Preceptor Jinkwan in 1010 BC by King Hyeongjong, the 8th king of the Goryeo Dynasty. The temple is not situated amidst the beautiful surroundings of Bukhansan National Park, but also contains an impressive collection of cultural and historical properties.

Jinkwansa Temple is known for its temple food - natural homegrown veggies, prepared in person and with no commercial elements. As everything done at the temple is considered part of religious practice, from growing nuts and preparing doengjang, monastic practitioners give thanks while preparing and while eating. 

Sachal-mandoo (temple veggie dumplings) 

1 zucchini

3 dried shiitake mushroom (traditional belief - more vitamins in the dried ones)

1/4 tofu brick

2 T pine nuts

1 handful mung bean sprouts

1/4 carrot

salt and black pepper

sesame oil

sesame seeds

dumpling wrappers

1. Soak shiitake mushrooms in water then drain by squeezing. Thinly slice and stir-fry with salt.
2. Thinly slice zucchini and carrot. Also stir-fry in salt.
3. Blanch mung bean sprouts and remove water by squeezing.
4. For tofu, wrap in cheesecloth and squeeze out excess water.
5. Mix all ingredients and season with salt, sesame oil, sesame seeds and black pepper = filling
6. Place about 1 T of filling in the center of a dumpling wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half, lightly wipe wrapper perimeter with water to help create a seal, then pinch and crimp together the folded edges.
7. Steam dumplings for 15+ minutes until wrappers become somewhat transparent.

After the head monk demonstrated how to make sachal-mandoo, we went back to long tables and in groups of four cut up our small bunch of veggies and tofu, seasoned everything and experienced wrapping the filling with store-bought mandoo-wraps (too tlabor-intensive for us to mix our own dough, let it set for a few hours, then pound it out flat). Then in teams we brought our contributions to the front and put them in the large communal pot for steaming. 

After we had all prepared our mandoo, we then were taken to another hall and experienced a huge spread of vegan temple food! The food was laid out in two long tables, one table for the fruit desserts and dessert drinks like sikkye, while the other table was a huge spread of food dishes organized by fermented dishes, kimchis, root veggies and then green veggies. The perilla leaves in a soy and Asian pear sauce was the best! Never saw that dish before and too bad!

After eating and listening to an informative lecture on temple practices, we then enjoyed a very stylized tea with a monk, who explained the traditional practices of holding, serving and drinking tea. The monk was very specific about what is commonly taught as tea ceremony as being incorrect. One example she was most specific about is the taught practice of pouring the tea with one hand while gracefully holding the lid of the pot with the other. She said this would be absolutely rude as the sleeve or sleeves of one's robe would then be dragging or sometimes touching the tea cup or the food. 

This isn't a traditional tea service but is an individual arrangement.
Everyone had their own pot of tea and could pour their own tea at will, something that certainly would be unacceptable in the traditional tea ceremony where a person is designated to pour and serve using correct etiquette. Quite the nice modern tea ceremony, however!