Buddhist nun and Netflix star praises meditative joys of Korean temple food
Self-taught cook believes food need not be fancy or even tasty, but has a deeper purpose that spreads happiness while enriching the mind and soul
What are your earliest memories of food? “I never thought much about cooking when I was little – I didn’t understand the concept. I would help my mother in the kitchen, and it was out of curiosity that I started to learn. For instance, I cooked boiled rice. When I put the rice in the pot, I tried it, and when I steeped it again, I tried it again. I tried it several times during the process because I was curious about how it cooked.
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“Cooking sets me free. It does something good for the mind and soul. No one taught me – I watched my mother and older sister cook, and I followed them. Once I picked an eggplant and put it on top of the rice, so it could be steamed at the same time. I seasoned it with soybean paste, and it tasted so good. How could it be, that I could make food that tastes so good? That’s when I decided that perhaps I could cook when I grew up.”
“When I was eight years old, my father cooked kuksu [a noodle dish] for us. I wanted to copy him, so I mixed flour and bean powder with salt and water. I kneaded the dough and cut the noodles with a knife, and I cooked it for my parents. I wanted to hear them praise me, to say that the dish was delicious, and made them feel full of vitality and happiness. I realised that food can make people happy.”
Why did you become a nun? “When I was a child, I believed I would live alone. I imagined living in a cottage surrounded by nature, and I would need only salt and rice to cook. I told my father about this.
“When I was a high school student, my mother passed away suddenly and I was so shocked. [I thought] if I get married and have a child, maybe my son or daughter will feel that same shock. So I felt it best not to have children. I learned about Buddhism and decided to look for freedom in life. I decided to become a nun.”
