cuisine

South Korean culture carries a gem of culinary thought and skill – the Korean temple kitchen. This cuisine is strictly vegetarian and combines a philosophy of sharing and coexistence with humans and nature with a variety of skills like different preparations of vegetables, patience and the passing of culinary knowledge to younger generations. It enjoys rising popularity and international attention at a time when ultra-processed food is consumed at a fast pace. The protagonists of this process are Buddhist nuns. Even though food preparation in Buddhist monasteries is done equally by monks and nuns separately, being an expert in Korean temple kitchens reveals challenges because of gender biases for both monks and nuns.