We went to Rome to meet Jeong Kwan, the Buddhist nun who transformed the Templar cuisine into a practice of meditation, balance and respect for nature. In a time in which to ferment also means slowing down and taking care, we discovered – between words, silences and ten -year -olds – that the cuisine can be much more of nourishment: it can become an ethical gesture, a bridge between cultures. At his side, chef Fabrizio Ferrari has been able to welcome and translate this vision, helping to make it dialogue with our culinary imagination, without ever betraying its essence.
Until a few years ago, for many Italians, South Korea evoked above all k-pop, k-drama and skincare. Today, however, a deeper interest is emerging: the rediscovery of ancient practices such as fermentation, the beating heart of the Korean gastronomic tradition. If the Hansik – traditional cuisine – is based on balance and seasonality, it is in the Buddhist Templar cuisine, fully vegetable and without waste, that these values express themselves with greater intensity and consistency.
In an era in which fermentation has also returned central to our kitchens – in the most literal and healthy sense of the term – it is impossible not to mention authoritative voices such as that of Korean nun Jeong Kwanundisputed teacher of the cuisine of the temples, and of the Italian chef Fabrizio Ferrariengaged for years in the spread of Korean gastronomic culture.
We had the privilege of meeting them in Rome, as part of the year of the Italian-Corea cultural exchange, during the events organized by Kofice, the Ministry of Korean culture and the Korean cultural institute, in collaboration with Territoria. A precious opportunity to get in touch with ancient knowledge, learn the art of fermentation with slowness and awareness, and find out how to translate it into a more ethical, attentive and respectful cuisine of life – inside and out of the plate.
Food that educates, nourishes and connects
Between a masterclass on the art of fermentation and a symbolic dinner, we rediscovered an idea of cooking that is not a show, but daily practice, ethics, meditative. The nun Jeong Kwan – who with essential gestures knows how to transform simple ingredients into nourishment for the soul – has shown how every dish can be an act of balance between seasons, body and spirit. No spring onions, no garlic or onion (so as not to disturb meditation), but a lot of harmony, plant variety and deep respect for nature.
And if it served a concrete test of what it means to “take time”, just think that one of the acetes used in the docks of the dinner that we enjoyed had been fermented … ten years ago. She brought him herself from Korea. And in that small gesture there was already the whole lesson.
Hansik also speaks Italian
Fabrizio Ferrari, a well -known face of gastronomy and television in South Korea, has been able to translate deep knowledge, linked to Korean food and culture, in a language accessible for us Italians too. He did not limit himself to explaining recipes, but told the values that make Hansik a universal heritage: slowness, care, harmony between flavors and seasons. The Italian chef has been able to remind us that cuisine and culture can dialogue without getting confused, but enriching each other – even when they come from distant worlds.
But what unites Italy and Korea at the table?
A more fermented future
In a present in which plant nutrition grows and food waste is a global challenge, Korean cuisine – especially the Templar one – can inspire real change: less waste, more self -production, more time dedicated to real food.
The art of fermentation, in particular, is much more than a technique: it is an invitation to slow down, wait, to take care. It is cuisine that is done with your hands, but also with your head and heart.
10 Korean words to understand the cuisine of the temples (and the respect it brings with it)
If the cuisine is a universal language, knowing some Korean words can help us get better into the spirit of Sachal Eumsik (사찰음식), the cuisine of Korean Buddhist temples: vegetable, seasonal, without waste and deeply connected to nature.
Here are ten terms that tell this vision:
These words are not only culinary terms, but expressions of a philosophy of life that invites awareness, respect and harmony with nature.
