Jeong Kwan

Drirector, Chunjinam Hermitage, Baekyangsa Temple; Jangseong, South Korea

Jeong Kwan, is director of Chunjinam Hermitage at the Baekyangsa Temple, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, and managing director of the International Temple Food Education Center. Jeong is Buddhist nun, selected as one of the Plant-Forward Global 50 by Eat Forum and The Culinary Institute of America, and nicknamed the ’The Philosopher Chef’ by the New York Times.  She has made influential insights into the field of Buddhist temple cooking methods focused on the future of sustainable eating practices.  Her Buddhist cultural approach to eco-friendly eating practice has been shaped over centuries and handed down based on the foundation of Buddhist philosophy. Although first and foremost a Buddhist nun, not a chef, she has had great opportunities to be involved in Buddhist temple food cooking practices ever since she became a nun at the age of 17. Jeong Kwan was profiled in Netflix’s Chef’s Table series (Seson Three), and has also been featured in the screening of the 2017 Berlin Film Festival documentary film series. Since then, much of her philosophical wisdom in temple food cooking and eating practices have been shared around the world. The Baekyangsa monastery, Chunjinam hermitage has received a great number of visitors from many parts of the world. Jeong is an internationally renowned inspiration to chefs looking for plant-forward innovation and flavor development strategies and techniques, and has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Independent, The Sunday Morning Herald, EATER, and Food & Wine and many more publications.  =(Jangseong, South Korea)