Bongeunsa temple opens temple food research center

Bongeunsa temple in Gangnam, Seoul recently opened a temple food culture research center and appointed a Buddhist monk named Wookwan as the head of the center. The research center is located at the Simgumdang building in the temple site.

Bongeunsa temple has been making efforts to promote temple food by hosting temple food lunchbox cooking competitions with well-known chefs and other events. The research center will introduce temple food recipes that can be easily made at home and develop new recipes.

“The research center was established for Bongeunsa temple to lead the research of temple food and its promotion to the public,” said the chief monk of the temple, Wonmyoung. “We will develop and promote temple foods that will appeal to those interested in healthy food.” Wookwan who led the Mahayeon TempleFood Cultural Center introduced temple food across the world by working as a member of the temple food textbook compilation committee and a temple food expert of the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism.

Her two books on South Korean temple food were also published in English. “The temple food culture research center will focus on the popularization of temple food while figuring out how to generate profits at the same time.”


Gab-Sik Kim dunanworld@donga.com