Korean Temple Cooking: Lessons on Life and Buddhism, with Recipes, the Life and Work of Jeongkwan Snim

by Hoo Nam Seelmann

Korean Temple Cooking celebrates the poetry of simple, nourishing food. The book chronicles temple life, Buddhism, and living and cooking seasonally and with a spiritual tie to the land through interviews with and recipes from Jeongkwan Snim, dubbed “the Philosopher Chef” by the New York Times, who was the subject of the first episode of Netflix’s Chef’s Table Season 3.   

Follow Snim through the seasons at a Korean Buddhist temple and learn to preserve, cook, and savor all that nature has to offer. Recipes are arranged by season, with special extra sections on rice, noodles, tofu, kimchi, seasonings, and more. Essays and interviews give a rare peek into temple life, the history of Buddhism in Korea, its teachings, and even a look at the architecture of the temple and attire worn there. 

An expansive and breathtaking chronicle, Korean Temple Cooking is the coffee table book you’ll want to cook out of all year round. 

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction

448 pages, Hardcover

Published September 9, 2025

Reviews

[Luna]

W połowie książka o kuchni mnichów buddyjskich z przepisami, w drugiej o samym buddyzmie, życiu w świątyniu jako mnich i tradycjach
Sięgnęłam po nią, bo autorka wystąpiła w programie kulinarnym, który oglądam i jej energia mnie do siebie przyciągnęła
Niesamowite jak w tekście nawet można poczuć jej spokój ducha czytając jej słowa z pierwszych rozdziałów książki i jej miłość do buddyzmu i kuchni

[Ruby]

a lot of recipes sort of require me to ferment my korean mountainside berries in huge earthenware pots for many years and while inspiring i would say is easier said than done