Kim Ji Young

The Essentials Temple food is the core discipline at Balwoo Gongyang in Seoul, where Kim Ji Young serves as Head Chef. The work sits on restraint and attention: the cook’s state matters as much as the plate, and the practice asks for discipline before display. In Kim Ji Young’s own framing, the meal carries the mind [마음] of the person who prepares it. That is why she has told colleagues that anger or resentment can reach the diner too, and why she treats a clear state of mind as part of the craft.

In Their Words “If I’m angry or resentful, that could also affect the person eating it. So I try to cook with a good 마음 [mind/heart], and I’ve often told the colleagues I worked with that as well.”