Food as part of practice
In Korean monasteries, meals are not a break from practice. They are treated as part of it. The cooking, the serving and the eating follow a set of principles that draw on Buddhist ideas about compassion, moderation and gratitude. The result is a style of cooking usually called sachal eumsik, “temple food”, which has attracted wide interest in Korea and abroad.
What follows is a general description. Monasteries differ in their kitchens and customs, and individual cooks and communities have their own habits.
Core principles
Several ideas are commonly mentioned when temple food is described:
- No meat or fish. Temple food is vegetarian. This follows the Mahayana emphasis on not harming living beings, which in East Asian monastic codes is generally taken to include avoiding the flesh of animals. Practice among lay people varies, and the Theravada countries have different norms, with monks there often eating what they are offered.
- Avoiding strong-smelling vegetables. Traditionally garlic, onion, spring onion, chives and similar plants, sometimes called the five pungent vegetables, are left out. Explanations differ. One common view is that they are thought to disturb the mind or inflame desire and anger, which matters for meditation. Modern temple kitchens vary in how strictly this is followed.
- Seasonal and local ingredients. Wild greens, roots, mushrooms, pine nuts, seaweed and mountain herbs feature heavily, often gathered or grown near the temple. The menu changes through the year.
- Fermented seasonings. Soybean paste, soy sauce and chilli paste, made and aged at the temple, are central to the flavour. Kimchi is made without fish sauce or salted seafood.
- Wasting nothing. Food is taken in measured amounts, and scraps are used. This reflects the idea that food comes from the labour of many beings and deserves respect.
Cooking methods tend to be simple: steaming, blanching, seasoning, pickling and light frying. The aim is generally to bring out the natural taste of each ingredient and avoid heavy, oily or sweet dishes. Anyone who thinks of Korean food as strongly spiced may be surprised by how subtle a temple meal can be.
The formal bowl meal
The traditional formal meal is called baru gongyang, “offering with a bowl”. The name refers to the monastic alms bowl, which in the earliest Buddhist communities was the monk’s basic vessel for food. In Korea, a set of nested bowls, often wooden or lacquered, is used. They are unwrapped, arranged and filled in a fixed order, with chanting at the start and end.
A typical sequence, described in general terms, includes:
- The bowls are laid out in silence, with the largest used for rice and the others for soup, side dishes and water.
- Food is served in portions that each person has requested or accepted, with the aim of finishing everything.
- A short verse is chanted, which includes reflection on the food’s origin and the purpose of eating.
- Everyone eats quietly and attentively.
- At the end, a little water or tea is poured into the bowls, and the diner uses a piece of pickled radish or similar to wipe them clean. The rinse water is then drunk, so that nothing is left.
- The bowls are wrapped again and put away.
The practice reflects values that appear across the monastic community: restraint, gratitude, cleanliness and care for shared resources. Visitors who join a temple stay may be invited to try it, and some programmes teach it as a short lesson. It may feel unfamiliar at first, and guests are usually given guidance and are not expected to do everything perfectly.
Seasons and festivals
Special foods mark some occasions. Rice cakes and other offerings appear at festivals such as the Buddha’s birthday, and ritual offerings of food are made at the altar. Autumn and winter involve storing and fermenting for the coming months, while spring brings fresh wild greens. The details of such customs depend on the region and the temple.
Eating at a temple as a guest
If you are a guest, a few simple points help:
- Take only what you can finish, and be ready to eat in silence.
- Tell the temple about food allergies in advance, since the kitchen may use soy, sesame, nuts and wheat extensively.
- Do not ask for meat or alcohol, and do not bring them into the temple grounds.
- Follow the instructions of the person leading the meal, including how to sit and when to begin.
Temple food has also been adapted by restaurants outside temples, where menus may include dishes that a monastery would not serve. The menu, the rules and the availability of meals for visitors vary and change, so check current information with the temple or programme.