On the 27th (Tuesday) at 8:30 p.m., KBS 2TV's Selreopbyeongsaui Bimil will air, examining the secrets of what kind of lives and what kinds of rule Eastern and Western monarchs who ruled a country led through the tables they chose.
-The Tyrant's table
In the 16th century, the banquet hall of England's Hampton Court Palace had a pulley to lift the king. Weighing more than 170kg, with a 53-inch waist and so obese he could not support himself alone, this king's name was Henry VIII. Inside his palace was a gigantic kitchen with a thousand-piece cooking capacity responsible for feeding thousands of meals a day. Above all, the highlight of this kitchen was the "meat oven." To keep this oven running 24 hours, specially employed were young boys and "dogs turning the treadmills." The production team, using AI to analyze who would best fit filming a mukbang YouTube channel, found that Henry VIII was chosen unanimously over Empress Dowager Cixi and Louis XIV. While other kings focused on the authority of the table, he enjoyed the food itself, a true "real mukbanger." Comedian Shin Giru, who correctly predicted AI's answer, prompted laughter by saying "mukbang is authenticity."
However, Henry VIII's past, when he was sincere about food, was shocking. With a sharp jawline and a slim, handsome face, he experienced a fateful event that changed his body shape and personality 180 degrees. After this event, Henry VIII went so far as to replace five queens, becoming the protagonist of an "England version of love and war" stained with blood. If Henry VIII exists in England, in Joseon there is Yeonsangun. The ultimate tyrant Yeonsangun also committed various outrages at the dining table. Seizing cattle that belonged to commoners to put on his surasang was basic; he put deer tails, sea turtles, dolphins, insects, and even the unimaginably "this" on his table, obsessing over vigorousness supplements. But that obsession may have been a path to harming his health; what exactly that obsession was will be revealed in the broadcast.
- Kings who chose restraint at the table
Conversely, there were kings who chose to reduce their own meals, a practice called "gamsun (減膳)." Sejong, who loved meat so much that his father King Taejong told people to bring him meat even during mourning, when he became king distanced himself even from the meat he loved to share hardships with people suffering from famine. When officials worried about Sejong's weakened strength recommended meat, a reluctant Sejong proposed eating "this," which at the time everyone regarded as humble, instead of precious beef. King Yeongjo, during his reign, performed gamsun as many as 89 times, making him the Joseon king with the most gamsun episodes. But although they chose the same restraint, the results differed. Sejong suffered from various illnesses such as diabetes, deteriorating vision and digestive disorders, while Yeongjo lived to 83 and maintained royal authority. The program explores what the differences between the two kings were. Chef Lee Won-il, who began his culinary path with court cuisine, recreated menus from Joseon records and laid out the "king's table" before viewers. In particular, Joseon's version of "chicken," which Sejong enjoyed for his health, and Yeongjo's political dish that united officials, "tangpyeongchae," made mouths water in the studio.
Meanwhile, special guests, mukbang powerhouse comedian Shin Giru and cooking show powerhouse chef Lee Won-il added weight to the studio. With some 40 kinds of foods mentioned in the broadcast, Shin Giru's legendary mouth-watering reactions, truly sincere about food, are another highlight of this episode. The weight of the table is the weight of the throne! What did kings, who had to be responsible even for what they ate, eat, and where did those tables ultimately lead the king? Selreopbyeongsaui Bimil: the king's table episode will air on the 27th (Tuesday) at 8:30 p.m. on KBS 2TV. It will also be available later on Wavve.
[Photo] Selreopbyeongsaui Bimil
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