The Korea Heritage Service announced on the 21st that it plans to designate 'temple food' as a new intangible national heritage.

Temple food is food that contains the spirit of Buddhism and has been handed down in temples, encompassing traditional meal methods represented by monks' ritual meals and bowl offerings. It is characterized by being vegetarian, prepared without meat, fish, or the five pungent vegetables (garlic, green onion, chives, wild chives, and leeks), based on Buddhist philosophy.

Seoul JinGwanSa temple food. /Courtesy of Korean Buddhism Cultural Project Group

Temple food has developed over a long time, interacting with Korean food culture since Buddhism was introduced to the country.

Documents from the Goryeo Dynasty, such as 'Dongguk Yisangguk Jip,' 'Jogye Jingakguksa Eoreuk,' and 'Mogeunsigo,' contain records related to temple food, including vegetarian dumplings and pickled greens. During the Joseon Dynasty, temples functioned as major suppliers of fermented soy products like tofu and meju, while also exchanging food with the yangban class and grains, fostering interactions with the public.

The Korea Heritage Service evaluated that temple food 'embodies the principles of non-killing, respect for life, and the philosophical values of moderation in food, thus forming a unique food culture' and that 'it contributes to cultural diversity and creativity by maintaining traditional cooking methods while creatively reinterpreting them, making it worthy of designation as an intangible national heritage.'

The meal method called 'balwoo-gongyang' is performed using a wooden bowl called 'balwoo'. /Courtesy of Korean Buddhism Cultural Project Group

However, considering that various cooking methods have been passed down in each temple and that all members of the temple community, centered on monks, participate in the collective transmission system, it was decided not to recognize any specific holders or groups.

The Korea Heritage Service plans to collect public opinions during a 30-day designation notice period, gather views from various sectors, and ultimately decide whether to designate 'temple food' as an intangible national heritage following a review by the Intangible Heritage Committee. Additionally, it stated that it will continue to strive to ensure that intangible heritage with significant value is fully transmitted through the designation of new categories of intangible heritage.