Buddhist Nun, Jeong Kwan, Wins Asia's 50 Best Icon Award 2022

South Korean monk Jeong Kwan has been announced as the winner of the Icon Award Asia ahead of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2022 awards ceremony, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, on 29 March 2022.

Voted for by over 300 experts across Asia, Kwan has been recognised for her philosophical approach to cooking and her mastery of temple cuisine with impeccably crafted dishes reflecting her innate creativity, technical skills, and deep respect for seasonal ingredients.

At the age of 17 'the philosopher chef', as Kwan was once dubbed by the New York Times, joined a Buddhist monastery, where she has dedicated herself to centuries-old traditions and cooking techniques for the last forty years. Embracing the central Buddhist principles of zero waste and healthy eating, she cooks without meat, fish, dairy, garlic, or onions, instead harnessing vegetables that she grows in her garden, and flavouring her food with salt, soy sauce and paste, and chilli paste in dishes like roasted rice soup with pine mushrooms, apple and tomato kimchi, seasoned gourd and mung bean pancakes.

Accepting the award, Kwan said: “I am extremely honoured to receive the 2022 Icon Award. I hope that this award will raise awareness of temple food and further advance Korean cuisine around the world. I am aware of the difficulties caused by the global pandemic and hope that the situation will improve so we can meet again to share food and positive energy."