Jeong Kwan

Jeong Kwan is a Zen Buddhist nun and chef of Korean cuisine. She lives in the Chunjinam Hermitage at the Baegyangsa temple in South Korea, where she cooks for fellow nuns and monks, as well as occasional visitors. Kwan does not own a restaurant and has no formal culinary training.

Kwan grew up on a farm, and learned to make noodles by hand at age 7. She ran away from home at 17, and two years later joined an order of Zen nuns, where she discovered her calling of spreading dharma through cooking. Kwan's recipes use aubergines, tomatoes, plums, oranges, pumpkin, tofu, basil, chilli pepper, and other vegetables, which she grows herself. In addition to being strictly vegan, Kwan's recipes omit garlic and onions, which some Buddhists believe arouse the libido.

Kwan has influenced chefs including Mingoo Kang, of the Seoul restaurant Mingles, and René Redzepi, of Noma in Copenhagen. She is friends with Éric Ripert, a fellow Buddhist, who has invited her to New York City to cook for private audiences at Le Bernadin. In 2015, Kwan was featured on the Netflix series Chef's Table.