AI Chef Seo Yugu: Re-imagining 18th century Korean food
Chef Kwak Mikyung in conversation with Professor Jieun Kiaer
We are pleased to announce an in-person talk with chef Kwak Mikyung from the Pungseok Foundation and Professor Jieun Kiaer from University of Oxford about two 18th century scholar chefs.
During the talk, we will discuss the lives of two scholar chefs from the Joseon era, Seo Yu-gu (1764-1845) and Bingheogak (1759-1824), the latter being the sister-in-law of Seo. Seo Yu-gu is the author of The Encyclopaedia of Rural Life, which describes his knowledge and experiences of rural life, consists of approximately 28,000 items, 113 volumes, and 54 books. Bingheogak wrote Gyuhapchongseo which is a collection of the wisdom of daily life including recipes, making clothes, agriculture and more.
This event will explore their culinary philosophies and explore some of their recipes. We will also introduce the AI chef Seo Yu-gu, to bring Seo’s culinary wisdom to life. This hour-long talk is accompanied by maehwa cha (plum blossom tea) and gangjeong, traditional hand-crafted Korean cookies, made by chef Kwak.
Event Details
- Date: 11 Jan 2024, 5-6pm
- Venue: Korean Cultural Centre UK
- Free admission, RSVP required
- [ALLERGY NOTICE] Please note that the Korean dessert Gangjeong contains sesame, beetroot, rock tripe, honey
Chef Kwak Mikyung
Kwak Mikyung, a food writer, chef, and director of the Pungseok Food Research Institute, specialises in traditional Korean cuisine. She is the author of 'Joseon's Chef Seo Yugu' and the novella 'Bingheokak - A Woman Leaning on Empty Space.
Professor Jieun Kiaer
Jieun Kiaer is the YBM KF Professor of Korean Linguistics at the University of Oxford and has widely published on the Korean language and culture. She is the author of Language of Hallyu: More than Polite (Routledge 2023). Currently, she and her team at Oxford are translating scholar chef Seo Yugu's food encyclopaedia, Jeongjoji.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
