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Fernab der südkoreanischen Metropole Seoul befindet sich der buddhistische Gameunsa-Tempel.
Hier leben, beten und kochen drei Nonnen miteinander, die es sich zum Ziel gesetzt haben, das Wissen der jahrhundertealten Tempelküche zu bewahren.
Äbtissin dieses kleinen Klosters ist die charismatische Wookwan Sunim.
Sie wird in Asien als eine der besten Köchinnen der Welt verehrt.
Das eigentliche Kochen beginnt für Wookwan Sunim mit der Auswahl der richtigen Zutaten.
Von Lebensmitteln aus dem Supermarkt, von Fast Food und Fertiggerichten hält sie gar nichts.
Ihre Vorräte sind vor allem saisonal und regional gewachsen:
"Dadurch, dass wir im Gebirge leben, kochen wir mit dem, was uns die Natur schenkt – vor allem mit wilden Pflanzen."
Und diese wachsen nicht nur im Gemüsegarten des Klosters, sondern auch zwischen Blumenbeeten, im angrenzenden Wald oder auf Schotterwegen.
Im Prinzip essen sie alles, was rings um den altehrwürdigen Gameunsa-Tempel wächst.
Aus Blüten gewinnen sie Tee, aus Blättern machen sie Salate und frisch ausgegrabene Wurzeln werden getrocknet und dann frittiert.
Gerade in den vitaminarmen Wintermonaten suchen die Nonnen nach nährstoffreichen Wurzeln im Wald.
Denn bevor im Herbst die Pflanzen ihre Blätter abwerfen, speichern sie Mineralien und Vitamine in ihrem Wurzelgeflecht.
"Die ganze Energie dieser Welt kommt von der Natur", betont Wookwan Sunim.
Damit die Wurzeln auch bekömmlich sind, bereitet die Äbtissin sie mit selbst gemachten Pasten und Soßen zu – vor allem mit Chilipaste und Sojasoße.
Sie sollen aus dem wilden Wurzelgemüse die unerwünschten Bitter- und Giftstoffe ziehen.
"Auf der ganzen Welt essen Menschen vor allem, was ihnen schmeckt, und nicht, was ihnen guttut.
So haben viele ihre Gesundheit ruiniert.
Die Tempelküche dagegen ist sehr einfach.
Sie basiert auf drei Grundlagen: Sojasoße, Chilipaste und Sojabohnenpaste", erläutert Wookwan Sunim.
Neben dem gesundheitlichen Aspekt sind es vor allem die außergewöhnlich aromatischen Geschmackskreationen der Tempelküche, die international Beachtung finden.
Eingelegtes Gemüse, gekochter Reis und tägliche Gebete gehen im Zen-Buddhismus Südkoreas eine äußerst vitale Symbiose ein,
von der die umsorgten Nonnen genauso profitieren wie ihre buddhistischen Anhänger.
Hier leben, beten und kochen drei Nonnen miteinander, die es sich zum Ziel gesetzt haben, das Wissen der jahrhundertealten Tempelküche zu bewahren.
Äbtissin dieses kleinen Klosters ist die charismatische Wookwan Sunim.
Sie wird in Asien als eine der besten Köchinnen der Welt verehrt.
Das eigentliche Kochen beginnt für Wookwan Sunim mit der Auswahl der richtigen Zutaten.
Von Lebensmitteln aus dem Supermarkt, von Fast Food und Fertiggerichten hält sie gar nichts.
Ihre Vorräte sind vor allem saisonal und regional gewachsen:
"Dadurch, dass wir im Gebirge leben, kochen wir mit dem, was uns die Natur schenkt – vor allem mit wilden Pflanzen."
Und diese wachsen nicht nur im Gemüsegarten des Klosters, sondern auch zwischen Blumenbeeten, im angrenzenden Wald oder auf Schotterwegen.
Im Prinzip essen sie alles, was rings um den altehrwürdigen Gameunsa-Tempel wächst.
Aus Blüten gewinnen sie Tee, aus Blättern machen sie Salate und frisch ausgegrabene Wurzeln werden getrocknet und dann frittiert.
Gerade in den vitaminarmen Wintermonaten suchen die Nonnen nach nährstoffreichen Wurzeln im Wald.
Denn bevor im Herbst die Pflanzen ihre Blätter abwerfen, speichern sie Mineralien und Vitamine in ihrem Wurzelgeflecht.
"Die ganze Energie dieser Welt kommt von der Natur", betont Wookwan Sunim.
Damit die Wurzeln auch bekömmlich sind, bereitet die Äbtissin sie mit selbst gemachten Pasten und Soßen zu – vor allem mit Chilipaste und Sojasoße.
Sie sollen aus dem wilden Wurzelgemüse die unerwünschten Bitter- und Giftstoffe ziehen.
"Auf der ganzen Welt essen Menschen vor allem, was ihnen schmeckt, und nicht, was ihnen guttut.
So haben viele ihre Gesundheit ruiniert.
Die Tempelküche dagegen ist sehr einfach.
Sie basiert auf drei Grundlagen: Sojasoße, Chilipaste und Sojabohnenpaste", erläutert Wookwan Sunim.
Neben dem gesundheitlichen Aspekt sind es vor allem die außergewöhnlich aromatischen Geschmackskreationen der Tempelküche, die international Beachtung finden.
Eingelegtes Gemüse, gekochter Reis und tägliche Gebete gehen im Zen-Buddhismus Südkoreas eine äußerst vitale Symbiose ein,
von der die umsorgten Nonnen genauso profitieren wie ihre buddhistischen Anhänger.
Kategorie
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LernenTranskript
00:19Seoul, Asia's new high-tech metropolis.
00:22Here, the focus is on global trends, whether K-Pop, K-Beauty or spicy K-Food.
00:33But beyond bits and bytes, in the mountains south of the capital, time moves differently.
00:42In a monastery, three nuns live almost exclusively on what nature provides.
00:47They cook regional and seasonal dishes, according to the 1700-year-old tradition of Korean temple cuisine.
00:58For the Buddhist nuns, the two worlds do not represent opposites.
01:03They promote a better diet based on natural, sometimes vegan, ingredients and on the traditional recipes of temple cuisine.
01:13These dishes are being cooked more and more often worldwide.
01:19Especially because of their highly aromatic flavor creations.
01:38A magical place is hidden in the remote mountains of South Korea, above the small town of Ichion.
01:47Here, plants, people and animals live in rare harmony, enveloped by the endless chirping of cicadas.
01:56And she gives this place its soul.
02:00Oguan Sunim, a nun known throughout Asia as one of the best cooks in the world.
02:07She lives in this mountain monastery together with two other nuns.
02:14Buddhist temple cuisine follows the seasons.
02:22Because we live in the mountains, we cook with what nature provides.
02:27Especially with wild plants.
02:33As Buddhists, the nuns treat all living beings equally.
02:37Whether human, animal or plant.
02:45There are many animals up here.
02:48Rabbits, for example.
02:50Or deer.
02:52Even wild boars and badgers.
03:01We once planted 200 Chinese cabbages.
03:05200.
03:08Within three or four days, the deer had eaten everything.
03:18That's how it was.
03:21Whatever we do, the animals come at dawn and eat everything.
03:28But they want to live too.
03:33Daily life in her hermitage takes place primarily outdoors.
03:42We live in a small, modest temple.
03:47But we are lucky to live surrounded by nature.
03:53It's normal for us to wash, cook, and eat outdoors.
04:00Korean temple cuisine dishes are vegetarian and low in fat, but full of flavors and healthy microorganisms.
04:10Therefore, a breading made with glutinous rice flour is also permissible in moderation.
04:15Or even deep-frying with wild sesame oil.
04:24Foods high in fat are not really easy to digest.
04:31As nuns, we eat a vegetarian diet.
04:35When I do eat something fried, I can literally feel my body absorbing the fat.
04:47The flower of Korean mint has a fresh aroma and is considered a medicinal plant that cleanses the blood and aids digestion.
04:55stimulates.
04:58All over the world, people primarily eat what tastes good to them, not what is good for them.
05:04Many have ruined their health this way.
05:08Temple cuisine, on the other hand, is very simple.
05:13It has three essential foundations.
05:16Soy sauce, chili paste and soybeans.
05:20I think that's the taste the world really needs right now.
05:36This summer has been unusually rainy.
05:39But the nuns refuse to let that spoil their good mood.
05:45There are three of them at the Gamunza Monastery.
05:48Okwan-Sunim lives together with Yoa-Il-Sunim and Ng-Pam-Sunim.
06:00Even though they spend a lot of time every day with their temple kitchen,
06:04The three are still primarily Zen Buddhist nuns.
06:24Okwan-Sunim is the abbess.
06:33Like her fellow sisters, she belongs to the Jokye Order,
06:37the largest Buddhist monastic community in South Korea.
06:49Buddhism arrived from China around 1700 years ago.
06:54to the Korean Peninsula,
06:56where it has since become part of the cultural identity.
07:04Every morning and evening, the nuns honor their master, Buddha.
07:08The ceremony always follows the same procedure.
07:16Quiet hours begin at 9 pm.
07:25The sky clears up the next morning.
07:31Today the nuns are making gojang.
07:35Korea's famous, highly aromatic chili paste.
07:39There are so many dishes that can be prepared with chili paste.
07:44You can eat it as it is,
07:46but can also be used for frying, braising and stews.
07:50And even with pickled vegetables.
07:52Therefore, one could say that chili paste is the most important spice mix for us.
08:04First, the nuns take hot water,
08:08so that all the ingredients dissolve well.
08:12Especially thick rice syrup needs boiling water.
08:17The syrup keeps the spiciness of the chili in check.
08:20and later gives the paste a subtly sweet and aromatic note.
08:26The nuns fermented all the ingredients beforehand.
08:30Soybean flour, too.
08:33Stir quickly now.
08:39Besides soybean flour, barley rice is one of the most important ingredients.
08:46In this process, it provides the good bacteria
08:50all the necessary carbohydrates they need.
08:55Only at the very end do they stir in the spicy, hot chili powder.
09:03Chili powder is the most important ingredient.
09:06during the production of chili paste.
09:08There are different types of chili peppers.
09:11and everyone has different tastes.
09:14I like Chongilang the most.
09:16This makes the chili paste hotter, spicier, and more delicious.
09:26Oguan Tsunim's chili paste is highly regarded in gourmet circles.
09:30Known all over the world.
09:32They often seek out Michelin-starred chefs in person,
09:35to explore the secrets of their aroma compositions
09:38and to be inspired by her.
09:47It's delicious.
09:49Really?
09:51Yes, but it's spicy.
09:53Sharp?
09:55Chili paste is supposed to be spicy.
10:00And, well seasoned?
10:02Yes, the seasoning is right.
10:05They need to mature a little longer.
10:10Yes, you can eat them immediately.
10:12But I think it tastes better when it's fermented.
10:17Me too.
10:20Chili paste is so delicious,
10:22that you can eat them directly after cooking.
10:25But if they are three or six months old
10:28or even spends a year in prison
10:31The ingredients ferment
10:32and create a harmonious flavor.
10:39responsible for this chemical process
10:41are lactic acid bacteria.
10:43They convert the carbohydrates in the chili paste
10:46into lactic acid and intense aromas.
10:51The nuns' treasury is located at the back of the garden.
10:54Approximately 50 clay jugs
10:55filled with chili and soy pastes
10:57as well as soy sauces.
10:59Some host mixtures ferment here for three months,
11:03others over several decades,
11:05without spoiling.
11:07The nuns use it to cook their own dishes,
11:10but also for creditors from the region
11:12as well as for international state guests
11:15which they visit during Buddhist temple festivals.
11:20Sisters, come here to me!
11:28Let's try the sauces!
11:33Bukwanzunim made everything herself.
11:38This soy sauce is about 30 years old.
11:51It dates back to the time when she herself was a novice.
11:55Oh, sweet and very tasty.
11:58Concentrated, but not too salty.
12:00You can eat them just as they are, they're very tasty.
12:03It is a bit salty, but it is soy sauce after all.
12:08But not too salty.
12:11Once, a chef from a three-Michelin-starred restaurant visited me.
12:14and tested the taste of this soy sauce.
12:18He described them as heaven and hell,
12:20because their flavor is so intense.
12:27Exactly, very tasty.
12:34Next to the soy sauces are the jars of soy paste.
12:39Among them is one very special one.
12:41One that uses bukwanzunim specifically to heal the sick,
12:45who visit them.
12:50Soybean paste that has been stored for more than ten years,
12:53relieves inflammation in the body
12:54and even works against cancer cells.
12:58This soybean paste has been stored here for 13 years.
13:02She can help cancer patients and patients
13:04to help with rare diseases.
13:08When this soybean paste enters our bodies,
13:13The energy of nature and that of our organs meet.
13:17They are attracted to each other.
13:20The paste gives us what we need.
13:22and it takes from the cells,
13:24which we don't need.
13:25It acts like a medicine.
13:30Okwanzunim is convinced of its healing power.
13:33Her reputation as a temple cook
13:35possibly with magical healing knowledge
13:37It extends as far as the capital city of Seoul, 50 kilometers away.
13:43There she will soon learn the wisdom of temple cuisine.
13:47pass this knowledge on in monthly cooking classes.
13:55In the afternoon, Okwanzunim makes a detour
13:59to a friendly rice farmer in the neighborhood.
14:04The rice from her hometown of Ichion is something very special.
14:13For centuries, Korea's kings had their rice delivered exclusively from this region.
14:21Be careful, it's slippery.
14:23It has been raining constantly for the last few days.
14:26This reminds me of my childhood.
14:29My father would then always go to his field,
14:31to dig a trench,
14:33so that the plants are not underwater.
14:37Yes, I do that too, except when it's raining as heavily as it did last night.
14:45Why is Ichion rice so famous?
14:52The soil here is very good,
14:55good water
14:58and especially the perfect climate for rice.
15:05Is it warm during the day and really cold at night?
15:09Exactly.
15:10I gladly offer my rice as a gift to Buddha and the venerable nuns.
15:15For me, rice is not just a foodstuff.
15:17I can also show my respect with rice.
15:20For example, our harvest festival is coming up soon.
15:22My rice is also a gift to my ancestors.
15:25Very good.
15:27Thank you so much for praying for me and for Buddha being omnipresent.
15:46The next morning.
15:50Okwanzunim wants to teach her students today,
15:53how to cook according to the recipes of temple cuisine
15:55the national dish Kimchi is prepared.
15:59Kimchi can be made from almost any vegetable.
16:04Chinese cabbage is the most popular.
16:07This is first soaked in a brine solution for several hours,
16:11which need to be washed thoroughly.
16:13The salt prevents
16:15that unwanted putrefactive bacteria multiply.
16:18To start the fermentation process, you need salt and grain.
16:24We do not use grains,
16:26but the water from the cooked barley.
16:29The barley brew serves as food for the good bacteria.
16:34In addition, the microorganisms receive sugar.
16:36made from the juice of freshly pressed yellow bell peppers.
16:43For the host's mix, a lot of chili powder is added.
16:49Finished with sweet applesauce,
16:53salty soy sauce
16:57and pureed ginger.
17:04Finally, everything is seasoned with salt.
17:08wild pepper
17:09and seasoned with sweet plum juice.
17:19Besides Chinese cabbage
17:21Pickled pak choi or mang gold are also suitable.
17:26But regardless of the vegetable,
17:29Good fermentation requires hardworking hands,
17:32to thoroughly massage in the host mixture.
17:37The vegetables now ferment for three to twelve months.
17:47Good morning, welcome.
17:50Good morning
17:51They're early.
17:53They could have taken more time.
17:55This is rice from my first harvest.
17:57For Buddha.
17:58Come in.
18:05Since Okwan Sunim 14 years ago
18:08moved into the Gamunsa Temple,
18:11She has gained numerous followers.
18:13Believers regularly visit the nuns,
18:16to give them and Buddha rice
18:18and donate other food items.
18:25Since they live in the neighborhood,
18:28The rice farmer Buddha donates rice
18:31and the florist flowers.
18:34So if we need something,
18:37Let's go to the neighbors.
18:39And the neighbors come up to our house,
18:42when they want to rest.
18:44That's how we became friends.
18:46and try to help each other.
19:12The nuns themselves usually only eat once a day.
19:15Today, exceptionally, there will be a fast-food dish.
19:19from the temple kitchen,
19:20Salty-sweet eggplant with cherry tomatoes.
19:26It's a dish with a personal story.
19:34Eggplants have changed my life.
19:38I just wanted to be a normal nun,
19:41who practices asceticism and worships Buddha.
19:46But suddenly I became a cook nun.
19:52And that's how it happened.
19:54Ten years ago, she received a visit from a respected abbess.
19:59Okwansunim cooked buttery-soft eggplants for the old lady,
20:03Spicy seasoned with green chilies,
20:06soy sauce and lots of sweet rice syrup.
20:13After the meal, she told me it was delicious.
20:17Why don't you cook the food for me at the Bongnio Temple?
20:24I hadn't even dreamt of that.
20:27And that's how it all began.
20:31This dish changed her life.
20:46Autumn is gradually arriving in the mountains near Echeon.
20:56Only a few lettuce leaves and edible flowers remain in the monastery garden.
21:05The nuns' menu now includes this:
21:08what the nature of their surroundings offers them.
21:12And these are primarily roots.
21:15Full of minerals and vitamins.
21:17Because when plants lose their leaves in autumn,
21:21They store their nutrients in their roots beforehand.
21:44Roots are something very special to the nuns, too.
21:50Because it's not just food,
21:53but the best food for our body.
22:01Based on the flower shape, in this case balloon flowers,
22:05The nuns can identify which roots are in the soil.
22:12If you follow the stems, you'll find two roots here.
22:17Let's dig here.
22:25If you are not careful when digging up these roots,
22:29They break.
22:30Very slowly and carefully.
22:34It is so deep.
22:36Caution!
22:44While digging for edible roots
22:47The nuns try not to damage any neighboring root systems.
22:53For them, plants are living beings of equal value.
22:57Therefore, they only take so many roots from the forest,
22:59how they can eat later.
23:05It smells so good.
23:13The roots will be served immediately.
23:19Our lunch will be delicious.
23:38Pure water from the mountains.
23:41Ideal for the nuns to wash the roots directly on site.
23:46Because...
23:47All the energy in this world comes from nature.
23:52While washing the roots, they consider how to prepare them.
23:55Cook, ferment, or eat raw.
23:59Those who cook with their heart,
24:01recognizes the properties of each food.
24:07That's exactly how I decide,
24:09how I prepare the roots.
24:16And so this time she decides,
24:18to prepare a salad
24:19and thus retain most of the nutrients.
24:26However, raw roots also contain a small amount of poison.
24:30These toxins could cause stomach pain.
24:36That's why we season them with soy paste,
24:39Soy sauce and chili paste
24:41which neutralize the poison
24:43and make the taste even better.
24:51Apple and chili pieces are added to the roots.
24:57A root vegetable salad like this is a typical winter dish.
25:02It is garnished with roasted sesame seeds.
25:12Okwanzunim has been living in the Gamunsa Monastery for 14 years.
25:18Her path to Buddhism was anything but predetermined.
25:23She grew up in a Christian home.
25:26As a teenager, she came into contact with Buddhism through a book.
25:35It was called The Heart, written by the monk Chengdamsunim.
25:39When I read it, I was totally confused.
25:42Until then, I thought I was a servant of God.
25:45But the book said that I am the master of my own heart.
25:51In her mid-twenties, she joined the Buddhist Yogye order.
25:55and then lived for two decades in her mistress's convent.
26:03After their deaths, Okwanzunim moved to the Gamunsa-Iremitage.
26:08She is now the abbess there herself.
26:24She will leave the monastery early the next morning.
26:31The plan is to go to Seoul to establish the Institute for Temple Cuisine.
26:46The journey takes about an hour.
27:10At the Bunsa Temple, Okwanzunim will first have to get used to the unfamiliar daily life of the monks.
27:434 a.m. the following morning.
27:46The wooden mok-tak drum announces, time to get up.
27:52The first ceremony of the day begins in 30 minutes.
28:04The Mok-Tak is followed by four more drums, played for the living as well as for the dead.
28:14The sound of the Byok-Po drum is said to bring happiness and peace to all mammals.
28:28By ringing the Byom Jong bell, the monks hope to comfort the souls of the deceased.
28:46The wooden, fish-shaped Mok-Geo drum is said to bring harmony to all animals in the water.
28:57And the resonance of the U-Pan cloud drum is intended for the enjoyment of all flying animals.
29:13Every morning before sunrise, the monks pay homage to Buddha.
29:23Okwan-Zunim is a special case as abbess of the Jokje Order.
29:29She is the only woman allowed to attend the morning prayer in the temple.
29:34Everyone else is only allowed to watch from the outside.
29:44Today, Okwan-Zunim will divide the sacrificial rice for the first time in a ceremonial act.
29:51A particularly honorable task.
29:57The rice in the Kamasute is cooked for everyone.
30:01For Buddha, the abbot, the monks, and the believers.
30:05Because, according to the philosophy, Buddha makes no distinction.
30:14Now, exactly the same amount of rice is placed in each brass bowl.
30:25The bowls must be clean and shiny.
30:41Nine female volunteers carry the divided rice to the nine altars of the temple.
30:56A ritual that may only take place between nine o'clock and eleven o'clock.
31:05Buddha only ate once a day, and only at that time.
31:12That's why we always serve him his food at this time.
31:24And like Buddha before him, many monks and nuns still eat only once a day.
31:31And all this without sacrifice.
31:33They say the temple cuisine is so nutritious that one meal is enough.
31:39The body and mind, at least, should remain free of ballast as a result.
31:44On their path to knowledge and enlightenment.
31:48fervor and renunciation...
32:09Subtitles by ZDF, 2020