[New Book Introduction] A Bowl of Noodles Containing Monks' Practice and Life… Jang Bo-bae's "The Taste of Monks"

It is said that monks smile on the days noodles are served at temples. The practice of eating noodles as a special meal during spiritual training naturally brings a smile to their faces, which gave rise to the term "seungso (僧笑)" or "monk's smile."

Author Jang Bo-bae's "The Taste of Monks" is a record of visiting 24 mountain temples across the country in search of stories connected to this "seungso." The author met with 24 monks and listened to their memories, connections, and stories of spiritual practice contained in a single bowl of noodles.

The book features 24 different dishes including mugwort knife-cut noodles, celebration noodles, perilla knife-cut noodles, Buddha's temple noodles, watermelon kimchi cold noodles, apple cold noodles, and red bean knife-cut noodles. This is not a book that merely introduces cooking methods. The focus is on the stories of people connected to these foods: noodles that evoke a mother's touch from childhood, noodles holding memories from the moment of deciding to enter monastic life, and noodles that sustained practitioners through rigorous training.

The dining hall kitchen in mountain temples is an important space in this book. It is both the kitchen where food is prepared and a place where practitioners share meals and strengthen their resolve. Following the seasonal-ingredient-focused noodles and simple dining tables allows one to glimpse the modest lifestyle and meaning of spiritual practice embedded in temple cuisine. Recipes for each dish are also included.

The author spent about 10 years documenting mountain temples, drawing from memories of staying in mountain hermitages as a child while following her grandmother, who served as a meal attendant. She also serialized stories about temple noodles in "Modern Buddhism."

"The Taste of Monks" looks at people over food, and time over recipes. It tells the story of how a bowl of noodles can sometimes become a respite from spiritual practice and offer comfort to someone.

"The Taste of Monks" written by Jang Bo-bae | Published by Mogua Tree | 140 pages | 22,000 won.