YI HEON
KING OF JOSEON
I apologize for the delay.
We shall finally begin the competition.
The theme of the first dish is…
MAENG MAN-SU, EOM BONG-SIK
TANG BAILONG, YA FEIXIU, KONG WENLI
Mu for "nonexistent," yuk for "meat."
It is a meat dish
that has never been seen before.
You may begin cooking now.
Let's start making our first dish,
spicy galbijjim, braised short ribs.
- Yes.
- Yes.
- Let us begin cooking the diced chicken.
- Okay.
- Gil-geum.
- Yes.
- Cook Sim.
- Okay.
What? It's two against one?
Are two people cooking the main dish?
What are they doing?
So this is their plan?
Cook Eom.
- Ya Feixiu.
- Yes.
What? The cook for the first round
is Ya Feixiu?
What are they thinking?
She's soaking the chicken
in salt, vinegar, and honey.
She's tenderizing the meat.
What is she making?
Stir-fried chicken?
Let's focus.
Let's boil the meat.
A mere braised short rib dish?
Did I expect too much of her?
I will start cooking
when the meat is seasoned.
When will that be?
In half an hour.
Very well.
- Cook Maeng?
- I was done long ago.
The griddle is heated and ready too.
Good.
- Give me the gochugaru, chili powder.
- Cook Sim, where is the gochogaru?
Well, you see…
Cook Min is looking for it at Saongwon,
Office of Royal Meals.
- What?
- He should be here by now.
What…
Here he is.
I have bad news.
Why are you empty-handed?
The gochogaru is gone.
- What?
- What?
What are you talking about?
We safely stored it in Saongwon.
Where could it have gone?
Did you look everywhere?
Yes. I searched every corner.
The gochojang and gochogaru are all gone.
What on earth is happening?
The competition has barely started!
Did you not check beforehand?
It was there just last night.
This can't be.
I'm screwed.
Cook Min, are you sure?
Yes.
There's no time for this.
If we don't have gochugaru,
- we have to change the dish.
- What?
How are we to change the dish now?
Let us just braise the short ribs
in soy sauce.
That is not a meat dish new to the world.
I must prepare a meat dish
they've never seen before.
With short ribs.
A taste that doesn't exist in this era.
Yeah.
That's it.
Everyone, please do as I say.
There's wild grape wine made with rice
at Saongwon, right?
- Yes, there is.
- Shall I go get it now?
- Yes. Hurry.
- Sure.
- And then…
- Why do we need that?
I need more than just wild grape rice wine
to create the true flavors
of beef bourguignon.
It needs the flavor of bacon.
Cook Eom, please get some pig fat
- and coat the griddle with it.
- Okay.
And then…
I also need the aroma of mirepoix too.
Instead of onions, carrots, and celery…
Cook Maeng, please chop
the Pyogo mushrooms, radish, and pumpkin.
Okay.
Gil-geum, drain the meat.
Okay.
- Gil-geum, get me a bowl of water.
- Okay.
- And drain the water from the pot.
- Okay.
This is the best I can do right now.
- Here is the wine.
- Good.
- Let's see.
- Check it first.
Great.
GRAND PRINCE JESAN
SUPERINTENDENT OF SAONGWON
That much?
Pour it all in there.
- All of it?
- All of it.
WILD GRAPE RICE WINE
This aroma.
- My gosh.
- Goodness.
This is definitely the aroma of wine.
A mixture of rice and wine.
She is cooking meat in wine.
What could she be making?
That is very strange.
Instead of adding a dash of wine
to get rid of the meat smell,
she is soaking all the meat in it.
- There is still more left?
- Yes.
They look anxious.
Whatever it is,
it surely is a meat dish
the world has never seen before.
No matter how hard they try,
they cannot win.
We will win
because…
I have this.
Here.
What did you just put in?
It's called bouquet garni.
It's a French herb bundle,
and I made the Joseon version.
Oh, bucket garly.
We're good. Now we let it simmer.
How long will it take?
An hour?
Half a sijin.
- We'll take turns watching the fire.
- Take turns, my foot.
Boiling is my specialty,
so I will make sure it does not burn.
Okay.
What should we call this dish?
It is braised, but…
Since it's a blend
of Joseon-style galbijjim
and western cooking techniques…
Maybe beef bourguignon galbijjim
braised in wild grape rice wine?
What was that?
She said brabbling galbijjim
braised in wild grape rice wine.
COURSE N° 8 RICE WINE BEEF BOURGUIGNON
Cook Yeon,
what in the world are you making?
Cooking meat in a pot of wine?
There is a great disparity in skill
compared to the Ming cooks.
It looks quite unlikely
that she will overpower them and win.
HAN MIN-SEONG
CHIEF STATE COUNCILOR
They are doubting the skills
of the Joseon cooks.
He says they were no match
for the best cooks of the Ming
to begin with.
However,
the true value of a dish
is not how it smells
but how it tastes.
Ultimately, it all comes down
to the excellence of the taste.
Our cooks
are known to possess the skills
of a guksamussang in Joseon.
GUKSAMUSSANG: INDIVIDUAL WHOSE TALENTS
ARE UNMATCHED THROUGHOUT THE NATION
I am sure it is as you say.
All the finest ingredients
would scarcely suffice,
yet she acts so recklessly.
Look at the Ming cooks.
Their knife skills are extraordinary.
We shall wait and see.
Who knows? The wine-soaked meat
could have special qualities.
It's done.
Let's prepare the garnish.
Cook Eom, please steam the pumpkin.
Cook Maeng,
please prepare some young greens.
Here you go.
That is heavy.
Okay. We need 30 more minutes.
It'll be done in a quarter of a sijin.
Do we just have to wait now?
Yes, Cook Eom.
Will you check the plates and cutlery
in case they are blemished?
Let us start setting the tables.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Cook Maeng, can you pass me the milk?
Milk.
Is that pumpkin paste?
It's pumpkin purée.
Oh, hurray.
- Hurray.
- Purée.
What is this smell? It is so spicy.
It is a familiar smell
that stings the nose.
It can't be.
It does not smell like
the typical pepper used in the Ming.
No. There's no way.
- Uncle.
- Yes.
What is this oddly familiar spicy smell?
No.
It better not be.
I will go back to setting the tables.
Yes, let us do that.
That liquor looks special too.
What is that?
Is that not the legendary
Qufu Family Liquor?
You mean the liquor that is only
passed down in the Qufu family?
The Ming cooks in action
are truly an impressive sight.
However, I do not think that is
a meat dish the world has ever seen.
I do not know what Ya Feixiu is preparing,
but I am sure it is a dish
that the world has never seen before.
Not to mention the liquor
Kong Wenli has prepared,
which is also one of a kind.
Kong Wenli?
He says he is Confucius' descendant.
Kong Wenli will serve you liquor
you have never tasted before,
called Qufu Family Liquor,
to drink on the side.
A one-of-a-kind liquor
served by Confucius' descendant
called Qufu Family Liquor?
He says whatever food Ya Feixiu makes,
it will be a one-of-a-kind liquor
that suits a one-of-a-kind dish.
I very much look forward to it.
- Cook Yeon, let me do it.
- Oh, thank you.
Please put it on the griddle
so I can flambé it.
All right.
FLAMBÉ: ADDING ALCOHOL TO FOOD
AND BURNING IT OFF QUICKLY
Cook Maeng,
can you put some of the sauce in here?
- By "sauce," you mean the seasoning.
- Exactly.
How fascinating.
A dish is completed
with the chef's final touch.
On top of the bourguignon
with a deep and rich flavor…
puffed rice is added
to give it a crunchy texture.
A flower is shaped from cucumbers.
Adding the pumpkin purée on top
will add a subtle sweetness.
Then the diced chicken
is carefully placed in the middle.
And that completes a meat dish
the world has never seen.
Lastly, topping it with fragrant
young greens completes the dish.
The time is up.
The cooks are to step away
from the stations.
It is time for the tasting.
After you taste the food,
we will provide you
with paper, ink, and a brush.
Please rate the other nation's dish,
the highest score being ten.
First, you will taste the dish
made by the Joseon cooks.
The moment the meat touches my tongue,
it disappears as if it is melting away.
It is an incredibly tender dish
that I have never tasted before.
What is the name of this dish?
This dish is called
beef bourguignon
braised in wild grape rice wine.
It's a traditional French stew dish.
We braised top-shelf short ribs
in wild grape rice wine for a long time
to add deep flavor
and make it a Joseon-style galbijjim.
"Tough self" galbi?
Beef burgy yawn
braised in wild grape rice wine?
He says the meat
not only melts in his mouth,
but also has a sweet, fruity aroma.
It is truly delicious.
The deep flavor and aroma
of the wild grape rice wine
remain in my mouth,
yet I do not taste the wine.
Why is that?
The alcohol in the wine
evaporated as the meat simmered.
Not to mention the flambé.
Plum bay?
Oh, it's called "flambé."
You saw how the flames flared up
and died down earlier, right?
- That burned the remaining alcohol--
- "Our cool"?
No, so… It got rid of the wine taste.
Impressive indeed.
It has a light and fresh aroma,
and the meat is so tender
that it melts in my mouth.
You are incredibly skilled.
I am certain not many cooks in the Ming
can make a dish like this.
He says that may be the case.
The natural flavor of the meat
goes well with the delicate aroma
of the wild grapes.
It is truly the finest of all delicacies.
Thank you.
He says it is still just galbijjim,
so it does not qualify as a dish
the world has never seen.
This is a dish
that doesn't exist in current times.
What does that mean?
It's a home-cooked meal
that will come about
a few hundred years from now
in the French countryside.
And also,
this is a personal story,
but this dish doesn't exist for me either.
This dish
is something that French mothers
prepare for their families.
Whenever I make this dish,
I imagine how it would taste
if my late mother
made it for me.
Therefore,
this dish doesn't exist in this era,
and it doesn't exist anywhere else
in the world for me as well.
Next, you will taste the dish
made by the Ming cooks.
What is this dish?
I made this
for the first time today, my lord.
It is made with chicken and nuts,
so she named it "gyejeong,"
and it is served with Qufu Family Liquor.
"Gyejeong"?
That food was introduced later
in the Qing Dynasty.
What is Kung Pao chicken,
a Sichuan dish, doing here?
No way. Is she the creator of gyejeong?
It is pleasantly spicy yet sweet,
and even nutty.
It is very strong.
What is this?
It is extremely moist.
How is that?
I cooked the chicken just enough
that it was cooked all the way through
without losing its moisture.
And she says peanuts were added
for the nutty flavor.
How did you create
this intense spicy flavor?
She said she added a secret sauce
to the chicken to make it spicy.
I wonder what that secret sauce is
that gave your dish
an intense yet captivating spiciness.
The clean yet rich taste
of the Qufu Family Liquor
balances out the spiciness.
I would expect no less of a liquor
passed down for generations.
However, in what way is your gyejeong
new to the world?
For a long time,
we have been eating a similar dish
in Joseon called chicken gangjeong.
I have tasted that dish myself.
However, what I made is different.
She used a red oil called "layu"
that the world has never seen before.
A red oil called "layu"?
He says Ya Feixiu,
who created a new seasoning called layu,
is the pride of Ming.
He says the silky red
and fine-colored layu
is something no one has tasted before.
I'm positive that she made that
with our gochu, chili peppers.
Even if she's a genius,
you can't make layu without gochu.
I have bad news.
The gochogaru is all gone.
Did she…
He is suggesting that you make
a decision now, Your Majesty.
Let us do that.
Which dish did you find more special?
I am sorry to say
I preferred Ya Feixiu's diced chicken
to Joseon's braised short ribs.
Joseon's dish was exceptionally good,
but it is hard to believe
that the dish does not exist in this era,
and the story behind it
was also too personal.
He says he cannot give a high score
to Joseon's galbijjim.
However, the beef burgy yawn
braised in wild grape rice wine
was definitely prepared in a way
that did not exist until now.
Therefore,
I cannot give a high score
to the Ming's version
of chicken gangjeong.
SEVEN
FOUR
I will announce the result
of the first round.
Wait, Your Majesty!
What is it?
Before you announce the winner,
please allow me to taste Ming's dish.
He asks what your intention is
behind the request.
Ya Feixiu is certainly a great cook,
but I'd like to check something
before the final judgment.
How dare you? The judgment is to be made
- by His Majesty and the chief envoy.
- Wait.
I apologize, Director Yu.
What is it you wish to check?
- An ingredient, Your Majesty.
- An ingredient?
I won't know for sure
until I taste Ya Feixiu's dish.
Are you saying
she used a banned ingredient?
Please let me taste the food just once.
Please.
He will not allow it!
Uncle, why would you give that to her?
Bailong, what are you doing?
The result of any cooking competition
- comes down to the taste of the food.
- He is curious about the Joseon dish
and suggested
they taste each other's food.
Bailong, it is not for you to decide.
Step back!
Do you not mind that our cooks
may be subjected to mockery
by the cooks of this small nation?
Director Yu.
You should sit back down.
The pride of the Ming depends on this.
Please give your permission, my lord.
The cooks from both nations
wish to taste each other's food.
As the King of Joseon,
I give my permission.
He says he also gives his permission
as the chief envoy
of the great nation of Ming.
This taste…
The aroma, color, and taste.
It lacks nothing at all.
This is truly
a perfectly balanced dish.
This is definitely layu
made with our gochu.
Where did you get this red oil?
Is it an ingredient you brought?
Ya Feixiu.
- Yes?
- Where did you get the red powder?
She says she obtained the ingredient
through legitimate means in Joseon.
This is our gochugaru.
The cooks and I picked the gochu
and dried them in the sun.
We poured our hearts into making it.
It was a secret ingredient that had
a key role to play in the first round.
How did you get your hands on it?
The gochugaru and gochujang
are secret seasonings that will be
very important in the competition.
Secret seasoning?
Then is she saying the red oil
was made using gocho?
How did the Ming cook obtain that?
Your Excellency.
We can listen to
what the cooks have to say
after we decide on a winner.
Let us make a judgment now.
Director Yu.
For cooks,
ingredients are like a scholar's brush
and a warrior's sword.
If this happened to you,
would you let it slide?
Ya Feixiu.
Explain what happened.
Did you steal their ingredient?
Uncle, I did not steal it.
She says she obtained it fairly
by exchanging it with huajiao.
Were you aware
that Joseon's chief royal cook
was going to use it in the competition?
- Well…
- Ya Feixiu!
You did something a cook should never do.
You stole someone else's ingredient,
and you did not tell me about it.
Your conniving trickery
insulted the name of our great nation,
as well as this competition.
As a cook, I cannot forgive you for this.
Uncle…
Ya Feixiu did something
a cook should never do.
He says he will admit to the Ming's defeat
in the first round of the competition.
Tang Bailong!
Maintain your dignity, Director Yu.
It seems we have a winner.
The cooks you brought
certainly possess unmatched skill.
However, no matter how highly skilled
a cook may be,
one must learn
basic human decency first.
Do you not agree?
I appreciate what you said,
but what I want to know
is where you got this from.
The outcome of the first round is decided.
You won.
- No, that's not--
- Wait!
I did not lose.
Uncle.
I will prove
that I got the red powder
through legitimate means.
Admit your defeat, Ya Feixiu.
- You stole their ingredient.
- I did not!
She says she got the gochogaru
from Saongwon.
Saongwon?
That's impossible.
The person who gave it to her was…
It is him.
What? Who?
Grand Prince Jesan?
Uncle.
What is she talking about?
The Ming cook says you gave her
the chief royal cook's ingredient
without my permission.
Is she telling the truth?
Your Majesty.
With all due respect,
I did not need your permission.
When ingredients are admitted
to be used in the royal kitchen,
they are checked,
and only the produce cleared by me,
the Superintendent of Saongwon,
can be stored.
What are you saying?
I had heard
the chief royal cook was using
some red powder and red paste
in the royal kitchen
without proper approval.
That is why
I had them all thrown away.
For the health and well-being
of the royal family is paramount.
So you did not give it to the Ming cook?
You could say I did. I let her take it.
I did.
She offered to exchange it
for some valuable Ming huajiao.
I thought the trade was in our favor,
so I allowed her to take
as much as she needed.
Chief Royal Cook,
if you had told me in advance,
I would not have thrown it away.
What a shame.
Your Excellency, it seems
Grand Prince Jesan has made a mistake.
He says since Ya Feixiu is not at fault,
the scores should be announced.
Ya Feixiu.
Do you still not know what you did wrong?
Uncle.
I am innocent!
Even if you obtained the ingredient
in a legitimate manner,
you took it knowing the red powder
was Joseon's chief royal cook's
secret weapon.
As a result,
she had her ingredient stolen
without knowing it.
You do not deserve to be a master cook.
You are unqualified to be one.
This is your last chance.
If you have any pride left as a cook,
admit defeat.
Uncle.
He told her to admit defeat.
Excuse me.
I'm also responsible.
He says he refuses your pity.
No.
I'm at fault too.
I felt wronged that I lost the gochugaru
that I'd worked hard to make.
But I'm partly at fault for failing
to keep a valuable ingredient safe,
as I lacked the understanding
of how things work here.
So please stop.
He thanks you for your considerate words,
but claims that the Ming has still lost.
Do you not think
both cooks make a valid point?
The Ming cook received the ingredient
from the Superintendent of Saongwon,
so she is not to blame.
Joseon's chief royal cook
had the ingredient she prepared
stolen from her,
so she has the right to feel wronged.
That is right. Moreover,
the Ming's Chief Royal Cook Tang Bailong
has expressed that they have lost
regardless of the outcome.
That is right.
Even if you announce the Ming's victory,
the Ming cooks
will not accept that result.
Even if you rule in Joseon's favor,
it will do nothing
to console their hurt feelings.
However,
we cannot annul the result
right from the first round.
The cooks' pride and the scores
are separate matters.
Therefore, the scores should be revealed.
Yes, that is right.
I can make no excuse for what happened.
Your Majesty.
I suggest you make the judgment.
In that case,
I shall annul the result
and call it a tie.
Your Excellency.
You cannot call it a tie when we won.
What do you mean you won?
The scores were not yet revealed.
He says he is sure the Ming won.
Let us do this.
In return for annulling today's result…
I will suggest something in Ming's favor.
Very well.
As this round proves too close
to determine the winner,
it is a tie.
However,
it is true that the Ming
came slightly ahead in this round,
as the cook developed
a new sauce called layu.
Nevertheless, since it was made
with an ingredient from Joseon,
this round will be considered a tie
with the grace of the King of Joseon.
In the upcoming rounds,
both sides must ensure nothing disgraceful
happens again due to ingredients.
And if all three rounds end in a tie…
it will be considered the Ming's victory.
The Ming gets an advantage?
Does that mean I just lost?
There's no way.
The second round
will be held here tomorrow
at the same time.
Be well prepared.
- Yes, Your Majesty.
- Yes, Your Excellency.
- Wait.
- Goodness, that scared me.
Do you have more to say?
What is it?
She says she wants to apologize
to the chief royal cook.
What's this? She's really apologizing?
Not everyone admits to their mistakes.
Now you are acting like a cook
of a great nation.
Through this round,
I learned the attitude and mindset
a cook should have
toward their ingredients.
Thank you.
She thanks you for the lesson.
I also
learned that I should take better care…
of my ingredients, thanks to you.
She says you will learn even more tomorrow
since you will be up against her uncle.
I have nothing more to learn,
because I'll win tomorrow.
See you tomorrow, Chief Royal Cook.
This is driving me nuts.
I spoke confidently earlier,
but what am I going to do about tomorrow?
How could the Superintendent do that?
Where did all the gochogaru go?
We picked them until our fingers bled
and dried them until we wept,
and he just gave them all away.
We cannot lose tomorrow.
Even if it is a tie until the last round,
that is still our defeat.
My goodness.
What is important
is that we did not lose today.
That's enough, everyone.
Tomorrow's round is important,
and we don't have any gochugaru.
Goodness me.
All right.
First,
I'll explain tomorrow's dish.
- Gil-geum.
- Yes.
Do you all remember this laziji dish?
Yes. Spicy stir-fried duck.
Will we still manage
without the gochogaru?
Would not dongpo pork be a better choice
if we want to trample on their pride?
What about clam and lotus root soup?
That is one of the Ming's
three great dishes.
No. We'll stick to what we prepared.
But instead of spicy duck laziji,
we're going to make Peking duck.
Peking duck.
During a diplomatic conference
between the US and China in the 1970s,
this iconic dish is said to have
broken the tension in an instant.
- What?
- Peking?
- Peking?
- Is that also a Ming dish?
I have never heard of it.
It's an imperial dish
that has been enjoyed
by the Ming imperial court for many years.
Is that not just a plain roasted duck?
Yes, it's a roast dish.
But it's not just any roasted duck.
The key is to blow in air
to separate the skin from the meat,
and it really isn't easy
to get the crispy texture on the skin.
Do you really think
that dish will captivate the chief envoy?
The chief envoy is someone
closely related to the imperial court.
He'll focus on how much care
and effort went into utilizing
traditional cooking techniques
and the harmony of flavors.
That's why the Peking duck,
an imperial dish, is the best choice.
The only way to salvage the dried duck
without gochugaru
is to make Peking duck.
First, you must learn about the hanging
roasting method we'll be using.
The Joseon cooks
- were much more impressive
- The duck…
- than I thought.
- Look.
Especially the chief royal cook.
A warrior's sword takes lives,
and a cook's knife gives life.
She is a true master.
It seems we have
greatly underestimated them.
We must win tomorrow.
Are all the ingredients prepared?
Yes, Brother Tang.
The Ming cooks were great,
but the galbijjim was truly remarkable.
I agree.
The talents of the cooks
were truly tempting.
It was a full day of good food
and good entertainment.
My goodness.
The moon is especially bright tonight.
It is bright indeed.
- Oh goodness.
- What?
Your Highness.
Please come with me.
His Majesty wishes to see you.
Me?
Uncle!
What were you thinking?
You knew of the competition with the Ming,
yet you discarded the chief royal cook's
ingredient at your own discretion?
Your Majesty.
I sincerely apologize for my usual
carelessness and incompetence.
However, as I explained earlier,
I did what I did
for the sake of the royal family.
I never imagined that it would
affect the outcome of the competition.
Tell me.
Did you truly dispose of all the gocho?
I gave some to the Ming cook,
and the rest are in the storage.
Chief Royal Secretary!
Retrieve the gochogaru from his residence
and return it to the chief royal cook.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I will do as you command.
A tie?
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
In the event that the remaining rounds
also end in a tie,
the Ming will be ruled the victor.
Is that not a disadvantage to us?
If His Majesty suggested
such a disadvantageous condition…
The chief royal cook
must have lost the first round.
However,
the first round concluded this way
because Grand Prince Jesan
gave the chief royal cook's ingredient
to a Ming cook by mistake.
What?
Grand Prince Jesan
took the chief royal cook's ingredient?
How could that be called a mistake?
As he is the Superintendent of Saongwon,
he must be related to this matter
in some way.
What could he stand to gain by discarding
the chief royal cook's ingredient?
So I hear today's round ended in a tie.
Yes, Your Grace.
I summoned you to confirm our agreement.
I am sure you remember.
We must lose at all costs tomorrow.
However, Your Grace,
I heard winning this competition
could bring Joseon a great profit.
Since when have you concerned yourself
with the matters of the state?
I apologize, Your Grace.
Your mother resides in Jecheon County,
does she not?
Your Grace, how did you…
HUIJEONGDANG
SECOND ROUND OF THE COMPETITION
It is time to begin
the second round of the competition
between Joseon and the Ming.
Today's theme is
ji for "know," yeok for "change."
You must cook a dish
from each other's country.
You may begin cooking now.
Let's start making our second dish,
Peking duck.
- Yes.
- Okay.
Use this and this. Let us begin.
- Yes.
- Yes.
What's that smell?
My gosh. It smells lovely.
This is not the time
to be marveling at that.
Where did they get
such a massive lotus flower?
It is overwhelmingly big.
If my guess is right,
that big a lotus flower…
That is a golden lotus.
A golden lotus?
He asks if you have not seen one before.
It is surprising that a lotus flower
that big and yellow exists.
It is also known as the Emperor's lotus
due to its golden color.
Okay. We'll start
by hanging the ducks to roast.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- Cook Maeng, please bring this over too.
- Very well.
Duck?
Is that the Northern Capital roast duck?
Is that the fare of the Northern Capital?
It is a dish even the best Ming cooks
would not dare to make.
I wonder if it will even taste right.
He is doubting
the chief royal cook's skill.
Since my chief royal cook prepared it,
it will not be any ordinary roasted duck.
Roasting by hanging.
Must we do this
when it is not even a whole pig?
What if the meat overcooks
and becomes tough?
The strong heat will cook it slowly,
so the fat will get completely drained,
making the skin crispy
and the meat tender.
I hope that is the case.
Cook Maeng, please chop the vegetables.
Cook Eom, please cook the glutinous rice.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- Cook Sim, pass me the glutinous rice.
- Cook Min.
- Gil-geum.
- Yes?
- Here you go.
- Thank you.
Here we go.
Okay.
The skin is unbelievably shiny and golden.
Pouring oil over it like this
hardens the skin
- and makes it what again?
- Crispy.
That's right.
Let me try. Give it to me.
Thank you.
The knife work is important.
It's a stir-fried dish,
but before the meat meets the sauce,
the skin and meat
must be thin and evenly sliced
for maximum flavor.
Cook Eom, have a go.
My gosh.
I even cut the bones.
You are crushing the whole thing.
- I forgot how to start.
- Cook Maeng.
Can you do it yourself, Chief Royal Cook?
Is this not good enough?
Gil-geum, you're good at this.
We must lose at all costs tomorrow.
If you disobey me again this time,
I cannot guarantee your mother's safety.
Do you understand?
This is the last chance I am giving you.
Oh my!
- Oh no.
- Blood!
- Stop the bleeding first!
- Oh dear.
- Gil-geum!
- Yes.
You should have been careful!
- Press on it.
- This is not like you.
- My goodness, how did this happen?
- What happened?
You rarely make a mistake.
You must have been too nervous.
Goodness me. Stop the bleeding.
- Okay.
- Press it.
There's no time. I'll do it.
What an outrageous sight.
They cannot even handle a knife.
He says that the Joseon cooks
lack basic skills.
Basic skills?
You get ink on your hands
when you first learn to write,
and you are bound to hurt yourself
when cooking.
Since we saw blood,
it seems that the duck dish
will turn out very well.
Of course.
If that is what Your Excellency thinks,
who am I to object?
I will do it.
- Goodness, give it to me.
- I will just do it.
- Just give it to me.
- Let go!
How can you do it when I cannot do it?
- We have no choice. I'll just do it.
- There is no time.
Be careful.
Can you manage with your sore hand?
My goodness, miss.
You cannot cut anything with that hand.
This will not do.
I will try it.
What are you talking about?
- Not even we--
- Wait.
Are you sure, Gil-geum?
Trust me this once.
If I try and fail, you can do it then.
Okay. You do it, Gil-geum.
Okay.
It looks like
they have given up on this round.
Maid Seo, take over the knife work
in the competition.
What do you mean?
You have talent.
I will teach you,
so learn how to use a knife.
We will remove the skin from the meat.
Hold the end gently.
Do not use too much force.
Remove the skin only. Just the skin.
That is it.
Do not let it tear.
Next, the scraping.
Stay calm. You are almost there.
Yes. That is exactly it.
Stay calm and focus until the end.
Well done, Gil-geum.
My legs were shaking so much.
I do not know how I managed.
No, it's fine. You did really well.
Well done, Maid Seo.
And thank you.
You should have stepped up sooner.
Indeed. That was great.
Cook Maeng, I saw that Gil-geum's hand
became a mess.
What happened yesterday?
I am sorry.
For what?
You will lose this competition
because of me.
What?
Will you explain so that I can understand?
I must withdraw from the competition,
but I cannot do so.
Are you being threatened?
Is it the Ming?
You are.
It's that sleazy envoy, isn't it?
Do not ask any further.
Is it Kang Mok-ju?
No, it is not her.
Peking duck tastes best when sliced well,
and a competition is more entertaining
when there's a twist.
A layer of chewy glutinous rice
is placed on top of the flattened
and scraped duck skin.
Mixed grains rice,
ginkgo nuts, and pumpkin
are placed on the lotus leaf.
Onto that goes the sliced cucumber
and green onion for a refreshing taste.
It is then wrapped to trap the aroma.
That's rolled up
and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Thus becomes a golden lotus leaf wrap.
It's garnished with taro mousse
and served with majiang sauce.
To complete the dish,
it is served with five-colored
lotus roots and refreshing radish.
And that completes the Peking duck rolls.
The dishes from both sides are complete.
The cooks are to step away
from the stations.
First, we will taste the dish
made by the Ming cook, Tang Bailong.
It is truly impressive that he captured
the deep flavors of Joseon in such a way.
The subtle but elegant aroma.
The deep and elegant flavor
subtly yet consistently draws me in.
Is this truly the taste of Joseon?
One mouthful
makes me feel as if
I am being covered by a lotus flower.
How did you create
the five colors in the braised lotus root?
This is a temple dish
in which various vegetables of Joseon
are wrapped
and cooked in golden lotus leaves.
As for the five colors,
the red comes from omija,
and it represents benevolence.
The yellow comes from gardenia,
and it represents righteousness.
The green comes from mulberry leaves,
and it represents propriety.
The black comes from soy sauce,
and it represents wisdom.
VINEGAR
Lastly, the white, representing sincerity,
is the natural color of the lotus root
pickled in vinegar.
I see.
Bailong.
When did you learn
how to cook Joseon temple fare?
There was a time…
when I wandered the lands
in search of the ultimate taste.
However, I could not find such a taste
and was plagued by torment.
Back then…
10 YEARS AGO
This cannot be the pulse of a living man.
Homage to the Amitabha Buddha.
You should eat.
At least have some mallow soup.
It is light enough to just drink.
This is the most delicious soup
I have ever tasted in my life.
What is used to make this soup?
You are not from Joseon.
Please teach me,
Venerable.
In order to find the ultimate taste,
I traveled to many temples
all around Joseon.
The meal served before you
consists of the dishes I learned
from the venerable monk who saved my life.
Are you saying
you learned how to cook in Joseon?
Yes.
I spent around five years in Joseon.
Why did you hide the fact that
you could speak the Joseon language?
He says he never hid it,
and that the Director simply never asked.
The rice wrapped in the lotus leaf
shows great wisdom
as well as depth.
He says the rice is soft and sticky,
and the root is crunchy,
yet chewy and tender.
He says he appreciates
the harmony of the taste and aroma
sealed into each lotus root.
I am in awe of this food.
The result is as clear as day.
That is right.
What a touching story.
This round won't be easy.
Although what happened
with the gochugaru was made right
thanks to his great character,
I don't want to lose either.
Now, it is the Joseon cooks' turn.
Those from the royal kitchen,
step forward.
Now, we will taste the dish
made by the Joseon cooks.
What is this dish called?
This is Peking duck.
It's an ancient dish
from the Central Plains,
often enjoyed by the imperial court.
You can eat the pieces of skin
sprinkled with sugar as is,
and the rolls are to be dipped
in the majiang, a sesame-based sauce.
Northern Capital roast duck, you say?
He is mocking you,
saying it might be easy to make,
but it is hard to make it taste right.
A crispy and clean taste
with just the right amount of greasiness.
And what is this sweet flavor
that comes through?
No. It is not just sugar.
There is more to it.
This is not the roast duck I had
in the imperial court.
It is a completely new taste.
What is more surprising
is that the duck does not at all
smell gamey or earthy.
The majiang sauce
enhances the nutty and sweet flavor,
and it goes well with the unique,
clean taste of the roast duck
that it feels as if all three flavors
flood my mouth at once.
The skin is crispy, the meat is moist,
and together with the shredded
green onion and cucumber,
they create a perfect harmony.
This dish…
It is…
- The greatest taste on the land.
- The greatest taste on the land.
What is the sweetness
infused into the skin
of the roast duck you made?
It's pumpkin.
It is a cooking method
I have never heard of before.
To think that you managed to infuse
the flavor of pumpkin into the skin,
as expected,
you surely are no ordinary cook.
How can duck meat
be so unbelievably juicy?
You indeed have the skill
befitting a gwinyeo.
This concludes
the tasting of the second round,
and the evaluation will follow.
I will announce
the scores for the second round.
BON APPÉTIT, YOUR MAJESTY
It was my mistake
to risk the future of the nation
on a cooking competition.
No.
Even if we lose, we should do our best
until the very end.
What if the lid does not arrive in time?
We'll go with Plan B.
This is our opportunity.
If it means we can eliminate
the chief royal cook
and make His Majesty explode with fury.
What I say is of the utmost secrecy.
Treachery.
It cannot be.
You want the chief royal cook
as a tribute woman?
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01x08 - Course N° 8 Rice Wine Beef Bourguignon
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Follows Yeon Ji-yeong, a modern-day chef who unexpectedly travels back in time to the Joseon dynasty during a solar eclipse.
Follows Yeon Ji-yeong, a modern-day chef who unexpectedly travels back in time to the Joseon dynasty during a solar eclipse.