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Cheon Sang-hyun of Netflix’s “Culinary Class Wars” prepares rice cake soup in Seoul. Hankook Ilbo
Greater than 20 years of service throughout 5 presidents — that’s the résumé of Cheon Sang-hyun, who not too long ago appeared on Netflix’s competitors present “Culinary Class Wars” Season 2. Now, the veteran chef is drawing renewed consideration for a distinct cause: reflecting on what it was prefer to cook dinner for Korea’s strongest figures.
For twenty years, Cheon labored at Cheong Wa Dae, Korea’s presidential workplace, making ready meals for 5 former presidents. He remembers that their eating habits various sharply — from Kim Dae-jung, identified for his particularly hearty urge for food, to Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in, who favored unpretentious, on a regular basis meals.
Cheon appeared again on his years within the presidential kitchen throughout an look on an MBC Radio present on Thursday. Lengthy earlier than changing into identified to the general public as a “white chef” on “Culinary Class Wars,” he had already made historical past at Cheong Wa Dae — as the primary specialist in Chinese language delicacies to serve there, the youngest chef ever appointed and the longest-serving.
“I’m the primary presidential chef to obtain a pension,” Cheon stated, explaining that he started working at Cheong Wa Dae at age 30 in 1998, the primary 12 months of Kim’s presidency, and served till 2018 beneath Moon. “All advised, I labored for 20 years and 4 months.”
Roh Moo-hyun, then a presidential candidate for the Millennium Democratic Occasion, eats barley rice throughout a marketing campaign cease in Daegu in 2002. Hankook Ilbo file
‘Kim Dae-jung ate as a lot as a judo athlete’
Cheon stated he owed his profession at Cheong Wa Dae to Kim’s fondness for Chinese language delicacies. Nonetheless, it was troublesome to look immediately on the former president due to his commanding presence, he recalled.
“He was a giant eater,” Cheon stated. “Within the early days of his presidency, he ate as a lot as a judo athlete, which shocked me. At the moment, he was working tirelessly to steer the nation by way of the 1997 Asian monetary disaster.”
Roh favored haemul pajeon, or seafood inexperienced onion pancake, and makgeolli, a standard Korean fermented rice alcohol, Cheon stated. In line with the chef, Roh ate no matter was served and supplied transient, easy suggestions, sometimes telling the kitchen workers that he loved the meal.
“He was precisely as he appeared in public — very all the way down to earth,” Cheon stated. He recalled that Roh usually cooked instantaneous noodles himself on weekends to eat along with his household and advised kitchen workers there was no want to come back in early or put together breakfast for him. Cheon additionally shared that he often smoked with Roh at a relaxation space inside the Cheong Wa Dae grounds.
He additionally described Moon as equally unpretentious, recalling that the previous president favored makhoe — a country type of uncooked fish — and hangover soups.
Former President Park Geun-hye / Hankook Ilbo
Former President Park Geun-hye was the least choosy eater among the many 5, in keeping with Cheon. Whereas she didn’t eat massive parts, he stated she had the widest vary of meals preferences.
Park was particularly keen on fermented skate, to the purpose that she ate it so strongly fermented that it burned the roof of her mouth. After that incident, Cheon stated, the kitchen ready a milder model in keeping with directions from Cheong Wa Dae’s medical workplace.
As for former President Lee Myung-bak, Cheon recalled he had a businesslike type. “He loved communal meals, like charcoal-grilled barbecue cooked and eaten collectively,” he stated.
‘Coaching throughout presidential journeys and holidays’
Cheon additionally spoke about his respect for grasp chef Hou Deok-juk, who appeared alongside him on “Culinary Class Wars” Season 2. At any time when the president traveled overseas or went on trip, Cheon stated he used the time to hunt additional coaching from Hou.
“He really useful me for the Cheong Wa Dae place, so in a means I left earlier than I may be taught the whole lot from him,” Cheon stated. Throughout breaks, he stated, he would stick with Hou for 2 or three nights at a time, receiving instruction till 8 or 9 p.m.
This text from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Occasions, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Occasions.
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