Dae Jang Geum is a Korean TV miniseries that was produced and originally aired on the MBC channel in 2004. The drama centers around Jang Geum, an orphan who eventually becomes the first female royal court physician in Korean history. Set during the Joseon (Chosun) dynasty in the early 16th century, the drama follows the heroic journey or a brave girl who survives, thrives, and then overcomes adversity through hard work, perseverance, and integrity.
“The Great Jang Geum” (or Jewel in the Palace) movie became hugely popular all over Asia and is still currently the highest rated Korean drama of all time. There is a Dae Jang Geum theme park in Korea and spin-off restaurants, cookbooks, and fan clubs throughout Asia. Part of the “Korean wave” of the early 20th century, the movie also sparked interest in Korea food and history wherever it was shown.
If you're used to the pace of Western movies, then watching Dae Jang Geum takes a little getting used to. It's very slow with long dramatic pauses and close-ups of the characters' faces and expressions. The production values are also low compared to your average Hollywood movie, and even most American TV miniseries. I was distracted during the first few episodes because there were visible beads of sweat on everyone's face, and I couldn't figure out if they were natural or had been sprayed on by producers for symbolism. That said, the story is so compelling, dramatic, and well-told by the actors, that I was easily sucked into watching the episodes back-to-back until my eyes were tired and I was staying up way too late at night.
Besides being a moral tale of perseverance and hard work under hardship and difficulty, Dae Jang Geum is also a historical look at traditional Korean court cuisine and herbal medicine. Food and medicine remain closely linked in Korea today, as wellness claims seem to be the most popular form of marketing for new Korean food products. But it's interesting to see how the kitchen ladies and physicians consulted in medical discussions- it is a close marriage of nutrition and medicine.
Jang Geum starts her life in the royal court as a kitchen-lady-in-training, working her way up the ranks from a low-class orphan child sweeping the floor to one of the head cooks in the kitchen. She's scrappy and tenacious but plagued by the higher-ups in the royal court, and on her journey she spends a few years as a laborer in the royal herb gardens. This is a serious step down for her, but as usual, she manages to make something out of nothing. She achieves hero status when she is able to grow a valuable medicinal Chinese herb that has never before thrived on Korean soil. She also becomes well-versed in herbal remedies and medicine, which helps her further down the road when she becomes a physician. Jang Geum has an uncontrollable curiosity, which helps her in testing and developing recipes and medicines. Her inquisitiveness does land her into some spots of trouble, but it makes her seem real and even more likable.
For food enthusiasts, the kitchen scenes (despite some discontinuity with the cook's hands) are delicious. The court food served, the royal cooking competitions, the meals served to the royal family, and the scary politics of the court kitchen all add color to Jang Geum's personal journey. Set during the early 16th century, history buffs will note that chili peppers had not yet been introduced into the Korean kitchen, but the art of pickling and making kimchee was already centuries old. Over the course of the miniseries, the characters cook humble dishes, royal ceremonial meals, and herbal remedies.
