Jang Gye-hyang (, 24 November 1598 – 7 July 1680) was a
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
n noblewoman who studied the Hangul calligraphy and wrote poetry in her youth. She was also a painter and philanthropist of the
Joseon (Chosŏn) era. She wrote one of the first cookbooks in Korea penned by a woman, which was also written in the Korean alphabet. The text in which it was written is significant, as the official script at that time was Chinese. It is also significant as the book uniquely presents a means of preparing food, expanding the study of food from its medicinal properties to actual preparation.
Early life
Jang Gye-hyang was born on 24 November 1598 in
Andong,
Gyeongsang Province, Korea as the only daughter of
Jang Heung-Hyo and Andong Kwon ( ko, 안동권씨). Jang's father was a well-known
Neo-Confucian
Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu (768–824) and Li Ao (772–841) in t ...
scholar, who taught many students in his home. Besides listening to their studies, Jang would snoop in her father's library and study books, writing and philosophy. During the
Joseon era
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
, education of women emerged, though it was by far still a male dominated domain and restricted mainly to the
upper classes
Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status, usually are the wealthiest members of class society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper class is gen ...
. Typically in the period, women studied
Confucian philosophy
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
and morality, but pursuit of education for women was not concerned with teaching practical skills. By the time she was ten, she had mastered writing and by thirteen was writing poetry. Some of her early works included "Ode to the Saint", "Sound of Rain" and "Crane White Hair", all of which showed a mature vision of life and impressed her father. During this time, she also painted works and created
embroideries, though few survive. When she was 19, Jang married Yi Si-myeong, as his second wife, after being introduced to him by her father.
Later life
After Jang married, the couple first lived in the seaport town of Yeonghae. Later, they built a house in a mountain village in North Gyeongsang Province named Seokgye, famous for being the home town of the novelist
Yi Mun-yol
Yi Mun-yol (born May 18, 1948) is a South Korean writer. Yi's given name at birth was Yol; the character, Mun (which translates as "writer"), was added after he took up a writing career. His works include novels, short stories and Korean adap ...
. She raised her own seven children, as well as the two children from her husband's first marriage. During the
Second Manchu invasion of Korea
The Qing invasion of Joseon (Korean: Byeongja Horan) occurred in the winter of 1636 when the newly-established Qing dynasty invaded the Joseon dynasty, establishing the former's status as the hegemon in the Imperial Chinese Tributary System a ...
in 1636, she opened her home to assist those who were suffering from deprivations during the war. She also planted an orchard of acorn trees so that the poor would always have a source of food.
Because of a postscript written by Jang, about her age and waning vision, it is generally assumed that she wrote her cookbook in her later years in the 1670s. While
instructional books about food had begun to appear in Korea during the sixteenth century, most were written in encyclopedic language focusing on the medicinal properties of food and followed the custom of using classical Chinese in the text. Jang's cookbook, ''
Eumsik Dimibang
The ''Eumsik dimibang'' or ''Gyugon siuibang'' is a Korean cookbook written around 1670 by Lady Jang (張氏, 1598~1680) from Andong Clan, Gyeongsang Province during the Joseon Dynasty. The author was in the noble ''yangban'' class and the book ...
'' ( ko, 음식디미방) was written in the
Korean alphabet. Often credited as the first cookbook in the Hangul script, it contains recipes and instructions for using utensils to cook 146 dishes, including beverages,
dumplings, meats, noodles, seafood, soups, and vegetables. Jang was explicit in her instructions of food and drink preparation, showing that she had knowledge of cooking processes, which made her cookbook unique from previously created volumes. ''Eumsik Dimibang'' may not be the first cookbook written by a woman, as one, containing 20 recipes by Lady Choi, who died in 1660, may have preceded Jang's book. Choi's first name is unknown. It was common in the Joseon era for women to be known by their region of origin and their surname.
Death and legacy
Jang died on 7 July 1680 in Seokbochon village in
Yeongyang County
Yeongyang County (''Yeongyang-gun'') is an inland county in the north-eastern area of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.
Geography
An isolated area difficult to access, Yeongyang is sometimes called an "inland island". The county has the lo ...
, of the Gyeongsang Province, Her cookbook, was not printed in her lifetime, but was found in the home of Yi Karam ( ko, 李葛菴) in 1960 and subsequently published in its entirety by Kim Sayŏp. Her writings show that some women challenged convention in the Joseon age and her cookbook is a valuable tool which moved cooking from the realm of family members teaching other family members into a field of study. The dishes that she designed are featured at the Korea House Restaurant of central
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...
's Jung District. The Ministry of Tourism has offered tours of significant sites mentioned and related to the book and it has a dedicated page as part of the Google Cultural Institute.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jang, Gye-hyang
1598 births
1680 deaths
People from Andong
Korean artists
Korean women writers
Women cookbook writers
17th-century Korean women writers
Chefs of Korean cuisine
Jang clan of Andong
17th-century Korean poets
Embroiderers