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| yna@yna.co.kr 2024-04-12 11:03:57
SEOUL, April 12 (Yonhap) -- Actor Ryu Soo-young stood on the podium at Stanford University on the 11th in San Francisco time for the 'Korean Food Conference' hosted by the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center and the Korea Foundation (KF).
Despite being a veteran actor with 26 years in the industry, on this day, Ryu took the stage not as an actor but as a 'chef'. Known for his popularity on KBS 2TV’ culinary reality show "Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant," he has become a culinary influencer and is also well-known by the nickname 'Chef Eo Nam-seon', derived from his real name.
At Stanford, Ryu expressed, "Acting is still great and exhilarating," but he also admitted, "It's been four years since I started cooking on television, and for the past two years, I've felt a professional obligation."
Having had a keen interest in cooking since childhood, Ryu initially viewed it as a side job or an extension of his hobby. However, he emphasized that it has grown increasingly important to him, stating, "Because it involves something that goes into people's mouths, I can't treat it lightly. Unlike acting, where I can perform in my own style, cooking should not be done solely in my style."
He further emphasized, "Cooking requires aligning with the taste of the eater and all people, and in terms of importance, it has become the most important thing." Ryu also shared his struggles, noting, "It's frustrating because you can't be careless and do things your way. I feel like my brain is about to explode from having to follow what I see on broadcasts."
Having created around 290 recipes himself, he admitted, "It's stressful having to create new menus by making all the dishes I consider representative." However, he joked, "It's fortunate that there are over 300 types of kimchi."
Regarding the creation of new recipes, he revealed, "Park Ha-sun (his wife) eats an unbelievable amount in order to develop new recipes. We ate spicy stir-fried pork for 3-4 weeks, and chicken galbi for a week."
Ryu now feels that cooking has surpassed the realm of a side job, stating, "Even our young daughter knows me as someone who cooks." Despite the pressures and responsibilities that come with his popularity, he acknowledged, "All professions are difficult, but I just find it enjoyable. I think if it brings happiness, you shouldn't complain."
On the business side of cooking, he commented, "I haven't thought much about commercializing it. While making a lot of money is fine, there's still a tendency among those who consider themselves artists to feel ashamed of venturing into the business field."
Looking ahead, Ryu mentioned that he will be filming a program abroad where he will cook with local ingredients. He explained, "I plan to go to rugged places and create something similar to Korean cuisine using local ingredients, bringing along a few essentials like gochujang." He also revealed plans to film a drama in September, marking his return to acting after a year.
Ryu concluded by sharing his philosophy on 'good cooking', stating, "I think cooking at home should be a dish that makes both the person cooking and the person eating happy," and emphasized, "It's not good if the person cooking is too exhausted and the person eating is overly happy."
At the seminar attended by 150 audience members that day, Ryu introduced his experiences of enjoying cooking books more than comic books since childhood and shared his philosophy on cooking.
While expressing his desire to act when he's cooking and to cook when he's acting, Ryu jokingly promised, "In the future, if possible, I want to rock in both areas," receiving a resounding applause.
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]