‘TV Chosun’ What Did the King Eat

“A tyrant only toward his vassals, should be reported”

In the variety program, the ‘court trio’ Yang Sang-guk, Shin Giru, and Ji Ye-eun raved that Jeongjo’s beloved drinking snack, ‘Jeonrip-tugol,’ was “just the right taste for getting closer while eating.”

TV Chosun’s ‘What Did the King Eat?’ came upon the filial table of Jeongjo, the ‘genius monarch’ who led Joseon’s renaissance. It also fell for a dazzling array of flavors, from the ultimate company-dinner menu he enjoyed as ‘Joseon’s top drinker’ to dishes infused with love for the people.

On the night of the 5th, ‘What Did the King Eat?’ unveiled the table of Jeongjo, the ‘genius monarch’ who rose above his father Crown Prince Sado’s tragedy to lead Joseon’s renaissance. Actor Lee Chang-hoon, who played ‘Crown Prince Sado’ in the drama ‘Yi San,’ joined as a guest. ‘Big Star Teacher’ Choi Tae-sung emphasized Jeongjo’s profound filial piety and explained the ‘Suwon royal progress,’ an unprecedented, all-time filial project in Joseon history. To commemorate together the 60th birthday of Crown Prince Sadowho was the same age as his mother, Lady Hyegyeong of the Hong clanJeongjo decided to hold the 60th-birthday banquet in Suwon. The progress boasted an overwhelming scale, with a procession stretching about 1 km and more than 6,300 people mobilized.

Jeongjo, Joseon’s greatest ‘filial king,’ poured his devotion even into food, and a ‘60th-birthday banquet spread’ prepared for his mother took the studio by surprise. Tasting ‘byeoljap-tang,’ packed with delicacies of land and sea, ‘Big Star Teacher’ Choi Tae-sung said, “Since it’s for an elderly mother, you can feel it was made not to burden the stomach,” moved by Jeongjo’s care. ‘Gilgeong-japchae’ made with bellflower root and the gorgeous ‘hwayangjeok’ came together to heighten the festive mood. Lee Chang-hoon was deeply moved, saying, “I turn sixty this year. It feels like I’m being served by my own son.” The ever-filial Jeongjo prepared a staggering 315 dishes just for the eight days of the ‘Suwon progress.’ The cost of this super-luxury banquet, in today’s terms, reached about $45,000 (60,000,000 KRW), leaving the ‘court trio’ Yang Sang-gukXShin GiruXJi Ye-eun speechless.

Also appearing was Jeongjo’s go-to company-dinner dish, ‘Jeonrip-tugol,’ showcasing an unexpected side of the king presumed to be solely a ‘filial king.’ Jeongjo established the research institute ‘Gyujanggak’ and relentlessly drilled talented men day and night, but, as Choi Tae-sung explained, “He was a tiger of a boss at work, yet all-out when it was time to play. He was Joseon’s greatest company-dinner maniac,” using gatherings to soothe his weary officials. The ‘MZ court lady’ Ji Ye-eun protested, “I even hate company dinners,” but when the Joseon-style hotpot ‘Jeonrip-tugol’ appeared, she couldn’t conceal her surging anticipation. Jeonrip-tugol is a dish in which broth is poured into a grill modeled after the ‘jeonrip,’ a helmet worn by military officials; mushrooms, meat, and assorted vegetables are placed on the brim and then cooked in the broth to eat. Choi Tae-sung kept spooning it up, saying, “I feel like I can grasp the taste of Joseon.” Yang Sang-guk fell for the refreshing flavor, saying, “If you have this at a company dinner, you sober up while drinking and the gathering will run long.” Even the ‘booze lover’ Shin Giru acknowledged it as just the right food for such occasions, saying, “It’s perfect for building rapport while sharing.”

Stories of Jeongjo, ‘Joseon’s top drinker,’ being both mischievous and fiery at company dinners were also revealed. Showing her ‘brainy beauty’ side, Ji Ye-eun correctly identified Jeongjo’s toast, ‘Bulchwimugwi,’ which meant “If you don’t get drunk, you can’t go back.” Horrified at the forced drinking(?), Ji cried, “boomer,” but an even more shocking fact remained. The royal soju of the time was a whopping 60~70 percent, yet Jeongjo mischievously ordered ‘Dasan’ Jeong Yak-yong to pour liquor into a brush holder and drink it. There is even an anecdote that Jeong Yak-yong lamented, “I’m dead today.” Yang Sang-guk clicked his tongue, saying, “He’s a tyrant, but only to his vassals.” What’s more, Jeongjo made drunken officials compose poems and, if they failed within the time limit, sent them into exile. Choi Tae-sung explained the punishment: “At Changdeokgung there is a pond called ‘Buyongji’ with a small artificial islet. Taking a ferry there and back was the penalty.” Yang Sang-guk, however, vented proxy frustration at the overly harsh(?) measures, saying, “My tolerance is low, yet he tells you to drink from a big cup, tells you to write a poem, and if you can’t, he says go into exile,” eliciting laughter.

A table of ‘Suwon royal galbi,’ imbued with Jeongjo’s love-the-people spirit, was set and captured the ‘court trio’s’ attention. While building Suwon Hwaseong, Jeongjo introduced a system to help residents settle stably: lending out ‘cattle,’ essential for farming, free of charge to be repaid with calves. Thanks to this groundbreaking policy, Suwon naturally became home to one of Joseon’s three major cattle markets. Tasting Suwon’s ‘royal galbi,’ developed as a beef distribution hub through this benevolence, ‘meat♥’ Shin Giru exclaimed, “I was so shocked,” even breaking into a nasal squeal as she marveled at the all-time flavor. The accompanying kkakdugi, in particular, traced its roots to the court dish ‘gakdokgi,’ devised by Jeongjo’s daughter Princess Sukseon for her father. Filial devotion carried across generations left a deep resonance. Next week’s episode 6 explores the table of Danjong, the most tragic ‘boy king’ in Joseon history, together with mountaineer Um Hong-gil, a descendant of Yeongwol’s hero Eom Heung-do, who risked his life to collect Danjong’s remains.

The ‘delicious history book’ that stimulates the five senses, ‘What Did the King Eat?,’ airs every Wednesday at 10 p.m.