🎧Reading a School Lunch Backward

In a Korean school, “teacher” can be someone who plans your lunch. And the person cooking it might end up competing on Netflix.

Why does South Korea have nutrition teachers? This episode explores the people behind Korean school lunches: dietitians, teachers, cooks, and the different kinds of expertise their titles recognize. Along the way, we meet Kim Min-ji, whose school menus became an online sensation, and Lee Mi-yeong, the “Master of School Meals” from Culinary Class Wars. Their stories raise a bigger question: what makes everyday cafeteria skill worthy of public recognition?

Curious to see the school lunches that made Kim Min-ji famous? I shared some of them in my previous article.

This is the companion to this week’s newsletter, with a different seat at the table. The essay reads a Korean children’s book through the labor of preparing 1,000 lunches. Here, we follow the job titles, the Korean–American differences, and the people who became famous for feeding others. Each stands on its own; together, they offer a fuller picture.

Read the companion essay: Reading a School Lunch Backward.

A quick scheduling note: the newsletter and podcast take the final week of each month off for research and longer writing. Both return on October 6.

Korean Words and Phrases in This Episode

안녕하세요, 반갑습니다 (annyeonghaseyo, bangapseumnida) — Hello; nice to meet you / glad to see you.

우리 학교 급식은 어떻게 만들어질까요? (uri hakgyo geupsigeun eotteoke mandeureojilkkayo?) — How Is Our School Lunch Made?; the Korean children’s book discussed in the companion newsletter.

급식 (geupsik) — An institutionally provided meal; in this episode, school meals or school lunch.

영양 (yeongyang) — Nutrition.

영양 선생님 (yeongyang seonsaengnim) — A respectful way of addressing a school’s nutrition professional; the phrase alone does not establish formal teacher status.

영양사 (yeongyangsa) — A licensed dietitian in South Korea.

영양교사 (yeongyang gyosa) — A nutrition teacher: a licensed dietitian with a teaching credential who holds a formal teaching position.

조리사 (jorisa) — A cook; in this context, a professional involved in preparing school meals.

조리실무사 (jori silmusa) — A school kitchen or food-service worker involved in tasks such as preparation, serving, cleaning, and sanitation; duties vary by workplace.

선생님 (seonsaengnim) — Teacher; also a respectful form of address used beyond the teaching profession.

조리사 선생님들 (jorisa seonsaengnimdeul) — A respectful way of referring to the cooks as a group; -deul marks the plural.

교사 (gyosa) — Teacher; here, the formal professional role.

식생활 교육 (siksaenghwal gyoyuk) — Education about food, eating habits, and dietary practices; rendered as “food and nutrition education” in this episode.

흑백요리사 (Heukbaek Yorisa) — Literally “Black-and-White Chefs”; the Korean title of Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars.

급식대가 (geupsik daega) — “Master of School Meals”; Lee Mi-yeong’s nickname on Culinary Class Wars.

교육공무직원 (gyoyuk gongmujigwon) — Education support employees; an employment category distinct from teachers and civil servants, which can include workers on indefinite-term contracts.

김민지 (Kim Min-ji) — The school dietitian discussed in this episode, known for her widely shared cafeteria menus.

이미영 (Lee Mi-yeong) — The school cafeteria cook known as “Master of School Meals” on Culinary Class Wars.

오늘도 들어주셔서 감사합니다 (oneuldo deureojusyeoseo gamsahamnida) — Thank you for listening today, too.

10월 첫째 주에 만나요 (siwol cheotjjae jue mannayo) — See you in the first week of October.

💬 I’d really love to hear what this brought up for you. Come find me here and share your thoughts, stories, or questions!