It was in 2005 when I got the “K fever” via Jewel in the Palace (Dae Jang Geum) television series on GMA network. It tells the tale of an orphaned kitchen cook who went on to become the king’s first female physician. In a time when women held little influence in society, young apprentice cook Jang Geum strives to learn the secrets of Korean cooking and medicine to cure the king of his various ailments. It is based on the true story of Jang Geum, the first female royal physician of the Joseon Dynasty. My friends and I went too crazy over Jang Geum that we decided to buy a complete DVD set of the series at Mantex San Pedro to avoid the agony of waiting for its broadcast.
