Kimchi Chronicles
A PBS food series exploring Korean cuisine through an adoptee's lens.
Kimchi Chronicles is a PBS food series that combines travelogue, food storytelling, and a personal documentary of self-discovery. The host, Marja Vongerichten—a Korean American adoptee—guides viewers through Korean cuisine and culture while weaving in her own life story. Each episode starts in Korea, where Marja, her husband Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and various guests travel to different regions, sampling local dishes. They then return to New York to adapt those recipes for a modern American kitchen. The show covers a range of food categories, offering a broad look at Korean cooking. Alongside Jean-Georges, guests include actress Heather Graham, actor Hugh Jackman, and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness, who are also the Vongerichtens' upstairs neighbors in New York. The series was sponsored by the Visit Korea Committee, Korean Food Foundation, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Frappé, Inc., owned by Charles Pinsky, produced the show. A companion cookbook, *The Kimchi Chronicles: Korean Cooking for an American Kitchen*, was published by Rodale in August 2011, written by Marja Vongerichten with Julia Turshen. The 13-episode series was released on DVD in October 2011. In October 2012, Marja Vongerichten gave a humorous lecture on the series, Korean culture, and her biracial identity at the George Washington University Jack Morton Auditorium, an event organized and sponsored by the Korean Cultural Center and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea.
- type
- Television series
- network
- PBS
- host
- Marja Vongerichten
- production_company
- Frappé, Inc.
- sponsors
- Visit Korea Committee, Korean Food Foundation, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
- episodes
- 13
- companion_cookbook
- The Kimchi Chronicles: Korean Cooking for an American Kitchen (2011)
Lore & Background
The series begins each episode in Korea, where Marja Vongerichten, her husband Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and special guests travel to various regions and taste local foods. They then return to New York to recreate Korean recipes tailored for a modern American kitchen. Episodes cover different categories of food, offering a comprehensive overview of Korean cuisine. Notable guests include actress Heather Graham, actor Hugh Jackman, and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness, who are also upstairs neighbors of the Vongerichten family in New York City.
Reader's Guide
Kimchi Chronicles is significant as a PBS food program that uniquely intertwines personal narrative with culinary exploration. Host Marja Vongerichten's perspective as a Korean American adoptee provides a distinctive lens through which viewers experience Korean food and culture. The series bridges Korean culinary traditions with American home cooking, as each episode transitions from travel in Korea to recipe recreation in New York. Its legacy includes a companion cookbook and a DVD release, extending its reach beyond broadcast. The show also highlights the role of Korean government sponsors in promoting Korean cuisine internationally. By featuring celebrity guests and a renowned chef, the series brought Korean food to a broader American audience, contributing to the growing interest in Korean cuisine in the United States.
Did You Know?
- The show was sponsored by the Visit Korea Committee, Korean Food Foundation, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
- The companion cookbook, The Kimchi Chronicles: Korean Cooking for an American Kitchen, was published by Rodale, Inc. in August 2011.
- Actress Heather Graham and actor Hugh Jackman with his wife Deborra-Lee Furness appeared as special guests on the show.
- The production company for the series was Frappé, Inc., owned by Charles Pinsky.
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