[Book View] The Cookbook Bible of "Eonam Teacher" Ryu Sooyoung

Actor Ryu Sooyoung, Known as the "Eonam Teacher," Gains New Fame as a Home-Cooked Meal Expert
Publishes Ryu Sooyoung's Lifetime Recipe
"Acting Sets My Heart Ablaze, Cooking Warms and Brings People Together"

Actor Ryu Sooyoung (birth name Eo Namseon), widely known as the “Eonam Teacher” and a home-cooked meal expert, has loved cooking since childhood. He first discovered the joy of cooking around the age of nine. One day, out of boredom and curiosity, he gathered whatever ingredients he could find at home?baking powder, flour, water, salt, sugar?and baked bread. An elderly neighbor tasted the bread, which he had kneaded with his still-clumsy hands and cooked in the microwave, and ate half of it, giving him a thumbs-up and saying, “It’s very delicious.” “That was the first time I realized how joyful and delightful cooking could be.”

Now, his cooking reaches even more people through YouTube. The “Ryu Sooyoung Recipe” and “Eonam Teacher Recipe” channels have surpassed 300 million cumulative views, reflecting their immense popularity. The secret to their success lies in his ability to explain how to make hearty and impressive home-cooked meals using affordable ingredients, in a way that even beginners can easily follow. For example, he shares practical tips such as placing potatoes around the edge of the wok when making braised spicy chicken stew to prevent them from breaking apart, or knowing that the pan is preheated enough when ripples form in the oil at the bottom.

Early last month, he published a book titled Ryu Sooyoung’s Lifetime Recipe, carefully selecting 79 recipes from the 300 he has developed over the years. The first edition sold out immediately after its release, prompting an urgent reprint.

Until just before attending the book launch press conference on July 8, many regarded him as just another celebrity riding the cooking show trend, having appeared on programs such as “Home Cook Live,” “Fun-Staurant,” “Land of Taste,” and “Jungle Meal.” It was easy to assume that his appeal was simply a marketing strategy combining his attractive appearance with the image of a man who cooks. However, meeting Ryu Sooyoung at the press conference revealed his genuine passion for cooking. For him, cooking is not just a hobby, but a part of his life built over a long time through reading and research.

As a book lover, he owns more than 300 cookbooks. Among his favorites are The Silver Spoon by Phaidon Press, known as the bible of Italian cuisine, and Joy of Cooking, now in its fourth generation of publication in the United States. The Silver Spoon, first published in 1950, is a comprehensive collection of 2,000 Italian home recipes and has been beloved worldwide. Joy of Cooking, first published in 1931, is considered the definitive cookbook for American home cooking.

Ryu Sooyoung cautiously but firmly expressed his hope that Ryu Sooyoung’s Lifetime Recipe will one day become such a book in Korea. For him, cooking is not just a preference or a leisure activity. “Acting gives me personal joy, making my heart race and my body feel alive, but it doesn’t bring people closer to me. Cooking, on the other hand, warms me and brings people together around me.” He feels a great sense of fulfillment when people tell him, “Thanks to you, I was able to make and enjoy good food,” and says, “Cooking may be even more important than acting.”

“My wish is to create food that makes both the cook and those who eat it happy.”