"Big Mama" Lee Hye-jung Reveals She Was Snubbed by a Famous Chef: "It Hurt My Pride and Left Me Feeling Upset"

[Sportschosun Reporter Jo Yoon-sun] "Big Mama" Lee Hye-jung opened up about being ignored by a famous chef in the past.

On the MBN healing story program "While You Were Sick," which aired on the 21st, culinary researcher Lee Hye-jung appeared as a guest.

That day, Lee said, "I want to talk about something that hurt my pride and that I had never shared anywhere before."

She recalled, "People often think that marrying a doctor means you will live a stable life, but I married my husband when he was a resident. After we got married, he went into the military, and I thought things would improve once he was discharged. But he said he wanted to become a university professor. His university was a national school, so the competition for faculty positions was intense."

She continued, "As the children grew up, I had to earn money myself. One day, a neighbor who had eaten at our house said the perilla leaf pickles were delicious and told me to try selling them, so I started making and selling them."

As word spread, people began flocking to learn her cooking, and at 39, she started a new chapter in her life as a cooking instructor.

Lee Hye-jung, known as the daughter of Yuhan-Kimberly founder Lee Jong-dae, said she never asked her parents for help even during difficult times. She explained, "It is true that my father was the chairman, but I wanted to support my family on my own. At the time, my husband was facing a crisis over his professorship appointment, and I did not want to tell my parents about his struggles and hardships. I was worried they might treat him poorly, so I kept quiet."

Her husband was later appointed as a professor at a university in Daegu, and Lee Hye-jung also established herself there as a well-known cooking instructor. She then expanded from local broadcasts to programs in the Seoul metropolitan area and made a name for herself.

However, she also said she suffered emotionally from the unfriendly gaze of the food service industry. Lee said, "Many people praised me, but I could feel the negative looks from people in the cooking field. A famous chef who appeared on the same program looked down on me, and I felt bad inside. I was really upset, but I decided I would be recognized for my skills."

She also said she still runs into the chef who once looked down on her. "One of the most satisfying moments was when that person came to the home shopping channel where I was working to do a home shopping segment too. But their sales were so weak during one time slot that they looked miserable. I sold out. That was how I got a chance to get my revenge," she said.