At the time of King Sung Jong in 1482, a deputy officer delivers the order from the King to bestow poison on deposed Queen Yoon as a death penalty. Chief civil administration officer Lee, SeJoa and Royal Military Guard Seo, ChunSoo visit deposed queen Yoon’s house to execute the death sentence. Deposed Queen Yoon says “You will pay for what you have done today” as her last words and passes away. One night, Royal army officer Seo falls from a cliff while walking the mountain path. He is saved by an ascetic, who has the ability to see the future, only to find out that he will die due to his involvement in killing deposed Queen Yoon. Not knowing how to react to this horrible news, Seo is encumbered with worries. Time flows to 1496 and King YeonSanGun has been ruling the country for 2 years. Na-In (one of the junior titles for female workers in the palace) Park reports NaIn Choi’s suspicious act to a court lady in Royal Kitchen. However, Na In Park is poisoned and thrown away deep in the mountain due to the Choi family’s power and influence in Royal Kitchen. Now resigned from the office, Seo finds Park in the mountain and saves her life. Park shows her gratitude to Seo and leaves the temple where she has been resting. Seo trails after Park without her knowing…

8 years has passed and the story now takes place in March, 1504. Seo, working as a smith, and Park, as a homemaker, have settled down in a rural village where butchers, one of the bottom classes of the time, live together As Park’s best friend and colleague NaIn Han has advised, they are hiding themselves from certain incidents they got involved in by disguising themselves as low-class people. Soon, Seo and Park have a daughter named JangGeum. King YeonSanGun has been tyrannizing the country for a decade and GapJaSaHwa, a political massacre, takes place. One day, Seo takes JangGeum to the market and Seo gets arrested for his involvement in killing deposed Queen Yoon. Park and JangGeum head to HanYang, the capital city at the time, hoping to meet Seo. Court lady Choi witnesses Park and JangGeum at a market place in HanYang while shopping for groceries and feels threatened by Park’s presence. Court lady Choi and her brother, Choi, PanSool, plot to kill Park. JangGeum witnesses her mother’s death and despite her grief continues to go on, spurned by a strong will to accomplish NaIn Park’s dying wish.

Not able to bear her hunger, JangGeum enters DugGoo’s brewery to ask for some food. She is falsely charged as a thief but DugGoo’s wife feels affection for JangGeum and takes her in. JangGeum helps around the brewery with everyday errands. One day, Lord Park, WonJong makes JangGeum deliver bottles of rice wine, as part of a plot of treason against King YeonSanGun, to Prince JinSung. That night, the enthronement of King JoongJong and dethronement of King YeonSanGun take place and Prince JinSung becomes King JoongJong the following day. A Court lady in charge of training visits DugGoo’s house looking for JangGeum. JangGeum follows the lady and joins the palace with the dream of becoming the best cook there. JangGeum goes under the training of SaengGakSi (female workers under training to become maids of the palace) and become friends with YoungLo, YeonSaeng, and ChangI. However, coming from low-class background, JangGeum is treated with contempt. Mortified at being mistreated, JangGeum and YunSaeng hide in ToiSunGan (One of Royal Kitchens in the Palace), and find GeumYoung going down to the King’s private quarters. While hiding themselves in ToiSunGan, JangGeum and YeunSaeng get caught by Court lady Han and NaIn Min. Surprised, YeonSaeng falls and breaks the bowl containing King’s midnight meal. Court lady Han and NaIn Min are traumatized as King’s midnight meal has been ruined. They quickly come up with a new idea to prepare King’s midnight meal and concentrate on preparing it without paying any attention to JangGeum and YeonSaeng. JangGeum is very impressed with the work of Court lady Han and watches her preparing the King’s meal with admiration…

Court lady Han prepares a new dish for the King’s midnight meal and serves it. Because of Court lady Han’s exceptional culinary skills, the incident goes unnoticed by others, including the King. However, JangGeum and YeonSaeng get penalized for their behavior. The Court lady in charge of training eventually finds out about the incident and keeps JangGeum away from training area. But JangGeum overhears the lecture while cleaning and studies as hard as she can. After many turns and twists, JangGeum gets the chance to take the test and Chief Court lady picks Court lady Han as JangGeum’s mentor. One day, all the ingredients prepared in SoJooBang (one of the Royal Kitchens in the Palace) get spoiled while the ingredients prepared in SooRaGan (another of the Royal Kitchens in the Palace) are at their best. Chief Court lady and Court lady Han investigates the cause and finds JangGeum cleaning dishes using boiled water. They are amazed by JangGeum’s intelligence as realize what kept the food in SooRaGan in such good condition.

While JagnGeum is practicing pine nut preparation under the moon light, she gets the chance to talk to GeumYoung. Not knowing who GeumYoung is, JangGeum tells her that the rest of SaengGakSi group have been complaining about her. GeumYoung teaches JangGeum how to prepare pine nuts. On the day of testing culinary skills, JangGeum is shocked to find out who GeumYoung is. The group of SaengGakSi is tested in their pine nut preparation skills and JangGeum takes the second place after GeumYoung. This incident causes the group of SaengGakSi to misunderstand JangGeum. A doctor disguised as a lady enters the residence of the Court lady in charge of the Royal Kitchen to examine the pulse for a diagnosis. On his way out, he is caught by a royal guard, which puts the Choi family in jeopardy. As the court lady in charge of the Royal Kitchen is about to be removed from her position, Oh, GyumHo and Chief Court lady appoints Court lady Jung as the successor, because she will behave like their puppet. The rumor that Court Lady Jung will be appointed as the court lady in charge of the Royal Kitchen is flying, and NaIn and SaengGakSi are agitated by the news. On the contrary to what Court Lady Choi has expected, newly appointed Court Lady in charge of the Royal Kitchen, Court Lady Jung, denies the existence of the absolute sense of taste and orders GeumYoung, who is seated next to her, to sit amongst SaengGakSi at the congratulatory ceremony. Also, Court Lady Jung insists that she will evaluate everyone for their capacity and will appoint her successor accordingly. GeumYoung studies culinary arts under Court Lady Choi and JangGeum does the same under Court Lady Han…

Even after she becomes an adult, because JangGeum still cannot keep her curiosity under control and has to see for herself whatever she needs to know, she sometimes gets in trouble and is penalized by washing dishes with SaengGakSi. Court lady Choi prepares a royal meal for Princess HyoHyey, who has been refusing to eat for 6 days, using the secret recipe only available to the predecessors in charge of the Royal Kitchen. However, Princess HyoHyey still refuses to eat and breaks down from hunger. GuemYoung prepares a porridge dish for Princess HyoHyey using charcoal, inspired by JangGeum’s use of charcoal to get rid of smells when cooking bean paste and soy sauce. Princess HyoHyey eats the porridge, saying it does not smell. Court Lady Jung praises GuemYoung and allows her to assist in preparing a golden pheasant dish for the King’s birthday. GeumYoung, however, loses the golden pheasant from the Ming dynasty. GeumYoung makes a plan to get outside the palace to buy a golden pheasant. JangGeum helps GeumYoung and accompanies her to Choi, PanSul’s house. The next day, Court Lady Choi finds out that the golden pheasant is nowhere to be found and calls for GeumYoung who also has disappeared from the palace. After thoroughly investigating YeonSaeng, Court Lady Jung, Choi, and Han consider a countermeasure. GeumYoung returns safely to the palace with a golden pheasant but JangGeum gets arrested by a Royal Military Guard officer who takes her to the Chief Court Lady.

Every Court Lady and SaengGakSi, including Court Lady Jung, tries their very best to spare JangGeum’s life. Fortunately, JangGeum is released from NaeGumWi (the Royal Military Guard) but she is about to get forced to leave the palace. Owing to Court Lady Jung and Han’s efforts and sacrifices, JangGeum is sent to DaJaeHun (a place where medical plants are being cultivated). Jung, WoonBaek who is in charge of DaJaeHun tells JangGeum not to do anything. JangGeum starts working whereas everyone else in DaJaeHun gets drunk on a daily basis. Fascinated with the virtue and cultivation of Medical plants, JangGeum aims to accomplish BaekBon cultivation. Finally, JangGeum succeeds in cultivating BaekBon which convinces everyone in DaJaeHun to change their ways. However, BaekBon garden gets ruined one day due to the malicious plot of Choi Pang Sool. Jung, WoonBaek is taken to Royal Military Guard after he pulled up BaekBon seedlings and sold them to a seedling shop. Due to this incident, the palace finds out that JangGeum has succeeded in BaekBon cultivation and JangGeum returns to the Royal Kitchen as a reward.

Every Court Lady and SaengGakSi, including Court Lady Jung, tries their very best to spare JangGeum’s life. Fortunately, JangGeum is released from NaeGumWi (the Royal Military Guard) but she is about to get forced to leave the palace. Owing to Court Lady Jung and Han’s efforts and sacrifices, JangGeum is sent to DaJaeHun (a place where medical plants are being cultivated). Jung, WoonBaek who is in charge of DaJaeHun tells JangGeum not to do anything. JangGeum starts working whereas everyone else in DaJaeHun gets drunk on a daily basis. Fascinated with the virtue and cultivation of Medical plants, JangGeum aims to accomplish BaekBon cultivation. Finally, JangGeum succeeds in cultivating BaekBon which convinces everyone in DaJaeHun to change their ways. However, BaekBon garden gets ruined one day due to the malicious plot of Choi Pang Sool. Jung, WoonBaek is taken to Royal Military Guard after he pulled up BaekBon seedlings and sold them to a seedling shop. Due to this incident, the palace finds out that JangGeum has succeeded in BaekBon cultivation and JangGeum returns to the Royal Kitchen as a reward.

On her way back to the palace, JangGeum stops by the Royal library to drop off a letter for Jung, WoonBaek and encounters Min, JungHo. On the day she returns to the Royal kitchen, she starts preparing for the NaIn Qualification Exam. After a hard day’s work is over, JangGeum enjoys studying under the moonlight with her colleagues, YeonSaeng and ChangI. The day of the NaIn Qualification Exam has finally come. GeumYoung is the first one to correctly answer the subject for a poem followed by YeonSaeng and ChangI. JangGeum fails to answer the question till the end of the exam. During the examination, the testing of identifying good quality ingredients commences. JangGeum is not able to choose a good quality meat but utilizes her experiences from her childhood spent in the butchers’ village to find a suitable one. The night before the cooking test of the NaIn Qualification Exam, JangGeum’s wheat flour, along with other ingredients gathered in the competition field, disappears. JangGeum searches for the wheat flour and finds HangEui, one of the SaengGakSi, making dough using JangGeum’s wheat flour. However, HangEui refuses to return the wheat flour. The noise caused by the two attracts Royals Officials Lee, ChangMin and Min, JungHo…

The jurors of the NaIn Qualification Exam including the Chief Court Lady decide to disqualify JangGeum on the basis of her inability to keep the ingredients. However, thanks to the unexpected appearance of the Queen Mother, who is satisfied with dish JangGeum has prepared for the exam, JangGeum passes. The night before commencing the NaIn training, the ceremony of taking the oath of implicit agreement between female employees of the palace takes place in the training residence. At the ceremony, a secret surrounding the birth of HangEui is revealed and strict regulations of female employees of the palace are introduced. Court Lady Han tells JangGeum stories about her best friend, NaIn Park (JangGeum’s mother), and also gives her NaIn Park’s cooking knife. However, Court Lady Han and JangGeum still do not know each other’s relationship with NaIn Park. Min, JungHo is in search of the person who saved his life (JangGeum) and goes to Gang, DugGoo’s house after finding a clue. At an outdoor Royal Kitchen set in the King’s hunting ground, Court lady Han is poisoned by the conch used in beef stock. Unable to carry out her duties, Court lady Han orders GeumYoung and JangGeum to take charge of the outdoor Royal Kitchen.

A cold noodle dish cooked with mineral water is highly praised by King JoongJong, and GeumYoung and JangGeum win recognition from Court Lady Han. Court Lady Min and JoBang are held responsible for the food poisoning and not allowed to access ToiSunGan (One of the Royal kitchens in the palace). This gives JangGeum the chance to access ToiSunGan, where her mother has hidden a recipe book she has written. JangGeum is excited with the idea of retrieving the recipe book her mother has left her. Court Lady Choi orders GeumYoung to hide a talisman, which will force the pregnant Queen to have a princess, for the welfare of Choi family. YeonSang witnesses JangGeum and GeumYoung coming in and out of ToiSunGan looking for or hiding something. JangGeum is accused of hiding the talisman and gets locked up in a storehouse. Because NaIn Park has told her that under no circumstances should she reveal her recipe book and the letter, JangGeum is unable to prove her innocence. YeonSaeng testifies that she saw GeumYoung hiding something in ToiSunGan. GeumYoung also gets locked up in the storehouse and the Choi family faces a crisis as a result.

Chief Court Lady stops Court Lady Jung while taking JangGeum and GeumYoung to Royal Military office for a trial. Chief Court Lady persuades Court Lady Jung, but doubting her intention, Court Lady Jung gives Chief Court Lady 24 hours. Choi, PanSool plots to save GeumYoung and Choi family. On the following day, Court Lady Jung regrets giving Chief Court Lady 24 hours when Chief Court Lady’s attitude has changed. Court Lady Jung decides to conceal the incident after Court Lady Han begs for JangGeum’s life. The eldest son of the King has fallen ill after having chicken porridge Gang, DukGoo, the male banquet chef, has prepared. Gang, DukGoo is taken to NaeSiBoo (King’s secretariat) for investigation but the Crown Prince’s Palace has decided that Prince is paralyzed because of food poisoning and not of illness. Court ladies of the Royal Kitchen and JangGeum investigate the cause but the situation becomes more and more unfavorable to Gang and he is subjected to a severe cross-examination.

JangGeum proves that the cause of the Prince being paralyzed is not from the food poisoning but from ginseng, maximizing the effect of nutmeg by taking ginseng and nutmeg herself. Although paralysis symptoms have faded, JangGeum suffers from losing her sense of taste and has hard time seasoning the food. On the day of celebrating Chief Court Lady’s birthday, JangGeum assists Court Lady Jung in preparing a beef casserole, as per tradition, but Chief Court Lady is dissatisfied with the food. Chief Court Lady and Choi family plot to remove Court Lady Jung from her position on the basis of her health. After noticing their plan, Court Lady Jung requests King JoongJong to have a Royal Culinary Competition to select the best Court Lady of the Royal Kitchen, a wish which is pleasantly granted by the King. Court Lady Han appoints JangGeum as her chief assistant and orders her to assist her. However, JangGeum refuses to take the position as she has lost her sense of taste. Despite knowing JangGeum may not be able to get her sense of taste back, Court Lady Han still appoints JangGeum as her chief assistant.

Court Lady Han encourages JangGeum by allowing her the chance to cook smothered prawn and Tofu Casserole. Court Lady Choi reveals to GeumYoung the secret recipe book handed down by former Chief Court Ladies in charge of the Royal Kitchen. Gang, DukGoo and his wife come across Min, JungHo and find out he is a Royal Military Guard Officer. Gang informs JangGeum of a noble man with a pendant looking for her and guides her to Min. However, JangGeum and Min do not recognize each other and miss each other on the road. One day, sauces stored in the palace turn sour. Court lady in charge of sauce storage, Chief Court lady, and Court lady in charge of the Royal kitchen are not able to find out the cause and Chief Court Lady takes the matter to the upper class for further investigation.

Court Lady Han orders JangGeum to cook bean paste soup to serve King JoongJong. The King is very satisfied with the dish. Court Lady Jung explains to King JoongJong that the reason for sauces turning sour is because of pollen, which intrigues him. The King praises Court Lady Han and JangGeum. JangGeum visits Jung, WonBaek at DaJaeHun for a pulse diagnosis. JangGeum explains her situation and begs Jung to apply acupuncture on her using bee stings but Jung refuses to do so. Court Lady Choi finds out that JangGeum has lost her sense of taste…

Court Lady Choi and GeumYoung are stunned when King JoongJong speaks very highly of the whale meat dish JangGeum has cooked. Court Lady Choi suggests that JangGeum be tested whether she should stay at the Royal kitchen despite the fact that her culinary skills are outstanding. The Queen mother carefully suggests to King JoongJong that his plan to personally appoint the Chief Court Lady in charge of the Royal Kitchen is not the best idea. Then King JoongJong suggests to the Queen mother that she appoint one on his behalf. The Royal Culinary Competition, selecting the best Court Lady of the Royal Kitchen, will begin on the day of the eldest prince’s birthday ceremony.