Court Lady Jung, Han and Choi deliver the whale dishes to the King. Jang-geum, left behind in the kitchen, tastes her own food and realizes her sense of taste is back.
The king is presented with the creations of Court Lady Choi and Geum-Young and Court Lady Han and Jang-Geum. The king praises food made by Jang-Geum and praises the Royal Kitchen for its skills.
Jang-Geum tells Court Lady Han that her sense of taste have returned due to treatment of the herbal field farm Doctor Jung, who used the poison of insects as the medicine for human.
Court Lady Choi is angry at Jang-Geum’s success and scolds Geum-Young who thinks Jang-Geum has talent unsurpassed by none.
Court Lady Jung gathers the kitchen maids to try whale meat so they know what it tastes like for future reference. Court Lady Choi tells Jung Sang Gong that she admits she lost but states in public that Jang-Geum has lost her sense of taste, and a kitchen maid has to know how to taste food so that she can teach the younger maids in the future. Jung states that Jang-Geum can just focus on making great dishes. Choi insists a Royal Kitchen maid must have her sense of taste intact. Court Lady Jung stops Choi from going on and on and orders all kitchen maids to gather in the kitchen storage yard for food-tasting. Privately, Court Lady Han tells Jung about Jang-Geum’s sense of taste palate returning. Jung tells Han to be careful and pretend that she doesn’t know about it in front of Choi Sang Gong.
Jang-Geum is put to test in front of everyone. Jang-Geum correctly states the ingredients in a food jar by tasting the samples. Jang-Geum amazes her fellow maids by her skills. Court Lady Choi looks confused. Finally Jang-Geum and Court Lady Han tell everyone Jang-Geum has recovered her sense of taste buds. Court Lady Jung tells everyone that Jang-Geum’s recovery is a happy event for all kitchen maids and everyone must learn a lesson in this. Court Lady Choi is really pissed off. Yong-Noh tells Geum-Young that Choi embarassed herself today.
Yun-Saeng, Chan-Ee, Court Lady Jung, and Court Lady Han prepare food and wait for Jang-Ggeum to celebrate together.
Jang-Geum runs off to the herbal field farm to inform the Doctor Jung about her recovery. Jung asks if his treatment really worked and teases Jang-Geum why she came empty-handed. Jang-Geum apologizes and runs off to get him food and wine.
Jang-Geum asks Yun-Saeng what she should give to the person she is grateful toward (Min Jung Ho). Yun-Saeng replies that Court Lady Jung said one can show gratefulness with food cooked with love. Jang-Geum goes to the kitchen and prepares treats for Min Jung-Ho. Geum-Young walks in as Jang-Geum is about to wrap up all the food she made. Jang-Geum says it’s for someone who has done her favours. Geum-Young says it must be nice to have someone who looks after you in the palace. Geum-Young tells Jang-Geum she is disappointed that Jang-Geum got her sense of taste back since they’re rivals, and leaves.
Min Jung Ho tells Jang-Geum about a medicine man she might want to see for treatment. Jang-Geum tells him about her recovery, returns the books she borrowed and hands him food she made for him as a token of her grateful attitude. Min Jung-Ho goes back and begins to enjoy the food when a subordinate tells him someone has come to see him. Geum-Young came by with a gift she brought from her uncle Choi Pan Sul (they’ve known each other for a long time due to their families). Min asks her how she’s doing and Geum-Young tells him lately she has lost confidence in herself and finds life difficult. Min encourages Geum-Young to have confidence since her job brings happiness to people.
The King suggests that Court Lady Choi and Court Lady Han compete by cooking for the prince’s birthday, with the menu to be determined by the queen. Court Lady Choi asks Head Court Lady Madam Qi Jyu to help her become the next head of the Royal Kitchen, in return Choi promises it would benefit Head Court Lady as well.
Court Lady Choi asks her brother Choi Pan Sul to find her the best ingredients for the next cook-off.
The royal family wants them to make dishes using food that the citizens throw away. Geum-Young wanders around the town to see what kind of food the citizens throw away. Jang Geum and Madam Han go to see Kang Duk Gu, but he is not around. His wife Na Joo Daek suggests Jang-Geum to use the use wine rice from wine-making as the ingredient. Geum-Young brings the throw-away fish gill from the market to Court Lady Choi to make prawn sauce. Jang-Geum and Lady Han decide they will use the left-over plums to make mince sour vegetables. jang-geum goes around town to look for fresh meat. They require to make a cow bone soup and rice too.
Jang-Geum tells Madam Han she thinks the ingredients that come from their regular source may not be as fresh as the ingredients that Madam Choi might use. Court Lady Han states that it is out of their control, but Jang-Geum wants to buy the best ingredients to make the soup anyway, the delay the time to best prepare the soup. The queen is presented with food prepared by the two teams. each team has cooked a simple meal that resembles what the citizens normally eat. The queen tastes the food and learns about the recipe, then announces the one cooked by Court Lady Choi’s soup is the better one. The head guard asks the queen why, and Court Lady Han states she knows why she lost.