How ‘Culinary Class Wars’ Turned Korean Cultural Codes Into Global TV

Netflix’s debut Korean culinary competition series has taken the world by storm, with Taiwan standing out as one of its most enthusiastic markets. The Taiwan Creative Content Fest recently welcomed producer Eunji Kim of Studio Slam, who shed light on the evolution of the series from a mere concept to a fully-fledged format.

Prior to “Culinary Class Wars,” Kim and her team worked on the 2020 talent show “Sing Again,” which highlighted Korean singers who had released albums but never gained mainstream recognition. This experience laid the groundwork for their next venture. “We wanted to create a competition show for chefs,” Kim explained. “But we were faced with the challenge of standing out against established giants like ‘Top Chef.'”

The team found the answer in leveraging local culture. “This is a Korean variety show. We needed a cultural symbol that resonates with Korean audiences,” Kim emphasized. In Korea, the spoon symbolizes social class, inspiring the show’s distinguishing visual element: the division between white-spoon chefs, symbolizing culinary excellence, and black-spoon chefs, representing undiscovered talent.

While not all contestants initially embraced the class-based format, the creative team believed it was essential to the show’s essence. They remained steadfast in maintaining the concealed classification system as the competition’s central driving force. “We stuck to the show’s structure from a production perspective,” Kim stated. “But how the chefs performed — their presentation, marketing — was all spontaneous.”

By skillfully editing and shaping the narrative, the team discovered that cultural specificity did not hinder the show’s appeal; instead, its themes resonated with a global audience. Following the success of the first season, the response from the culinary community underwent a significant shift. “For Season 2, many chefs who initially declined our offer actually approached us after watching the show,” Kim disclosed. “This turnaround proved that our approach was not only creatively sound but also commercially viable.”

From showcasing Korean cuisine and culturally significant symbols to a competition format that speaks a universal entertainment language, “Culinary Class Wars” has garnered significant attention on Netflix while introducing a fresh style of reality-competition storytelling. As the series gears up for a new season, viewers worldwide eagerly await more captivating narratives that extend beyond the confines of the kitchen.