‘Culinary Class Wars’ nears finale with grueling challenges teased for global audiences

With only two episodes to go, the producers of Netflix's Korean original cooking competition show, "Culinary Class Wars," promise "the fiercest competition yet" for global audiences. "During the final two episodes, we will push the participants' creativity to the limit with grueling cooking challenges," co-producer Kim Eun-ji said at a press conference in Seoul on Monday, just one day before the release of the series' conclusion. Released on Sept. 17, "Culinary Class Wars" pits elite chefs (White Spoons) against lesser-known underdogs (Black Spoons) in intense culinary battles to determine the country's top cook. Since its debut, the show has topped Netflix's non-English series chart for two consecutive weeks, amassing millions of views worldwide. Its fierce competition has drawn comparisons to the intensity of another Korean hit show, "Physical 100," while sparking international interest in the diversity of talented Korean chefs and their dishes. "The final two episodes will feature the most competitive individual showdowns yet, with chefs telling us they went through hell during filming," Kim said. "The remaining episodes will be the highlight of the series." Producers and eight cooks of the Netflix Korean original cooking competition show, "Culinary Class Wars," attend a press conference in Seoul on Oct. 7, 2024. (Yonhap) Producers and eight cooks of the Netflix Korean original cooking competition show, "Culinary Class Wars," attend a press conference in Seoul on Oct. 7, 2024. (Yonhap) Star chef Choi Hyun-seok, a culinary veteran with nearly 30 years of experience and a familiar face from various cooking shows, reflected on his initial hesitations about joining the program. "I originally thought I was being invited as a judge," he said with a chuckle. After initially declining, he changed his mind, believing the show could offer him "fresh excitement and inspiration." Now advancing to the semi-finals with seven other competitors, he said he was glad he made the decision to participate. "The show reaff irmed that I was right in pursuing the path I've been following." He recalled the 10th episode where he prepared vongole pasta, a dish he considers the most personal, representing his entire culinary journey, but made the mistake of forgetting to add ground garlic. "How could that have happened?" Choi said. "Despite all my experience and appearances on TV shows, I still get nervous every time I cook." Addressing speculation about possible production interference regarding the equal ratio of White Spoons and Black Spoons in the semifinal round, co-producer Kim Hak-min firmly denied any involvement. A similar situation occurred in the second round, where 11 White Spoon chefs and nine Black Spoon chefs advanced. At the end of the round, judges Paik Jong-won and Ahn Sung-jae each used a super-pass card to select a Black Spoon chef as an additional qualifier, ultimately evening out the numbers. "It wasn't staged at all. I honestly felt quite bad about the situation," Kim said, describing the outcome as pure c oincidence and emphasizing the judges made their decisions independently. "The show would have actually been more compelling if the numbers weren't equal," he said. The final two episodes of the 12-part series are set for release Tuesday. Source: Yonhap News Agency