Culinary Class Wars

 

Culinary Class Wars

As a family we used to be big fans of the annual Top Chaf contest (French version) until a few years ago we realised that it had become so formulaic (and so unbearably long) that we no longer cared. On a whim, I decided to give this Netflix series a look, not just because the algorithm recommended it, but because it's Korean. And indeed, despite some similarities with other cooking contests, what sets Culinary Class Wars apart for a French viewer such as we are, is the exoticism of it all: not just the ingredients and culinary references, but also the attitudes, the set up and the (quite grandiose) studio layout. The contest starts with 100 chefs, 80 of which wear black outfits and have to prove themselves, and 20 of which are quite famous, wear white outfits, and watch the rest battle it out in the early rounds. Later, it becomes black against whites, and once that's done it just becomes everyone for himself. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it, and do recommend it if you're into this kind of things. Three takeaways: I have no intention ever to try fermented skate, there's a surprisingly large number of ways that tofu can be cooked that seems appetising, and boy do Koreans eat big mouthfuls...