[Column] What Culinary Class Wars reveals about Korean society

Netflix's Culinary Class Wars is a thought-provoking show. Its title evokes a famous quote from the famous French gourmet Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin: “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” In the 19th century, during Brillat-Savarin's time, food choices were closely tied to social class. The upper class enjoyed access to expensive spices, fresh produce, white bread, and fine wine, while the poor had to make do with coarse, blackish bread made from rye and barley. His words reflected the idea that a person’s status or class could be inferred from their diet.

Today, it’s difficult to determine a person’s social class based on the food they eat. However, food still reflects the values and perspectives of both its creators and consumers. It serves as a mirror of society, and so do food programs. What, then, does Culinary Class Wars reveal about Korean society?

First of all, Korean society values fairness. Consider the blind test scene from Culinary Class Wars, which sparked significant discussion. In this scene, the judges are blindfolded to ensure they focus solely on taste, without knowing who prepared the food. Humans are predominantly visual creatures, with about 80 percent of the sensory information we process while awake being visual and approximately 30 percent of our cerebral cortex dedicated to visual processing. Sight also heavily influences our perception of flavor. While some argue that visual enjoyment is an integral part of gastronomy, judging based solely on taste, without the influence of sight, upholds a sense of fairness.

Chef Anh Sung-jae's evaluation of the vegetable dishes during the blind test was particularly striking. He gave the dish a passing grade, commending the thoughtful approach to honoring the vegetables grown on our land and maximizing their natural flavors. His remarks remind us of an important truth: our survival depends on other living things, a fact we should always remember when we eat. This awareness also underscores why food waste should be avoided. Respect for ingredients is a fundamental virtue of any gourmet. However, the excessive use of tofu in the contest, dubbed Tofu Hell, betrayed this principle. It demonstrated neither respect for the ingredients nor consideration for the environment.

The later restaurant missions also sparked significant controversy, as rankings were based on total sales rather than the flavor of the food. Critics argued that this undermined the fairness of the competition. However, in another sense, it reflects a broader reality of Korean society. Being a chef requires more than just culinary skill; to succeed, one must excel in many areas. This mirrors the harsh realities faced by many Koreans, with one in four being self-employed. A local newspaper reported that half of the self-employed individuals in Korea's lodging and restaurant industry are sole proprietors. While thrilling cooking competitions can capture our imagination, the everyday realities of the industry remain sobering.

Jeong Jae-hoon is a food writer and pharmacist. He covers a variety of subjects, including trends in food, wellness and medications. This column was originally published in Korean in Joongang Ilbo on Nov. 21, 2024. – Ed.