Baek Jong-won starring in Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars (Photo courtesy of Netflix)

 

 

[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] A Chinese variety show is facing plagiarism allegations for closely imitating Netflix's hit Korean original, Culinary Class Wars. Netflix has confirmed that it never licensed the program’s format and is internally reviewing a response.



On July 24, a Netflix spokesperson stated, “We have not sold the format rights to Culinary Class Wars to any Chinese company,” adding, “We are aware of the plagiarism concerns regarding the show in question and are currently discussing appropriate action.”



The show in question, Yi Fang Feng Shen (一饭封神), airs on Tencent Video and features a competition where 100 chefs battle using fire, knives, and woks—mirroring the core premise of Culinary Class Wars, which divides contestants into “black spoon” underdogs and elite “white spoon” chefs. In the Chinese version, 16 celebrity chefs face off against 84 newcomers, with rookies hiding their names, chefs dressed in black and white uniforms, and top-tier chefs observing the battle from an elevated position—strikingly similar elements to the original.



Criticism has mounted online, with even Chinese viewers denouncing the show’s similarity. Comments include:

“This is outright copying.”

“Even the stage and format are identical.”

“Did they steal everything? Shameless.”

“Same editing, competition structure, and music.”

“The Chinese entertainment industry criticizes Korean shows daily, yet plagiarizes them.”



Netflix is not available in mainland China. Since the premiere of Culinary Class Wars Season 1 in September 2023, illegal distributions have circulated, and unfounded backlash has emerged. Some Chinese users falsely claimed “Korea is stealing Chinese cuisine,” targeting Korean chef Baek Jong-won—one of the judges—and calling him a “thief.” When a Korean chef prepared ba si, a traditional Chinese caramel dish, accusations were made that “Koreans will try to claim it as Korean food.”



Culinary Class Wars depicts a high-stakes culinary competition where chefs from different social tiers clash for the title. It became the first Korean variety show to rank No.1 globally in Netflix’s non-English TV category for three consecutive weeks. “Napoli Mafia” won Season 1, defeating Edward Lee and taking home a KRW 300 million prize. Season 2 is set to premiere in the second half of the year, with Baek Jong-won and Michelin 3-star chef Ahn Sung-jae returning as judges.