Netflix’s hit Korean reality series Culinary Class Wars is at the center of a plagiarism controversy after a strikingly similar show debuted on China’s Tencent Video platform.
Culinary Class Wars, which premiered in December 2024, features 100 contestants—split between famous chefs (the “white spoons”) and underdog cooks (the “black spoons”)—battling in culinary showdowns that challenge class boundaries through taste. With star chefs like Baek Jong-won, Ahn Sung-jae, Choi Hyun-seok, Edward Kwon, Jung Ji-sun, and Choi Kang-rok, the show gained explosive popularity. It became the first Korean variety series to top Netflix’s global non-English TV category for three consecutive weeks.
Amid preparations for its highly anticipated Season 2, controversy erupted when Chinese OTT platform Tencent Video launched a show titled Yi Feng Shen (一封神) on July 17. The new program allegedly borrows heavily from Culinary Class Wars—from its team structure and set design to mission format, celebrity judging panels, and the inclusion of public evaluators.
Although Yi Feng Shen is marketed as a culinary battle honoring traditional Chinese cuisine, its competitive structure mirrors that of the Korean original—especially the 1:1 face-offs between “black” and “white” chefs and public taste-test evaluations held in pop-up restaurants.
Critics in both Korea and China have called out the similarities, with some Chinese netizens commenting on Weibo, “The set is identical, and the format is a complete copy,” and “Did they just steal everything?”
In response, a Netflix representative told OSEN, “We have not sold the format rights to the producers of the Chinese program,” and confirmed that internal discussions are underway regarding potential legal action.
Meanwhile, Culinary Class Wars Season 2 is scheduled to premiere in the latter half of 2025.
Nate
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