The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea International Broadcasting Foundation on Oct. 12 announced the premiere of "Korean Cook-Off," a variety show airing from Oct. 12-16 daily at 8 a.m. on Arirang TV in which mothers team up with expats to compete in Korean cooking challenges. Shown are scenes from the show. (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)

By Lee Dasom

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea International Broadcasting Foundation on Oct. 12 announced the premiere of "Korean Cook-Off," a variety series in which Korean mothers team up with expats to compete in Korean cooking challenges.

The five-episode program airs daily from Oct. 12-16 at 8 a.m. Korean Standard Time on Arirang TV.

The series features mothers, the masters of home-cooked meals, teaching expats from diverse cultural backgrounds the art of making homestyle dishes and working together to prepare them.

Five foreign residents from Venezuela, Ghana, Poland, Uzbekistan and France are each paired with a mother selected through an open call. The expats visit their Korean partners' homes to learn traditional home recipes and the secrets behind their signature tastes.

The show has attracted high anticipation through a preview of its finale, in which foreign cast members put their own spins on Korean dishes.

"'Korean Cook-Off' is a special journey through which Koreans and foreign nationals use home-cooked meals as a bridge to understand each other's cultures and build bonds," a policy official at the ministry said. "We hope that this program helps viewers worldwide to grow more familiar with the diverse charm of Korean cuisine and K-culture."

dlektha0319@korea.kr