Anna Fifield had a fascinating piece on the latest trend in South Korean cooking shows. Having men cook:

• Korea arguably has a food obsessed culture. To say “how are you?” in Korean you ask “have you eaten?”
• Individuals post YouTube videos of themselves eating so that others who are alone around the country can eat along with them.
• In the traditional Confucian culture men are not expected to cook. Those who try maybe chased away by grandmothers with an old saying that translates to them losing their manhood at the stove.
• The latest generation sees nothing emasculating about men cooking. Indeed top cooking shows now have male stars that attract a considerable female following.
• It isn’t just about the sex appeal. Some women try to watch the show with their boyfriends and husbands in the hopes of encouraging them to cook.
• For others there’s something appealing, in troubled economic times, about top sexy male chefs using what are usually every day ingredients to make world-class meals.
• One of the more popular shows, called “Please Look After My Fridge” has chefs go to celebrity homes and try to whip up a meal with the contents of their fridges.

The full article is well written, has many more interesting points, and is worth a read. You can find it here.

Source: The Washington Post