Japan’s ‘Iron Chef’ Cooking Game Show
‘Iron Chef’ is a crazy Japanese import cooking game show that features accomplished chefs from around the world going head to head in a competition format that’s part Julia Child, part pro wrestling. Even non-foodies are drawn to the show for its sheer entertainment value.
The show was originally created by the Fuji TV network in the Japan, and the original Japanese title translates literally to The Iron Men of Cooking. The premise behind the competition is even more outlandish. An eccentric millionaire and food lover MC Kaga, summons the summons the finest chefs in Japan to do battle in his kitchen stadium. Also in residence are three Iron Chefs, each representing a different type of cuisine (Chinese, French and Japanese). The summoned culinary challenger picks which Iron Chef he wants to take a crack at and the contest begins.
Adding even more ‘spice’ to the show–each dish must include the ‘theme ingredient’ which is kept a mystery until immediately before the competition begins. With great pomp and amid smoke and pyrotechnics, Kaga reveals the ‘mystery ingredient’. Sometimes it’ll be something basic like apples or tofu, other times it’s more obscure like ox tail or some otherworldly shellfish.
The chefs then have an hour to prepare a seven-course meal to be served to a panel of what I presume to be mid-level Japanese celebrities. They rate and discuss each participants offering and pick a winner. At the end of the show with much fan fare Kaga reveals the winner. Its a great honor to beat one of the Iron Chefs, though its no easy feat.
What really brings the show together is the announcing. There’s a hysterical play by play announcer, an excitable color commentator, and an even more hyperactive sideline correspondent who will break in the commentary frequently with revelations such as observing that a chef is using fresh ginger in a dish or some similar piece of trivia. Apparently one of the announcers is a legit sumo wrestling announcer in Japan, making the strange juxtaposition between cooking shows and wrestling even more complete.
The dishes that the chefs come up with are always pretty amazing, creative and complex–if not always appetizing. Some of their creations look yummy, but a dessert with a compulsory use of carp isnt exactly my cup of green tea. Nonetheless, the creative process and intensity of the competitors is amazing. Even as challenging as this is, the requirement that a theme ingredient be used in every component of the meal really ups the ante.
The Food Network has recently begun production of a native grown version called ‘Iron Chef America’. It has a similar format, but really loses a lot from the inscrutable original.
Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer and respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
