MBN K-bakery survival show 'Cheonha Baking' crowned Hwang Ji-o of 'Crazy Patissier' as its inaugural champion, ending with a flamboyant finale.
On the April 5 episode (Sunday) of MBN's Cheonha Baking, episode 10, Hwang Ji-o, who placed fourth in the first final round, staged a thrilling comeback by presenting "Grandmother's yard," inspired by the persimmons in her rural grandmother's yard, winning high praise for taste, detail and storytelling and securing the top spot.
The episode opened with the long-awaited announcement of the first- and second-place finishers of the first final round. Yoon Hwa-young, Hwang Ji-o, Joo Young-seok, Kim Jin-seo and Seong Min-su ranked third through seventh, while Kim Si-yeop, who made "mother's seat," took first place with 556 points, and Lee Kyung-moo, who made "assorted sushi bread," took second with 542 points. With only a 51-point gap between first-place Kim Si-yeop and seventh-place Seong Min-su, the second final round began, with a total of 800 points at stake—200 points more than the first final round—predicting an unpredictable contest.
As the final event of the competition, the second final round boosted judging credibility by featuring Korea confectionery and bakery master No. 6 Kim Young-mo, Hyatt Asia executive pastry chef Julien Perrine, and Hilton Hotel Gyeongju executive chef Davide Cadelini as global special masters. For the TOP7 presentations under the theme "Create the one bread to conquer the world, 'Cheonha Baking'," branding expert Kim Alin, who led the branding of Baekmidang and coached at the National Museum of Korea's private rooms, took charge of coaching to raise completeness. Ahead of the second final round, former contestants from Cheonha Baking such as "broadcaster who bakes bread" Lee Hye-sung and "queen of donuts" Jane Young, along with Japanese cuisine master An Yoo-seong, joined as supporters to boost morale.
First-place finisher of the first final round, Kim Si-yeop, created a water-drop-shaped pastry bread called "Si-yeop Dream." Kim Si-yeop said the bread "contains the dreams, passion and tears encountered while competing in Cheonha Baking," adding, "it is a bread that carries the tears and passion of people who continue to pursue their dreams," evoking emotion. Lee Kyung-moo presented "Taeguk red bean bread," shaped like the Taegeuk using tiger kidney beans and red beans, saying, "It is familiar to us but not well known to the world, so I made it with the idea of turning red bean bread into a bread everyone seeks."
Yoon Hwa-young brought a new version of the highly praised "campagne" from round one, adding cheese and perilla seeds, which are rich in healthy fats, to make the bread "Montpaindevie." Yoon Hwa-young, with family history, said, "My maternal grandfather died of diabetes complications and Parkinson's disease, and my mother is a diabetes patient," explaining why she became obsessed with "healthy bread," and teared up. Kim Jin-seo challenged sugar art for "the gold medal of my life," and prepared the piece recalling a time when she severely injured her hand and was devastated while preparing to become a national representative in baking, drawing sympathy. Master Kim Na-rae shared a similar experience and offered comfort, saying, "You have to come out of that wound," creating a warm moment.
Hwang Ji-o presented "Grandmother's yard," inspired by the persimmons in her rural grandmother's yard, her first-ever dessert, saying, "I thought the taste containing grandmother's heart is the most Korean sentiment and can be a force to spread worldwide." Hwang Ji-o received praise for making various leaves and persimmon-shaped molds herself and perfectly reproducing the real items with detailed work. Seventh-place finisher of the first final round, Seong Min-su, reflected on his past obsession with only new things and completed "San," a Korean-ingredient mont blanc (a French cake dessert meaning "white mountain"). Seong Min-su choked up as he recounted family bankruptcy that led to a red mark on his record and the hardships during COVID-19, expressing the stories he experienced while growing as a baker.
Joo Young-seok used black rice and squid ink to make a black cream bread called "Black Heart," saying, "When I was in my 20s performing as an idol in Japan, cream bread was a comfort of 'I finished this day well,'" and explained the work's meaning: "I wanted to capture both darkness and light, like those times when my dark life was comforted by white cream."
Finally, the final rankings, combining scores from the first and second final rounds, were revealed. Final seventh place went to Lee Kyung-moo with a total of 1,169 points. Sixth place was Kim Jin-seo with 1,175 points, and fifth place went to Joo Young-seok with 1,181 points. Fourth place was Seong Min-su with 1,202 points, and third place was Yoon Hwa-young with 1,233 points. Amid rollercoaster rank reversals, rivals Kim Si-yeop and Hwang Ji-o, who had continued to clash in round three and the semifinal, faced off in the final announcement, and the glorious first place went to Hwang Ji-o with a total of 1,297 points. Second place went to Kim Si-yeop with a total of 1,262 points.
As the inaugural Cheonha Baking champion, Hwang Ji-o said, "There are many difficult times walking this path," and added emotionally, "Like chef Kim Na-rae, who is like a lighthouse to me, I hope I can be a candle-like presence for someone even if not a lighthouse. I will continue to strive to become an even more dedicated patissier." In connection with this, we summarized what Cheonha Baking, which heated up Sunday nights and ushered in a new era of confectionery and bakery survival shows, left behind.
◆ what Cheonha Baking left behind 1. revamping the nationwide bread shop map
From episode 1, Cheonha Baking brought together skilled bakers who thrilled bread lovers nationwide and drew attention. Moreover, Cheonha Baking had the effect of bringing hidden talents known for skill, not just SNS-famous spots, to the surface. Thanks to this, bakeries of contestants who appeared on Cheonha Baking experienced long waiting lines, and SNS was flooded with visit reviews of contestants' bakeries, generating intense interest.
◆ what Cheonha Baking left behind 2. win-win with local communities
Cheonha Baking created win-win outcomes with local communities through missions that contributed to regional development. Contestants produced differentiated breads using local specialties in the semifinal "local heritage" mission, and cities such as Icheon and Goyang, where Hwang Ji-o and Kim Si-yeop were active, showed special interest by promoting them through SNS comments and promotional videos. In addition, viewers who encountered contestants' creative breads expressed admiration and revisited those regions.
◆ what Cheonha Baking left behind 3. expansion of the K-confectionery and bakery world
Cheonha Baking spotlighted the diverse world of K-confectionery and bakery and expanded its universe. Event breads aimed at special days, rebaked breads using classic desserts, no-oven breads that lowered the entry barrier, breads that can serve as a meal rather than a simple snack, and storytelling breads that elevate into single works—these unique breads seen only on Cheonha Baking stimulated viewers' appetites and curiosity. Moreover, the fantastic visual feasts depicted each episode and the boundless potential of K-bread for globalization drew praise every week.
The production team said, "Cheonha Baking concluded thanks to the viewers' passionate support," and added, "We hope the champion Hwang Ji-o and all contestants who appeared will take even stronger steps forward."
Meanwhile, MBN's Cheonha Baking ended after 10 episodes.<
[photo] MBN's Cheonha Baking broadcast capture
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