| The Backpacker Chef | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Hangul | 백패커 |
| Literal meaning | Backpacker |
| Revised Romanization | Baekpaekeo |
| Genre | Cooking Travel |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 44 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Park Hee-yeon |
| Producers | Lee Woo-hyung Shin Chan-yang |
| Original release | |
| Network | tvN |
| Release | May 26, 2022 (2022-05-26) – November 10, 2024 (2024-11-10) |
The Backpacker Chef (Korean: 백패커;RR: Baekpaekeo), Also known asBackpacker, is a South Koreanvariety program that airs ontvN.[1]
Season 1 aired on Thursdays at 20:40 (KST) from May 26 till October 6, 2022, for 20 episodes. It starredBaek Jong-won,Oh Dae-hwan,Ahn Bo-hyun andDinDin.[2]
Season 2 aired on Sundays at 19:40 (KST) from May 26 to November 10, 2024. For this season, Baek Jong-won and Ahn Bo-hyun returned, together with new cast membersLee Soo-geun,Heo Kyung-hwan andGo Kyung-pyo.[3]
The Backpacker Chef is a cooking entertainment program that challenges the extreme mission of improvising a customized food within a limited time in an unfamiliar place to the customer. Cast members leave with only one backpack containing a variety of kitchen tools and ingredients, and present instant catering for unfamiliar guests at the venue of the day.[4]
In the first season,Backpacker Chefs went on 18 different business trips and cooked for 3078 people, preparing more than 100 different dishes.[5]
_Baek_Jong-won%2c_Oh_Dae-hwan%2c_Ahn_Bo-hyun%2c_DinDin_(1).png)
| Season | Air date | Airtime |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 26 — October 6, 2022 | Thursdays at 20:40 (KST) |
| 2 | May 26 — November 10, 2024 | Sundays at 19:40 (KST) |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Location | Mission | Guest appearance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 26, 2022 | Jeongeup,Jeollabuk-do | Unlimited fast food to a wrestling club made up of 22 elementary, middle, and high school students | No guest | [6] |
| 2 | June 2, 2022 | Byeonsan,Jeollabuk-do | A vegetarian meal to 20–30 people who visit Wolmyeon-am | [7] | |
| 3 | June 9, 2022 | Meteorology 1[a] in the middle ofYellow Sea | Multinational party dishes for 17 employees of themeteorological ship ofKorea Meteorological Administration | [8] | |
| 4 | June 16, 2022 | Pocheon,Gyeonggi-do | A dinner for 300 people ofartillery brigade at the Pocheon military base 10 lunchboxes for soldiers training the mountains | [9] | |
| 5 | June 23, 2022 | Paju,Gyeonggi-do | A dinner for 400 members of the1st Infantry Division, Ilwolseong Battalion | Kim Dong-jun (ZE:A) | [10] |
| 6 | June 30, 2022 | Jeju Island | Pork course dishes for a group made up of 15 ofhaenyeo | No guest | [11] |
| 7 | July 7, 2022 | 50 servings of healthy course meals for theJeju United FC football team | [12] | ||
| 8 | July 14, 2022 | Camp Humphreys | Korean snacks for 15 drill instructors of US Army andKATUSA | Young K (Day6) & Fabrizio Ferrari | [13] |
| 9 | July 21, 2022 | Korean food for lunch of 500 US and KATUSA soldiers | [14] | ||
| 10 | July 28, 2022 | Cheonan,Chungcheongnam-do | A cool summer dinner for 250 trainees at Fire Fighters' Academy | No guest | [15] |
| 11 | August 4, 2022 | A low-sugar, low-salt lunch for 32 children atSeobuk-gu Police Station day care center An afternoon snack for the same children later | [16] | ||
| 12 | August 11, 2022 | Seoul Grand Park | A hot meal for 120 zookeepers A summer snack for 4 elephants | Andy (Shinhwa) | [17] |
| 13 | August 18, 2022 | Gyeongbuk Correctional Institution | High protein, high calorie, and high fat lunch for 200 prison guards | Lee Ho-cheol | [18] |
| 14 | August 25, 2022 | Yeongdam,Busan | Cheat day meals for 150 athletic students at Busan Sports High School | Fabrizio Ferrari | [19] |
| 15 | September 1, 2022 | JinhaeNaval Base | Fusion Korean food for 120 sailors ofROKS Hansando | No guest | [20] |
| 16 | September 8, 2022 | Yecheon,Gyeongsangbuk-do | MZ food for 27 elderly female painters at Shinpoong-ri Painting School | [21][22] | |
| 17 | September 15, 2022 | Ganghwado | Western, Chinese, and Japanese food for 280 students at Chef High School | Fabrizio Ferrari | [23][24] |
| 18 | September 22, 2022 | Goyang,Gyeonggi-do | Superfood for 150 staff members of the operation room of National Cancer Hospital | Yang Se-hyung | [25] |
| 19 | September 29, 2022 | Yuseong-gu,Daejeon | College food for the 330 cadets atArmed Forces Nursing Academy | Fabrizio Ferrari &Heo Kyung-hwan [b] | [26] |
| 20 | October 6, 2022 | Wonju,Gangwon-do | Camping food for cast members themselves who go on a healing camping trip as a reward vacation | No guest | [27] |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Location | Mission | Guest appearance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 26, 2024 | Mageum-ri,Taean,Chungcheongnam-do | Clam cuisine for 150 workers of a clam fishing village, and their families | No guest | |
| 2 | June 2, 2024 | Republic of Korea Air Force Headquarter inGyeryong-si,Chungcheongnam-do | "Dinner Show, Western Food, and Cooking Performance" for 100 people | Lee Do-hyun | |
| 3 | June 9, 2024 | Jincheon National Training Center [c] | "Special meal" and "Paik Jong Won Street" for 500 people | Fabrizio Ferrari &Miyeon ((G)I-dle) | |
| 4 | June 16, 2024 [d] [e] | Gyechon Elementary School | "Music is classical" and "Taste is latest style spicy tteokbokki" for 44 people | DinDin | |
| 5 | June 23, 2024 | Mount Baegun,Gyeonggi-do,Gangwon-do | "Cold Food" and "Quick Delivery" for 120 soldiers at the "1000m above sea level". | ||
| 6 | June 30, 2024 | Hwaseong Fire Station inHwaseong,Gyeonggi-do | "Taste good even if you eat it later", "Easy to digest", and "Strongest nutritious food" for 110 firefighters during the Merit Reward Month. | No guest | |
| 7 | July 7, 2024 | Incheon International Airport | "Feeling good, Tasty and Resort food" from famous holiday place (Hawaii, Ganmun-ri, Jeollanam-do,Bali,Da Nang,Maldives,Okinawa,Hainan, andBoracay) for 300 Airport Workers during the busiest Holiday month. | Bomi | |
| 8 | July 14, 2024 | National Institute of Ecology (NIE) | "Cities" and "Summer seasonal food" for 200 NIE Staff. | Kang Han-na | |
| 9 | July 21, 2024 | Incheon National Maritime High School [f] | Turned the bad school foods with Baek Jong-won's magic into good food for 230 Students. | Hyojung (Oh My Girl) | |
| 10 | July 28, 2024 | Geumsu Culture and Art Village | Cook traditional korean foods for 35 Geumsu village elders. | No guest | |
| 11 | August 11, 2024 [g] | National Archives of Korea | Cook the lost dishes that were originally popular in the past to 310 National Archives Korea staff. | Seohyun (Girls' Generation) | |
| 12 | August 18, 2024 | Metropolitan Railway Vehicle Maintenance Workshop inGyeonggi-do,Goyang-si | Cook Signature dishes from places thatKTX visited for 180 workers. | Yuri (Girls' Generation) | |
| 13 | August 25, 2024 | Arisu Water Purification Center,Gangbuk-gu,South Korea | "Rainy season, typhoon, stay away", "Taste that goes through fire and water" and "Number of people for drinking water is 3.5 million" for 100 workers. | Cho Kyu-hyun (Super Junior) | |
| 14 | September 1, 2024 | National Forensic Service,Gangwon-do,Wonju-si | "Find a flavor solution" "Endorphin explosion" and "Adrenaline detected at the location" for 140 workers. | No guest | |
| 15 | September 8, 2024 | Korea Expressway Corporation,Gimcheon-si,Gyeongsangbuk-do | "An important stop on the way home", “The flavor that started it, Chestnut, Geobong Wine, Chun Hyang”, for 120 employees. | ||
| 16 | September 15, 2024 | Midong Elementary School,Taebaek-si,Gangwon-do | "Tornado Kick, "Knifehand Strike" and "Hammer Smash" for 28 Students of the first children Taekwondo Demonstraion team before theNational Liberation Day of Korea event. | ||
| 17 | September 22, 2024 | National Theater of Korea | "Multiple Toppings at once" and "Harmonious Meal" For 170 National Theater Workers. | Soyou | |
| 18 | September 29, 2024 [h] | Korea Aerospace Industries | "Stomach Booster", "GO Capacity, GO Calories", and "High Fast Food" for 200 Workers. | Jang Ye-won &DinDin | |
| 19 | October 6, 2024 | Republic of Korea 1st Special Forces Brigade Headquarter | Cook the high quality fresh foods to the unit of 200 people before going for the 1,000-Ri March. | Kwon Eun-bi | |
| 20 | October 13, 2024 | Gwangju Women's University,Gwangsan-gu,Gwangju | Cook the $1 breakfast for 120 college students with just $120. | No guest | |
| 21 | October 20, 2024 | Daegu Agricultural Meister High School,Suseong-gu,Daegu | "Harvest Season" and "100% self-sufficient" for 240 People. | Seok Matthew (Zerobaseone) &Fabrizio Ferrari | |
| 22 | October 27, 2024 | Cheongju Post Office | "Breaking from Eating Alone Today" and "An Order for 4 or More People" for 84 Post Office Worker | Kim Min-jong [i] | |
| 23 | November 3, 2024 | Gwanak Police Station,Gwanak-gu,Seoul | "A meal that call for rice" for 140 Police Officer | No guest | |
| 24 | November 10, 2024 | Youth Meal Mungan,Sinchon-dong,Seoul | "House Cook Master Paik" and "Kimchi's Transformation is Innocent" for 100 people. |
| Episodes | Episode number | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ||
| 1-10 | 803 | 716 | 809 | 1120 | 1259 | 1015 | 897 | 944 | 977 | 908 | |
| 1-20 | 845 | 800 | 823 | 1072 | 1076 | 967 | 1063 | 918 | 1226 | 902 | |
| Episodes | Episode number | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | ||
| 1-12 | 1.278 | 1.145 | 1.296 | 1.087 | 1.198 | 1.138 | 1.342 | 1.686 | 1.787 | 1.365 | 0.908 | 1.146 | |
| 13-24 | 1.225 | 1.391 | 1.395 | 1.068 | 1.323 | 1.396 | 1.584 | 1.490 | 1.510 | 1.414 | 1.330 | 1.524 | |
| Ep. (2022 & 2024) | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[29] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Seoul | ||
| 1 | May 26, 2022 | 3.853%(1st) | 3.810%(1st) |
| 2 | June 2, 2022 | 3.196%(2nd) | 2.986%(2nd) |
| 3 | June 9, 2022 | 3.223%(1st) | 3.238%(1st) |
| 4 | June 16, 2022 | 4.727%(1st) | 4.435%(1st) |
| 5 | June 23, 2022 | 5.333%(1st) | 5.266%(1st) |
| 6 | June 30, 2022 | 4.236%(1st) | 4.295%(1st) |
| 7 | July 7, 2022 | 3.707%(2nd) | 4.146%(2nd) |
| 8 | July 14, 2022 | 4.171%(2nd) | 4.111%(2nd) |
| 9 | July 21, 2022 | 4.275%(3rd) | 4.331%(3rd) |
| 10 | July 28, 2022 | 4.056%(2nd) | 3.985%(2nd) |
| 11 | August 4, 2022 | 3.319%(2nd) | 3.564%(2nd) |
| 12 | August 11, 2022 | 3.275%(3rd) | 3.246%(3rd) |
| 13 | August 18, 2022 | 3.879%(3rd) | 4.146%(2nd) |
| 14 | August 25, 2022 | 4.636%(1st) | 4.766%(1st) |
| 15 | September 1, 2022 | 4.839%(1st) | 4.598%(1st) |
| 16 | September 8, 2022 | 3.748%(1st) | 3.697%(1st) |
| 17 | September 15, 2022 | 4.539%(1st) | 4.757%(1st) |
| 18 | September 22, 2022 | 4.175%(1st) | 4.094%(1st) |
| 19 | September 29, 2022 | 4.979%(1st) | 4.786%(1st) |
| 20 | October 6, 2022 | 3.946%(1st) | 4.068%(1st) |
| 1 | May 26, 2024 | 4.895%(2nd) | 5.435%(2nd) |
| 2 | June 2, 2024 | 4.621%(1st) | 5.075%(2nd) |
| 3 | June 9, 2024 | 4.839%(1st) | 5.473%(1st) |
| 4 | June 16, 2024 | 4.790%(1st) | 5.950%(1st) |
| 5 | June 23, 2024 | 5.192%(1st) | 4.843%(2nd) |
| 6 | June 30, 2024 | 4.291%(2nd) | 4.631%(2nd) |
| 7 | July 7, 2024 | 5.320%(2nd) | 5.785%(2nd) |
| 8 | July 14, 2024 | 4.790%(2nd) | 4.807%(2nd) |
| 9 | July 21, 2024 | 4.857%(2nd) | 5.509%(2nd) |
| 10 | July 28, 2024 | 5.312%(2nd) | 6.117%(2nd) |
| 11 | August 11, 2024 | 3.742%(2nd) | 4.112%(2nd) |
| 12 | August 18, 2024 | 4.298%(2nd) | 4.693%(2nd) |
| 13 | August 25, 2024 | 4.533%(2nd) | 4.879%(2nd) |
| 14 | September 1, 2024 | 4.949%(2nd) | 4.952%(2nd) |
| 15 | September 8, 2024 | 5.251%(2nd) | 5.897%(2nd) |
| 16 | September 15, 2024 | 4.012%(2nd) | 4.174%(2nd) |
| 17 | September 22, 2024 | 4.885%(2nd) | 5.643%(2nd) |
| 18 | September 29, 2024 | 5.270%(2nd) | 5.476%(2nd) |
| 19 | October 6, 2024 | 6.109%(2nd) | 6.674%(2nd) |
| 20 | October 13, 2024 | 5.561%(2nd) | 6.674%(2nd) |
| 21 | October 20, 2024 | 6.125%(2nd) | 6.903%(2nd) |
| 22 | October 27, 2024 | 5.341%(2nd) | 5.903%(2nd) |
| 23 | November 3, 2024 | 5.383%(2nd) | 5.908%(2nd) |
| 24 | November 10, 2024 | 6.171%(2nd) | 6.714%(2nd) |
tvN currentoriginal programming | |
|---|---|
| Drama |
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| Variety |
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