Top K-Dramas Featuring Food as a Key Character

Be it royal kitchens or street food stalls, K-dramas have been serving up more than just romance and drama. Food has been a key character in some of our favorite shows, and we’re about to dig in.

Below is a list of seven K-dramas where food takes center stage.

Jewel in the Palace (2003-2004)

Food essentially drives the drama forward and shapes the journey of its protagonist, Seo Jang-geum, played by Lee Young-ae. From her humble beginnings in the royal kitchen to becoming the king’s physician, food fuels her success as she uses it for good, reflecting the Korean belief of “yaksikdongwon,” which emphasizes that food is the best medicine.

In this story, food also symbolizes intention, morality, and influence. While Jang Geum uses food to feed others and nourish them, her rivals use it to manipulate and sabotage. The drama highlights the dual nature of food—it can be both poison and cure—and how Jang Geum’s understanding of its medicinal properties ultimately helps her become a skilled physician. With its vivid depiction of royal court cuisine and traditional dishes, the show is a cultural showcase that also challenges strict gender roles and celebrates the liberating power of food and cooking, promoting Korean culture globally through its impact on the Hallyu Wave, inspired by the true story of Jang-geum, Korea’s first female royal physician.

My Lovely Sam Soon (2005)

My Lovely My Lovely Sam Soon is not only a cult classic but also a fantastic example of how food serves as a character through Kim Sam-soon’s (Kim Sun-a) experiences. As a talented pastry chef, Sam-soon finds pride and purpose in the kitchen, where her creative skills and passion make all the difference, disregarding her old-school name, rustic nature, obesity, and age, for which she’s often belittled. Amid all of this, food becomes a window into her emotional state. When she’s stressed or heartbroken, she turns to food for comfort, and when she’s baking cakes or planning her own pastry business, food gives her inner strength; it’s her way of taking control and finding new directions in life.

Food also explores the complexities of Sam-soon’s relationships, especially her equation with the rich and handsome Hyun Jin-heon (Hyun Bin) as she begins working at his luxury restaurant, Bon Appétit, and the kitchen becomes a scene of significant moments—of conflict, romance, and her character growth. But above all else, food represents a sense of stability in Sam-soon’s life, contrasting with the chaos of her love life.

Wok of Love (2018)

In Wok of Love, the sizzling pans in the kitchen aren’t just background noise; they stoke the characters’ passions, drive their revenge, and feed their souls. For Seo Poong (Lee Jun-ho of 2PM), a star chef, cooking is a way to exact revenge on those who wronged him in the past and for Dan Sae-woo (Jung Ryeo-won), a bankrupt heiress, a simple bowl of jajangmyeon (black bean noodles) becomes a turning point that leads her to the “Hungry Wok” restaurant, where she starts rebuilding her life.

The restaurant is run by Doo Chil-sung (Jang Hyuk), a former gangster turned entrepreneur, who operates the small Chinese eatery with his loyal gang members. “Hungry Wok” gradually transforms into a refuge where these people become a family, bonding over the joy of cooking and the comfort of sharing meals, as Wok of Love eventually reveals that real fulfillment comes from the simple pleasures of life—a warm bowl of food, a loving gesture, and the beauty of creation.

Let’s Eat (2013-2018)

The show uses food as a social catalyst, bringing together a group of people living alone in the city, such as Yoon Jin-yi (Yoon So-hee), who loves sharing meals, and that sparks a chain reaction, turning standoffish strangers into close friends, and the mysterious gourmand Goo Dae-young (Yoon Doo-joon), whose obsession with food is revealed through his meticulous food descriptions.

Food is also central to the relationship that develops between Soo-kyung (Lee Soo-kyung) and Dae-young. Their love of food brings them closer together. The show’s mouthwatering food moments are an immersive visual experience beyond just plot devices and beautifully convey the joy of eating together and savoring food.

Chocolate (2019-2020)

As kids, when Lee Kang (Yoon Kye-sang) feeds a hungry Cha-young (Ha Ji-won) and promises to make her chocolate truffles if she comes back into his life, the act inspires her to become a chef and recognize purpose in comforting others through food.

Chocolate treats food as a metaphor for healing, comfort, and nostalgia. We see Cha-young’s cooking as a way of expressing herself, revisiting cherished memories, and fulfilling final wishes for the terminally ill patients at the hospice where she works. As she and Lee Kang, who is now a neurosurgeon at the same hospice, reunite and bond over food and heal their own emotional wounds, food also becomes a trigger for their memories, transporting them back in time. As for the title “chocolate,” it’s the ultimate symbol of hope and the enduring connection between them, while also capturing the theme that love is like a bittersweet chocolate, healing the experience.

Mystic Pop-up Bar (2020)

Mystic Pop-up Bar is a food shack as mysterious as a magical place that can heal customers through their dreams. Run by Weol-ju (Hwang Jung-eum), her delicious offerings help customers feel at home, so much so that they confess their secrets and share painful memories. From comforting bowls of guksu (noodles) that evoke memories of childhood to sweet and spicy dakgangjeong (fried chicken) that symbolizes the slow process of healing, every dish serves a purpose.

The series also showcases other Korean favorites like grilled mackerel, stir-fried octopus, and steamed dumplings, emphasizing that Koreans have these street food stalls called “pojachmacha,” where people regularly spend time eating and drinking. In the Mystic Pop-up Bar, however, food serves as a bridge between the living and the dead, the past and the present, helping characters reach closure and move forward, because, by sharing a meal and a drink, the customers let go of their grudges and find peace.

Mr. Queen (2020-2021)

Jang Bong-hwan (Choi Jin-hyuk), a highly skilled modern-day chef trapped in Queen Cheorin’s (Shin Hye-sun) body in the Joseon period, uses his culinary skills to navigate the complexities of palace politics. His innovative dishes, like French-style confit and ramyeon, win over the powerful Grand Queen Dowager and expose corruption. Food also helps Bong-hwan to connect with King Cheoljong (Kim Jung-hyun) on a deeper level and also reflects his personal transformation, merging his modern and traditional identities. The kitchen is where he can be himself and find comfort.

Food in the drama also stands for feelings and intentions, from poison that can kill people to comfort meals that make people feel better. As Bong-hwan tries to get back to his modern life, he learns about secrets and complexities within the palace. His journey through food shows how it drives the plot, builds relationships, and represents the themes of one’s identity, authority, and connection with others.