Dive into the Healing Life with Three Meals a Day: Mountain Village

There may be moments when you imagine a life with minimal interference from technological influence, away from full inboxes and constant notifications. After all, we’re living in a rapidly changing world; it’s hard to find that perfect medium where you can simply enjoy a day away from the industrial buzz yet still retain a little connection to society.

But with the newest season of the classic Three Meals a Day series, the cast showcases their stripped-back lifestyle as they escape from the busy city life and highlight the tranquility and simplicity that a traditional farming life has to offer. 

Get to Know Three Meals a Day: The Past

In case you are not familiar with the past seasons of tvN’s top program, here’s a quick introduction. 

Three Meals a Day is a reality variety show series that embraces a natural atmosphere. The hosts and guests of the show are directed to a house located in a rural area; their main objective is to simply cook three meals a day. But just because the goal is to create three meals does not mean the house is fully prepared for cooking purposes; the house consists of basic necessities such as a refrigerator, kitchen tools, and simple facilities (including an old television!). Still, when watching the participants assemble the most basic of ingredients and construct an old traditional Korean furnace out of bricks, we see that every single action requires a lot of effort to be completed. Overall, the meaning of the show is simple yet the process of celebrities adapting to farm life while revealing their true personalities makes for a relaxing watch.

Although the program’s rules are strictly enforced so as to not interfere with the celebrities’ lifestyle, Na Youngsuk PD let the policy slip through a couple of times, providing meat or an ingredient of choice in return for beneficial labor tasks. In the oldest season, 2PM’s Ok Taecyeon, Lee Seojin, and Son Hojun signed a contract to harvest 20 kilograms of sugar cane for every 600 grams of meat. As a result, a lot of the scenes in the first season showed the trio in a sugar cane field, working hard to pay off their so-called debt.

Influenced by the setting specific to each season, celebrities are often given unexpected tasks which becomes the viewer’s center of interest. For instance, in Three Meals a Day: Seaside Ranch, Lee Seojin, SHINHWA’s Eric Mun, and Yoon Gyunsang performed daily tasks of milking the cows in their ranch as well as their beloved goat Jackson. With the milk, the three members created flavorful dishes like pizza as well as numerous cups of iced coffee blended with the rich scent of goat milk. The stars created mouthwatering meals such as steamed kimchi and pork back ribs with fresh vegetables and fruits from their valuable garden⁠—with Chef Eric, cooking wasn’t a concern at all!

But Three Meals a Day: Mountain Village Is Different

The most distinct and obvious difference that sets this season apart from the others is the cast. This time around, Three Meals a Day features three female celebrities as the main hostesses of the show instead of the typical male duo or trio lineups that have previously appeared. With an all-female cast, the blooming chemistry between Yum Jungah, Yoon Seah, and Park Sodam serves as a great reflector of their unique personalities and conveys their characters.

Yum Jungah plays the passionate “leader” role in the household as the oldest of the three. The actress shows her own work ethic and stresses the responsibility of finishing necessary tasks to make the next meal. Despite being a stranger in a foreign region just like the rest of them, she guides the team to efficiently complete what needs to be done and rises as the main chef with her adequate cooking skills as she unleashes her lovely and lively character, contrasting the cold, ambitious Han Seojin she played in SKY Castle.

Yoon Seah brightens up the atmosphere with her positive attitude as she encourages her fellow cast members. Making a 180-degree turn from her most recent drama role as Noh Seunghye from SKY Castle, the actress showcases her quirkiness and enthusiasm along with her energy. Throughout the show, it’ll be worth it to take a look at how the hostess juggles her duties while encouraging the team as the team’s designated cheerleader.

A rising star thanks to her appearance in Parasite, the mega-hit movie that won the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year, Park Sodam employs a calm demeanor even as the youngest in the group. Her willingness to assist her members with even the smallest task reveals her kind nature, and her reactive personality makes her a lovely assistant during team activities such as cooking. With her prior experience in helping out at her grandma’s farm, Park Sodam quickly adapts to the rural lifestyle and leaves viewers curious as to how she will carry out other tasks and contribute to the group throughout the show. 

Unfortunate news welcomed the new hostesses this summer, however. Going back to the old days of the show, the cast members of this season are refused any extra ingredients for their meals. They are only given basic resources such as the green garden and unprocessed natural eggs from the wide chicken coop. It's up to them to step up and get through the day in their somewhat limited environment. They start off by building their very own furnace with the red bricks supplied in the backyard and greet their unexpected, but welcomed guest Jung Woosung. The actresses are off to a good start.

Like the past and present hosts and hostesses of Three Meals a Day, take a break from your own busy life. Tune in to Three Meals a Day: Mountain Village to find inspiration to take a little temporary escape from reality. Through the show, adopt the healing lifestyle; absorb its peacefulness and carefree vibe, and pay close attention in case you have your own dreams to live the farm-to-table lifestyle.