Rob Thomas, Bryan Simmons, Erin Harris and Jack Demers as seen in “Chopped Canada”

You have been chopped! Since 2007, those words have been uttered by host and TV personality Ted Allen each time a contestant is eliminated from competition in “Chopped,” the Food Network’s reigning star of cooking competitions.

Since last year, though, someone else has been speaking them, too. “Chopped Canada” could have been, some would say should have been, a disaster. An almost identical carbon copy of the American version, but with an aging actor as host and a far, far smaller pool of potential contestants from which to choose, this “Chopped” from the Great White North sounded like a disaster in the making.

Instead, it ended up being a breath of fresh air. The Dean McDermott-hosted “Chopped Canada” launched its second season on Thursdays on the Food Network here in the U.S. last week, and this season is shaping up to be just as refreshing as the first.

What is it about “Chopped Canada” that makes it so refreshing? It's hard to say. Structurally, the show is identical to its American parent. Four chefs are given baskets of mystery ingredients, which they must then transform into beautiful dishes for a panel of judges who, one by one, chop the worst-performing chefs from competition.

Perhaps it's the judges that make the difference. Some of the Canadian judges will be familiar to American foodies -- acclaimed Toronto chef Susur Lee, most notably -- but the fresh faces and new commentary definitely stand out from the usual rotating “Chopped” crew.

Maybe it's the host?

Allen has professional training in the culinary arts, and is a well-known food and wine connoisseur. He’s great for providing up-to-the-minute commentary on what techniques the competing chefs are doing, and often has fascinating facts about some of the more unusual ingredients that they’ve been saddled with.

But McDermott’s only culinary claim to fame before “Chopped Canada” was winning “Rachael vs Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off’s” second season -- not necessarily the biggest accomplishment, considering some of the competition.

Still, he’s obviously no slouch when it comes to the kitchen, and when he comes across gaps in his culinary knowledge, he’s not afraid to defer to the judges and their combined decades of expertise.

Whatever it is that makes it feel so fresh, “Chopped Canada” is a surprise treat on the Food Network. Foodies who don’t like “Chopped” probably won’t find much to like here, but to the legions of “Chopped” fans out there, this Canadian spinoff is truly a delight. “Chopped Canada” airs Thursdays on Food Network.