3 Fun Facts I found in MasterChef
I have been watching Master Chef Australia for a couple of weeks so far. With the competition is getting more and more intense, I am getting more and more hungry when I watched those delicious dishes at night. And here is a few fun facts that I found really interesting and would like to share with you.
Fact #1: 31 Years Old Chef
I found 31 years old is the most common age for the contestants. As far as I noticed, a number of the contestants are in 31:
- Tommy, 31, kindergarten teacher
- Terrasse, 31, performance analyst
- Dan, 31, Research Project Officer
- Brent, 31, Boilermaker
And there are a few 29, 30, 33 years old contestants as well. Why these “dirty thirties” working in different industries suddenly want to be a chef? I think it is a common age that people look forward to making a change in their lives.
31 is not a very young age. Professionals in their 30s normally already established their career, some also have a young family. But they may feel something is still missing in their lives. Compared to younger people, they had more life experience and have figured out what they are really passionate about or what they really hate. So if there is an opportunity like MasterChef, why not give it a go?
If it works out, keep doing it. If not it is still fine, they can just go back to their established career. They are mature, confident, and also not too old to take the risk. So I can see these wonderful 31 years old jump out of their comfort zone and show their talents in MasterChef.
I hope someone in their 31 could win MasterChef, as I am 31 this year as well. Good luck to 31!
Fact #2: Diversity, in the Australian Way
Last night when I saw this epic Chinese dish Songshu Yu ( Squirrel Fish) cooked by Eric Mao, the second generation of Chinese migrants, I was truly impressed.
This dish is the kid’s favorite in restaurants in China. It reminds me a lot of childhood memory about dining out with my family, they usually order this one for little kids as it is so sweet, crunch and kids just love it.
If you just look at a single dish from the competition, you may not aware it is an Australian TV show. From Authentic Australian cuisine to German, Greek, from steak, pasta to dumplings, from Vietnam breakfast to western dessert, MasterChef Australia is celebrating the diversity of this country.
While if you turn on the TV to watch the Australian news, political talks, local TV series, or footy games, they are all dominated by white people. As a migrant myself, I know how hard it is to establish your career, build your network and fit in the community when you moved to a new country. It may take decades for migrants to build their cultural influence here.
But no matter what, compared to politics, culture, sports etc, food is a much visible and dynamic medium to connect people from different backgrounds. When you walked on the street of Melbourne CBD, you can choose coffee or milk tea, pasta or dumpling, kabab or sushi. … The countless flavors and dining options truly represent the diverse demographic of Australia.
One of the sponsors of MasterChef kept saying 100% Australian-made ingredients, value the Australian Way in their Ads. I was thinking what is the Australian way? It’s far more than 100% Aussie made, and in real life, it is impossible to use everything that Aussie made. For me, it’s the diversity, authenticity, respect and love in each dish that reflects the value of Australia.
Fact #3: More Pressure Tests, Please
I noticed a contestant, Dan, who always brought epic dishes when he was in pressure test or eliminations. I can imagine it must be very stressful to cook under the pressure. Nobody wants to go through the tough process again and again, but the magic chef Dan always made it through.
And the question is why Dan always gets into these pressure tests as he is such an excellent cook? Maybe some people just need more pressure to fully demonstrate their capabilities, maybe it is just a matter of luck, he was randomly in a weak team, maybe he accidentally made a faulty dish..
Life is like this as well. If you made a mistake, if you were unlucky, or if whatever reasons, life put you in a dangerous situation, instead of fear of loss, you’d better take advantage of this chance to push yourself and see what’s your limit. The things that don’t kill you will make you stronger.
Wish Dan, who is also 31 years old, all the best to the rest of MasterChef!
Hope you enjoyed these fun thoughts. Let me know who is your favorite MasterChef contestant in the comments!
