Black box competition challenges young chefs
M. Taufiqurrahman and Andina Sawitri Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
It takes a pretty good cook to turn meat, fish, vegetables and other ingredients into a delectable dish. But you have to be a real wizard in the kitchen to be able to turn a box of random ingredients into a meal that would not feel out of place at a fancy restaurant.
Among those daring to take on this challenge was a group of students fresh out of college, as part of the MLA Black Box Culinary Challenge, a competition that required each team to use ingredients given to them in a box and turn them into quality dishes.
Among the students were representatives from Sahid University, Pelita Harapan University, Atma Jaya's School of Tourism and the Trisakti School of Tourism.
After event organizers of the 2005 Food and Hotel Indonesia Exhibition decided which contestants could take part in the competition, a box -- which was not at all black -- containing ingredients such as beef, crab, fillet of trout and a variety of vegetables, was handed out to the participants one day before the contest.
The contest was a loose interpretation of a regular black box competition, in which the ingredients are given to contestants only moments before the cooking begins and contestants have to prepare their dishes in a designated time.
"The contestants are given the freedom to cook any dishes they want provided that they use the materials from us," said Rebecca Ong, the Indonesian representative of Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), a food consultancy company that organized the competition.
While adding that limited freedom was given the contestants, such as adding spices and flavoring to their dishes, Ong said the contestants would likely have problems preparing the food.
"The meat, for example, was given in much smaller cuts therefore putting more of a handicap on the contestants," she said.
She said that the MLA competition had been certified by the World Association of Cooks Societies.
One of the judges in the competition, Alan Palmer, said the event was aimed as showcasing local talent. "This competition will give the chefs the opportunity to get out of the box, so that they are not only confined to the kitchen," he said.
Although the students lost to more experienced chefs from the International Mid Plaza Hotel, who won the A$1,200 prize, they managed to impress visitors who were invited to attend a luncheon and savor the unique-tasting dishes.
A main course prepared by students from the Trisakti School of Tourism consisted of stewed beef stuffed in pimentos, served with mashed sweet potatoes, a perfect treat for food lovers.
Participating students also excelled in other competitions held as part of the food and hotel exhibition at the Kemayoran Fairground.
In the fruit and vegetable-carving and pastry competitions, students from Sahid and Trisakti universities displayed skills usually possessed only by professional chefs.
In the pastry competition, the students showed their outstanding ability to whip up a birthday cake, also against the clock.
"This is the fourth time we have taken part in the competition and today we are participating in the pastry competition" Romy, the head of the Bartending Club at Sahid School of Tourism, told The Jakarta Post. He added that his team only had one month to make all the preparations.
Liliana, a fourth-semester student at the Trisakti School of Tourism, said she was just happy to take part in the competition.
"I really enjoyed being here and letting visitors taste my cake," she said.