Culinary experience shapes well-rounded students
COOKING or culinary skills are essential lifelong skills that need to be cultivated and nurtured right from a young age.
Exposing children to the kitchen can be a good experience as there are many benefits to gain by spending time in the kitchen. Often, life skills such as hygiene and cleanliness are cultivated while one is helping out in the kitchen.
Understanding and developing healthy eating habits also starts from young.
The appreciation for food and the people preparing it is equally important, especially food prepared at home by parents.
Renowned chefs are known to mention that the best cooks are always their own parents, who usually have not had formal culinary training, having learnt to cook from their own parents.
It is often observed that children who dabble in cooking develop an “I can” attitude to life as opposed to “I cannot” or “I am not sure I can”.
These children have better communication skills, are team players, have better social skills and a higher level of confidence compared to those who have almost zero kitchen experience.
Cooking often leads to assisting in grocery shopping where children learn about making choices which is another crucial aspect in a child’s development.
Through cooking children learn the practical use of mathematics and science concepts such as measurement, weight and reaction derived from the mixing of ingredients as well as the importance of following the correct sequence in recipes to obtain the desired end result.
They develop coordination, strength, gross and fine motor skills, which are important when handling sharp implements.
Sri Bestari Private School upgraded its Culinary Art Room and the school held the launch of the Malaysian Indian Chef Association, or MICA, on Dec 3 last year.
The room has also been used by various organisations for their team-building and leadership programmes.
The series of programmes culminated with the recent Young Indian Chef Talent Search 2018 that brought together 40 up-and-coming young cooks for a full-day event on March 25. Fifteen renowned Malaysian chefs were invited as judges.
Many students also took part in the Sri Bestari Culinary Competition, which was based after the popular Masterchef TV series.
■ Visit Sri Bestari private school’s Open Day on April 21 for details on its kindergarten, primary and secondary level programmes. Reserve a school preview by calling 03-6275 5888 or log on to www.sribestari.edu. my