Rising to the occasion
SWOPPING a microscope for a mixing bowl, former Durban resident Gerrard Kistanna is whisking up a storm in the latest season of the Great South African Bake Off. The show challenges the contestants’ baking skills in tests each week and Kistanna won the bread test this week.
He is one of six contestants left. Kistanna, 32, a medical laboratory professional, formerly from Lotus Park, south of Durban, and now living in Midrand, Johannesburg, hopes to literally take the cake at the end of the series.
“Baking is something I love. When I was little I watched my mom bake and helped her as well. I never really took it seriously until I relocated to Johannesburg. Living on my own forced me to cook and bake, and I began experimenting with recipes. Many people told me they really enjoyed my food and I took a leap of faith and entered this competition. I used to watch the UK version and knew what was expected,” said Kistanna.
After being selected from hundreds of entries, he said he had brushed up on his baking skills in preparation for the show.
“I thought that baking breads was not a strong point, so I tried to master it. Luckily it worked out for me by winning this past week’s task. I baked a Durban naan, as I wanted to represent my Indian heritage,” he said.
This week’s test is baking with chocolate. With six contestants left and four baking tests to go before the winner is announced, Kistanna is keeping mum on the winner of the show.
“While I love my work and do it well, being on the show has shown me how much I love baking and this is something I want to explore. Already people keep stopping me and asking me to bake things for them, or for a taste test,” he said.
The Great South African Bake Off series 3 airs on Tuesdays at 8pm on BBC Lifestyle (DStv channel 174).