Students win silver at culinary competition
Winning silver medals at an Asia and Pacific culinary competition gave two Southland students immense satisfaction.
Kapila Tohiariki and Ed Langlands, both 17 year olds at Southland Boys’ High School, were the only New Zealanders at the Krantzche International Schools’ Culinary Challenge on the Gold Coast recently.
Both said it was a good feeling when they were announced silver medallists for the dish they made – poached chicken breast, chicken mushroom fennel sausage, ginger sweet potato cream, chicken crackling and an apple thyme jus.
Many hours of practice were done under the supervision of Boys’ High catering and hospitality teacher Scott Buchanan before leaving for the Gold Coast.
‘‘Once we got it [the medals], it showed all our hard work had paid off,’’ Kapila said.
‘‘It was a really good opportunity, and to meet all the other teams.’’
The seven competing teams had to make a classical or modern dish from a whole chicken and certain ingredients. Teams could practice making their dish before attending the competition but the recipe had to be sent to event organiser, Australian Culinary Federation, in Queensland in July.
The dish had to be made in one hour and it took the Boys’ High pair two weeks to work out a recipe.
In practice runs, Kapila and Ed completed the dish in times ranging from 55 minutes to one hour and three minutes, On competition day, it was 57 minutes.
‘‘We practiced two or three times a week, including some Saturdays,’’ Buchanan said.
‘‘They put in a lot of hard work . . . I’m proud of them.’’
Teams were given one practice session on the Gold Coast.
Kapila said it was interesting to see how the other teams – from
‘They put in a lot of hard work . . . I’m proud of them.’ teacher Scott Buchanan
Japan, Tahiti, Taiwan, Fiji Islands, Noumea and Australia – cooked and presented their dishes.
Eleven judges marked on preparation, food hygiene, food presentation, taste, balance of flavours, texture and how teams worked together.
Kapila and Ed might consider careers in catering after finishing their education.
Boys’ High has been represented at the Krantzche International Schools’ Culinary Challenge for 12 years and on each trip, students have returned with medals.