FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
A YOUNG MASTERCHEF
By Chequinah Coutinho
There’s possibly no bigger challenge for a cook than to take part in the TV cooking show MasterChef. For the 20 year-old South African, now based in Abu Dhabi, it was a spur of the moment decision. She auditioned for MasterChef South Africa and, she tells Tempo, it was a decision that changed the course of her life!
Funny enough, growing up Khumo didn’t dream of being a cook, but a pilot! Even so she was consumed with a passion for cooking that was instilled in her at a young age by her grandmother. Before moving to the UAE in 2006, Khumo spent a lot of time with her grandparents in South Africa, where her grandmother was the undisputed master chef of the family.
“I remember from a very young age that she always cooked at home, and will never forget waking up to the smell of her freshly baked bread or scones,” shares Khumo.
While in Abu Dhabi, Khumo decided to take a gap year before pursuing a career in aviation. It was during this time that she was able to reflect on what she enjoyed doing, and to nurture her culinary pursuits.
“I became obsessed with food channels and experiencing food from other people’s perspectives, so I began to experiment with different cuisines and techniques. That was when my passion took off.”
Khumo had always been a fan of MasterChef and always dreamed of taking part in the show if ever it came to the UAE or South Africa. And then the South Africa auditions were announced…
“When the first season started I chickened out and didn’t go. But when auditions for the second season were announced, my friend convinced me to enter. No one took my auditioning seriously, not even me; it was just something that I thought may be fun to do.”
Surprising, Khumo not only passed the auditions but also managed to be part the top 10 finalists of the completion…whilst also being the youngest contestant that season!
“People tend to underestimate me because of my age, which always frustrates me. I sometimes wish that people can overlook my age and concentrate on what is more important, the food.”
She is also taken aback by her influence over others. “I have young girls telling me that they want to be like me! Being an inspiration to someone is mind blowing.”
After MasterChef, Khumo took the plunge and enrolled in cooking school and got her culinary diploma, whilst also working at a couple of South Africa’s top restaurants. She is now her own boss and works in the UAE as a personal chef, a career that involves cooking for small groups of up to 25 people, and serving up five course feasts for adventurous foodies and gourmands.
“I am very much open to eating and cooking new foods. I never shoot something down without trying it and I am always for experiencing new cuisines. But I am a firm believer in South African cuisine; it is under represented in global cuisine. My goal in life is to make South African cuisine as famous as French food. I love my country’s food; we have some of the best meats in the world and we are very rich in culture. And just like Arab cuisine we use a lot of the spices.”
Masterchef Fianlist Khumo appreciates the sensual nature of cooking. “It’s about putting love, warmth, happiness, and excitement onto a plate. I’ve found that my happy place is in the kitchen; it is about taking a simple ingredient and turning it into something amazing; about experimenting and creating mouthful explosions.”
