Five winners were selected as national winners in the recently concluded Maggi Secondary School Cooking Competition 2021.
They were selected from a total of 16 winners representing 13 states and three federal territories.
The grand winner is 15-year-old Rafidah Fitri Binti Hamidzol, from SMK Syed Alwi, Perlis, whose contest-winning recipe was inspired by her grandmother’s cooking.
“My grandmother’s cooking was the inspiration for my Mixed Herb Rice and Tilapia Wrap Satay (Nasi Ulam and Sate Lilit Ikan Tilapia) recipe. Among the ingredients that I used were herbs and vegetables that I grow around my home. With this recipe, I hope to reintroduce healthy, nutritious traditional cuisine especially to young Malaysians,” said Rafidah.
First runner-up 13-year-old Muhammad Faaris Salihin Bin Mohd Firdaus, from Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah, Putrajaya, who prepared a Shrimp with Padang Sauce (Udang Sos Padang) recipe said he was inspired to take up cooking after his mother passed away.
“I took up the responsibility of preparing the meals for my father and siblings. I hope that my culinary efforts will bring a smile to their faces,” he said.
Other winning recipes include second runner-up 14-year-old Nursyafiqah from SMK Intan Perdana, Negeri Sembilan with oil-free and nutritionally balanced Korean Egg Roll; third runner-up 13-year-old Yap Mei Wei from SMJK Katholik, Selangor with her Rainbow Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng Pelangi) which utilizes colourful ingredients depicting hope, joy and success; and fourth runner-up 15-year-old Jaymee Ong Miin Li from SMJK Heng Ee, Pulau Pinang with her Bird’s Nest (Sarang Burung)platterthat symbolizes the bond between families.
About 1,000 students aged 13 to 15 years old from 350 secondary schools in the country participated in the competition aimed at discovering and nurturing outstanding culinary talent amongst the youth in Malaysia.
The Maggi Secondary School Cooking Competition 2021 (MSSCC 2021) was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Malaysia with the theme “Anda & Maggi, Sajikan Kelainan Untuk Inspirasi Harian” (You & Maggi, Serving Different Dishes for Daily Inspiration).
Nestle Malaysia Maggi business executive officer Geetha Balakrishna said the competition was moved from on-ground activation to a fully virtual platform for the first time this year to align with the new reality post COVID-19 pandemic without compromising the health and safety of participating students.
“It has been an inspirational journey for us at Maggias we witnessed these amazing young cooks bring an abundance of energy, confidence, creativity and culinary skills to the table.
“We hope that these winners will become role models amongst their peers who are looking to take up balanced homemade cooking, just as their parents and teachers were role models to them,” she said.
Participants were required to submit their recipes in a video format and were judged based on creative use of ingredients, cooking skills, presentation and culinary inspiration.
Four brand-new online learning modules via Google Classroom were also introduced through a collaboration with celebrity chefs and cooking personalities to support the continuation of learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“With continuous support from the Ministry, schools, teachers, parents and the community, we are humbled that this competition continues to support many young Malaysians in developing their culinary talents and enriching their knowledge in making tasty and balanced meals,” added Geetha.
