MasterChef is a reality cooking show which started in the UK. Over the past few years it has spawned franchises in Australia, New Zealand and the US. This year the MasterChef franchise will begin taping the Philippine version. That is a totally different story altogether.
I first saw snippets of MC Australia early during the summer. I was not very much impressed, as I've seen cooking shows, reality show, and reality cooking shows. It wasn't until I saw an episode of the MC US that I got interested in it. I think the first episode I saw of the US version was an audition episode. I looked around, found and watched the entire first season of MasterChef US. It was impressive, and it was very American. There was a diverse range of contestants, running along a wide age range, economic and financial strata, work experiences, and regions. The regional tastes showed in the contestants cooking. This was a show which really showcased the breadth and depth of the USA. The judges were impressive. There was Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich. These people also have a wide knowledge of cooking, taste, flavors and an appreciation of the human condition.
That first season was exciting, and for me, defined what a reality cooking contest should be. The contestants had to draw deep into their repertoire for some of the dishes. They cooked out of their range and comfort zones. These amateur cooks were pushed to their limits. Standing alone, the first season of MC US was great.
I was only able to watch one episode of the original MasterChef series. The presentation was very Brit, and dry. It was almost too serious but not serious enough, a bit techie, and frankly was not very appealing for me. I love British shows, but this was not one of them.
And then I saw MasterChef Australia and my appreciation of a cooking contest changed. This was not a sprint like the US edition. This was a marathon. Whereas the US version was taped over five weeks, the Australian version was done over a period of three-and-a-half months. The American series aired once a week. The Aussie series aired 6 times a week, Sunday to Friday. And the real telling part was the attitude of the contestants. They treated themselves as amateur chefs who are good enough to be professionals, who think they can jump ahead of professionals even without training, and who treat the contest as if they have to kill off the competition in order to win. The atmosphere was more like Survivor or Hell's Kitchen than a cooking show.
The Aussies, on the other hand, were gentlemen and ladies whose aims were to become chefs or food writers, and treated the show as a friendly competition. They know that after the show, for good or worse, they will be working beside the other contestants. I guess what one of the presentors said is very true for the Aussies: “cooks help each other in the kitchen.”
Aside from camaraderie of friendly competition, the contest itself showed more of the techniques of cooking and a cooking show for advanced techniques. The show has a weekly MasterClass where the contestants were taught methods and techniques. There was more theory and discussion about food than in the American version. The contestants would talk about their food being worse or better and why, and not any trash talk against the other contestants. There surely was fear but there was real awe and respect for the judges, the food and the contestants.
The American version has contestants who have shown disrespect with the rules and proceedings. Some contestants cannot take criticism, taking the judges to task for the failed cooking. Being cocky has become a trademark for a lot of the contestants on American reality shows, and MasterChef is not an exception. Americans have also shown their inadequacy in the kitchen when faced with fish and other seafood. There's even a former IT guy who dared to cook food as his version of standard fine dining or french food. The judges kept taking him down, but he never did notice. That was one stupid git. But in the current season, even that cockiness could not compare to an 18 year old trust fund kid who belittles everyone else in the competition. It was ironic that he lost in a head to head elimination to a redneck lady while cooking steak. He does not know how to cook rare, medium rare and well-done steaks.
MasterChef US is enjoyable for the drama and the competition. There are also almost no recipe cards for the contestants to follow. But in terms of enjoyment, entertainment value, novelty, educational experience and overall quality, I would rather watch MasterChef Australia.
