Students show off culinary prowess

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This article was published 10/05/2024 (568 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Four first-year culinary arts students from Assiniboine Community College showcased their kitchen prowess in the Manitoba Pork Blackbox Competition held on Thursday at the college. Among the competitors, Meian (Amber) Yan emerged as the winner, while Ryden Law came second, stunning judges with their dishes and cooking skills.

The competition, which also featured ACC students Jayden Edward Colton Peters and Ashley Lee Guimond, challenged participants to plan, prepare and serve an appetizer and an entrée, each showcasing pork as the main ingredient.

Yan said she was surprised to be announced winner of the competition.

“I feel so happy and surprised because all my classmates have more experience than me,” Yan told the Sun. “They’ve been working to catch up for years, while I’m only four months into the western culinary world.”

“Winning feels like recognition from the western culinary arts industry, but it’s also a reminder that I still have more to learn and improve upon. There’s no perfect dish or chef, but through continued hard work and time, I hope to strive for perfection.”

For her appetizer, Yan said, she prepared a classic dish often made in the northeastern region of China. Unlike many thick-cut pork loin dishes, she added, she sliced the pork tenderloin into strips about the width of a finger, then gently pressed them into thin slices by hand, seasoning them with salt.

Instructor Roger Joharchy said he was proud of the students’ dedication and creativity, which he believed would take them places in the culinary industry.

“It’s great that students are given credit for their hard work. We’re here to support and guide them, but ultimately, the final decision is theirs,” Joharchy told the Sun. “Despite their varying experience levels, they all demonstrate confidence, education, knowledge and creativity in their dishes.”

Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts academic chair Karen O’Gilvie praised the students’ commitment and talent displayed in the competition.

“I am extremely proud of the dedication they’ve shown,” O’Gilvie said. “Witnessing their commitment, attentiveness to the chef instructors, the thorough research they’ve conducted, and the diverse flavour profiles they presented today truly showcase their talent.”

Manitoba Pork spokesperson Susan Reese, one of the panellists, said the objective of the competition is to allow the students to demonstrate their creativity using an economical, high-quality protein like pork.

What made Yan’s contribution stand out was the presentation, Reese said, adding the dishes are visually appealing and resemble those served in high-end restaurants.

“The combination of textures and flavours in the dishes is exceptional, making them stand out from the competition,” she said. “The level of creativity at the competition keeps increasing every year. While the cuts of pork remain the same, the inspiration behind the dishes continues to evolve.”

The Manitoba Pork Blackbox Competition, she added, serves as a platform for aspiring culinary artists to demonstrate their talent and passion for cooking.

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