‘Another white person guiding them on non-white food!’ MasterChef fans rage as Caucasian chef mentors diverse cast on international cuisine
On Sunday’s episode of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, guest chef Charlie Carrington guided the cast through an international cuisine challenge.
The cooks were tasked with creating dishes featuring Lebanese, Chinese, Mexican and Indian street food, under the watchful eye of the Atlas Dining owner.
However many fans at home took exception to a white chef guiding the diverse cast, who was hailed as an expert in international dining due to ‘visiting 11 countries’ around the world.
Guest: On Sunday’s episode of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, guest chef Charlie Carrington (pictured) guided the cast through an international cuisine challenge
One person Tweeted: ‘Yes. It is a white guy who’s visited 11 countries who’s here to mentor everyone in cooking Chinese, Indian, Lebanese and Mexican street food.’
Another wrote: ‘Love #MasterChefAU but we’ve got yet another white chef [as an] authority on another country’s cuisine? This needs to change.’
Someone else chimed in: ‘Oh good! Another white guy here to tell [us] about food around the world’.
International challenge: The cooks were tasked with creating dishes featuring Lebanese, Chinese, Mexican and Indian street food, under the watchful eye of the Atlas Dining owner
Expert? Charlie was hailed as an expert in international dining due to ‘visiting 11 countries’ around the world. Pictured with judge Melissa Leong
Not pleased: However many fans at home took exception to a white chef guiding the diverse cast. Pictured: Reynold Poernomo
One more fan agreed: ‘Charlie, the white man chef, has travelled to eleven countries… Oh, gosh!’ while another fan added: ‘Another white person guiding them on non-white food’
Yet one more audience member Tweeted: ‘Good news, we’ve brought you another white man who’s been overseas!’
Among those taking part in the challenge were constants of Asian descent including Brendan Pang, Khanh Ong, Reynold Poernomo and Poh Ling Yeow.
Asian Australians have made up one-third of the contestants this season.
One person Tweeted: ‘Yes. It is a white guy who’s visited 11 countries who’s here to mentor everyone in cooking Chinese, Indian, Lebanese and Mexican street food’
Aside from Brendan, Khanh, Reynold and Poh, this has included Sarah Tiong and Amina Elshafei, who is of Korean and Egyptian descent.
Ousted contestant Ben Ungermann, who was dropped from the series, is of Indonesian and Dutch descent.
The season, which has been praised for being the most diverse in the show’s history, has also included a number of openly gay constants including Brendan Pang, Reece Hignell, Courtney Roulston and Khanh Ong.
Diverse: Asian Australians have made up one-third of the contestants this season. Pictured left to right: Jess Liemantara, Khanh Ong, Poh, Brendan Pang and Reynold Poernomo