Content creator and streamer Jaime “iGumdrop” Tan has Malaysian audiences screaming after showcasing local flavours on MasterChef: Global Gauntlet Season 16, where she represented Malaysia as part of Team Asia-Pacific.
During the recent “World Cup Cookoff” challenge, the YouTuber, who was born and raised in Queens, New York, used the one hour allotted to prepare a spread featuring roti canai, Malaysian coconut curry, rice, and a pickled cucumber and pineapple salad.
When asked about roti canai, Jaime explained, “It’s like a flaky flatbread that we eat in Malaysia. Very popular. Usually, it takes a few hours to rest and make, so. In my cheat meals, I try to do it in an hour. So, sometimes it works out, but I’ll try my best for today.”
She also shared that her coconut curry was a dish she knew well, noting that it cooks relatively quickly and was something she had grown up eating thanks to her Malaysian-born father.
“My dad used to make it for me before he would leave for work. And he actually, like, worked at Home Depot. So, I feel a lot of pressure to do a good job today,” she added.
Thankfully, the pressure paid off. Not only was Jaime’s dish crowned the best entry from the Asia-Pacific region, but it also triumphed over the winning dishes from Europe, Africa, and the Americas, earning her the overall challenge victory.
What the judges had to say
Upon tasting Jaime’s dish, Gordon Ramsey praised every element, “Wow. Curry, delicious. It’s fragrant, it’s warm, it’s sour. It’s everything you want. I mean, it feels like you’ve been making it for the last 6 hours. Well done.”
“The key for me here is the pineapple. You kind of get a bite of the mint, with the pineapple and the curry. And it all goes so nicely together. Beautiful roti, spot on. Very nice,” Tiffany Derry echoed.
Considering the challenge was to create the perfect dish for a World Cup watch party, Joe Bastianich added, “It’s a perfect watch party. The 3 of us (judges) watching you cook an excellent dish.”
Here’s why Malaysians are losing their minds
However, it wasn’t just Jaime’s impressive victory that got Malaysians talking. Her pronunciation of roti canai—where she referred to it as roti “kanai”—left many anything but speechless online.
Taking to FOXTV’s TikTok post celebrating Jaime’s win, numerous Malaysians were quick to point out her pronunciation of the beloved flatbread. Others, however, came to her defence, noting that her pronunciation likely reflected the environment she grew up in.
While her pronunciation sparked debate, it did little to overshadow the overwhelming sense of pride many Malaysians felt seeing roti canai and coconut curry take centre stage on an international cooking competition.
You can check out Jaime’s dish here:
@foxtv creating a perfect dish in a fraction of the normal time is TALENT 🙂↕️ #masterchef #roticanai #cookingshow
Source: FOXTV | TikTok
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