Things like working with unusual foods, creating chocolate toys, and cooking for professionals and patients at the Niño Jesús Hospital These are some of the challenges that young applicants will have to face. MasterChef Junior 11in La 1, which has just been presented, including the names and profiles of its 16 contestants.
Among the protagonists of this edition will be a Cuban eager to open his own restaurant, a Toledo woman so loose between the stove that she considers herself an “outstanding cook”, a Valencian with a vocation as a property registrar, a nine-year-old cook who has participated in several musicals, a man from Malaga who is a super fan of Ana Mena and a 10-year-old boy who traveled to France with the hope of meeting his favorite pastry chef: Cedric Grolet .
Teamwork, effort and passion for cooking will be essential requirements. The jury, made up of Pepe Rodriguez, Samantha Vallejo-Nágera and Jordi Cruzwill evaluate the applicants, who will add points and, at the end of each program, those who have obtained the lowest score will say goodbye to this adventure.
The winner will get the talent trophy, 12,000 euros in cash for training, a four-day cooking course at the Basque Culinary Center and, thanks to the program sponsor, he will receive a BBVA training scholarship.
During the presentation of the contest, Ana María Bordas, director of Originals at RTVE, highlighted that with this contest “the aim is to use games to develop culinary skills and allow them to grow as people in the kitchen and in their lives. In a playful environment in which the role of the judges is fundamental because they act as mentors“said Ana María Bordas, director of RTVE Originals.
In addition, he has emphasized the “protective” environment that the children have: “They have a psychologist who assists them, so that they feel in a very safe environment. It is a fun program where they compete, but where the important thing is to have fun“.
Some of the little chefs attended the presentation, like Valentina, who described her experience as “unforgettable.” For Marce, “it is a very good experience to see and for people who come from other countries and want to learn cooking.” And Sophie has insisted that “we must see MasterChef because it’s super fun and there are really cool tests.”
In these tests they will learn the secrets of rice, pay tribute to the foods that came from America, reproduce chocolate toys and work withUnusual foods, such as mangosteen (an exotic fruit), okra (a plant of African origin used in stews) and blown lotus seeds.
In one of the tests, Lorena Castell will be at the controls of a train loaded with food that will tour the kitchens, while the aspiring MasterChef Junior 10 they will distribute them as if it were the parade of the Three Wise Men.
Outdoors, they will cook at the Lasarte restaurant with Martín Berasategui and his chef Paolo Casagrande, They will pay tribute to the medical team and patients of the Niño Jesús Children’s University Hospital and at Walt Disney Studios they will discover the Avengers Campus.
Inés Hernand, Marina Rivers and Dabiz Muñoz, among other guests
The applicants will cook for the influencer María Pombo and will attend a private concert by Isabel Aaiún, the breakthrough artist with her song ‘Potra Salvaje’. They will meet winners and participants of MasterChef, MasterChef Junior and MasterChef Celebrity, such as Ángela Gimeno, Loreto Riera, Inés Hernand, Marina Rivers, Tamara Falcó, Mario Vaquerizo, Lorena Castell or Carmina Barrios. And they will receive advice from chefs Dabiz Muñoz, Pedro Subijana, Nandu Jubany, Dani García, Roberto Ruiz, Carlos Maldonado or Ángel León.
The 16 participants
Ana – 12 years old – Zaragoza. Confident, outgoing and with a hint of exaggeration. Her dream is to become an actress. Practice volleyball, artistic gymnastics and dance. She is so active that she left the dance conservatory because she needed more intensity. He loves baking and cutting ingredients, as it helps him let off steam. His unforgettable memory: the day Samantha Vallejo-Nágera shook his hand when MasterChef Celebrity recorded in his city.
Candela – 10 years – Barcelona. With Colombian and Catalan roots, she is a great sports lover and practices volleyball, ballet and urban dance. She defines herself as a happy girl, “uncomplicated” (as they say in Colombia) and intelligent. Passionate about gastronomy, she has created “Colombo-Catalan cuisine” from the fusion of her parents’ cultures. His signature dish is coconut rice, a recipe inherited from his mother. He loves to talk and be the center of attention.
Constancy – 12 years – Alicante. She practices rhythmic gymnastics and loves to do cartwheels and pirouettes. Flirtatious and detail-oriented, she describes herself as organized, creative and outgoing, and believes she is good at working as a team. He learned to cook at the age of eight, with his mother being his great teacher. Its best dish is rice with crust, typical of Alicante.
Daniela – 11 years old – Valencia. From her mother and grandmother she has inherited a taste for fashion and big brands. She gets along great with her grandmother, with whom she shares shopping and travel plans, and even goes out to party with her friends. Her other passion is urban dance, which she has practiced since she was three years old. In the kitchen, she is always willing to help her mother and especially enjoys getting her hands dirty and making “potingues” with the recipes.
Fernando – 12 years old – Madrid. He loves mathematics and languages. He is very curious and a bit “gossipy”. Practice horse riding, paddle tennis and swimming. He has been in the kitchen since he was two years old and started by helping his parents and grandmother batter fish. Now he cooks alone and his parents let him “experiment.” He is very good at baking, although he also loves to cook meat and fish.
Leo – 10 years old – Barcelona. He is a happy and fun boy who swims, horse rides and dances. Whenever he can, he walks with his dogs on the beach. His relationship with gastronomy runs in the family: his teachers in the kitchen are his grandmothers, his mother and his older sister. His favorite cook is the French pastry chef Cedric Golet.
Lucía – 9 years old – Cádiz. Persevering and curious, her mother says she is like “a walking hammer” because she always fights for what she wants to achieve. Her passion is dancing and she attends modern and urban dance classes. He loves to cook and teach his little brother everything he learns, including his tricks. Participating in ‘MasterChef Junior’ is her dream and her favorite judge is Samantha Vallejo-Nágera, because she says she is flirtatious and conceited like her.
Marce – 9 years old – Cuba. He was born in Havana, but has lived in Valencia for two years. Proud of his great-great-grandfather’s Hispanic roots, he is in love with his “beautiful” Havana. She loves to dance salsa and has a strong artistic personality that runs in the family. He comes from a family of hoteliers, so cooking is an important part of his life. He prefers the avant-garde and Jordi Cruz is his favorite chef.
Marcos – 11 years old – Malaga. He dreams of inheriting his father’s restaurant and remodeling it to his liking. He loves singing, theater and dancing. She would like to go on stage one day with her favorite singer, Ana Mena. His passion for cooking began at the age of seven and he considers himself an unconditional fan of MasterChef in all its formats. His favorite candidate is Luca de MasterChef 11.
Martina – 9 years old – Madrid. She is a very creative and dreamy girl who loves theater, reading and drawing. He draws his dreams and his memories, and has already written two comics. She wants to become an actress, film director or writer. Her favorite cook is her father and she really enjoys cooking with him. With her mother she practices baking. His greatest skill in the kitchen is his desire and his great imagination.
Nacho – 11 years old – Valencia. Friendly, affectionate and very talkative. He is a rather naughty child, recognized by both him and his parents, he loves to “prick” his younger sister. He wants to be a property registrar to earn “a lot of money.” He is a restless spirit who practices tennis, skiing and swimming. He also loves cooking and masters several techniques, such as using a blowtorch.
Nico – 10 years old – Valencia. Born to a Chinese father and a Vietnamese mother, he is very curious about Asian culture and dreams of traveling to learn more about his origins. His passion for cooking began at the age of five and, outside of the kitchen, he divides his time between basketball and swimming. For years, he wanted to be a builder, but recently he has discovered a new vocation: being a police officer.
Nikole – 10 years old – Bizkaia. He loves to travel and see the world. She was recently in Japan and was fascinated by Asian culture and cuisine. He loves to sing and plays tennis and water polo. She describes herself as happy, funny and energetic, and has a gift for making people laugh. He started cooking when he was four years old and enjoys preparing appetizers and snacks when the family gets together to watch Athletic matches.
Paco – 10 years old – Granada. His father owns one of the most famous churrerías in Granada and was the one who taught him how to cook. Football is his greatest passion and he dreams of becoming a Barça star. He also enjoys practicing paddle tennis and skiing. comes to MasterChef Junior with the hope of living an unforgettable experience, making new friends and learning more about cooking.
Sophie – 10 years old – Toledo. A very active, friendly and hard-working girl who in her free time practices aerial gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and climbing. Another of his hobbies is going out with his parents to eat in restaurants. From his father he has inherited his love for cooking. She is very self-confident and considers herself an “outstanding cook.” Their star dishes are french toast and fish with couscous.
Valentina – 9 years old – Barcelona. His passion is art in all its aspects. He studies musical theater, piano and goes to film school. She works hard to achieve her dream of being an actress. He has already participated in musicals such as Matilda, Peter Pan and Beauty and the beast. She defines herself as affectionate, cheerful and intelligent, although she confesses to being somewhat competitive and demanding. She has learned to cook from her grandmother and is proud to surprise her family with her recipes.