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A pork challenge on MasterChef Sri Lanka saw two Muslim contestants face the same ingredient, but they chose to approach the challenge differently. The episode, which aired as part of the show’s second season, featured a challenge involving pork. While one Muslim contestant chose to step back from handling and cooking the meat, another decided to take on the challenge, using gloves while preparing his dish.
A post shared by MasterChef Sri Lanka (@masterchef.lanka)
The pork challenge on MasterChef Sri Lanka put the contestants, Shabnam and Yaseen, in a difficult spot, given that pork is prohibited under Islamic dietary rules. While Shabnam refused to handle or cook the pork, choosing not to participate in that part of the challenge.
Yaseen, however, decided to use the ingredient. He wore gloves while handling the pork and went ahead with his dish. The moment has since caught the attention of viewers, with discussions online focusing on whether contestants should be expected to work with ingredients that conflict with their religious beliefs.
Food is at the heart of MasterChef, and contestants are routinely pushed to work with unfamiliar ingredients, cuisines and techniques. The show’s official format itself centres on challenges designed to test creativity, adaptability and composure under pressure. However, religious dietary restrictions can make certain challenges more complicated and netizens have reacted strongly to this challenge.
“What a disappointment @masterchef.lanka, convincing Muslims to cook pork is very inappropriate. Regardless of it being a competition, it is important to respect everyone’s religious beliefs. A big salute to the girl for doing the right thing,” one of the comments on the post read.
Another netizen added, “Forcing people to cook something they can’t touch/taste makes no sense. You could have given them a choice of maybe prawns or chicken or beef. There are so many different proteins found in Southeast Asian cuisine if that’s what you were hoping for. Disappointing.”
“Every contestant handles their own faith boundaries differently, but production teams still need to show some basic cultural sensitivity. Watching a judge brush off a real religious boundary just because pork is a “high protein source” and tell her to just wear gloves was pretty wild,” one of the comments read.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
Cover Image Courtesy: Instagram/masterchef.lanka
Two Muslim contestants were given a challenge centred around pork, but they chose to approach the ingredient differently. The show’s official social media described it as “two very different choices.”
Practices and interpretations can differ among individuals. For practising Muslims, pork is considered haram, or prohibited, and questions around handling or preparing it can depend on individual religious observance.
According to the show's social media post, Shabnam chose to stay within her personal boundaries and created a tofu dish for the challenge.
Tashika Tyagi is a Sub-Editor at Curly Tales with 8 years of experience covering food, travel, lifestyle, fashion, entertainment, and pop culture. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from IMS, Noida. When she’s not scouting new places to eat or explore, you’ll find her experimenting with Instagram recipes in the kitchen or happily binge-watching a K-drama.
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