‘Masterchef’ judge criticized for ‘whitesplaining’ after remarks on crispy rendang curry

Judges on the UK’s popular cooking show ‘Masterchef’ have ignited a global uproar after one of them criticized a Malaysian contestant’s chicken rendang curry for not being “crispy.”

The backlash has triggered a massive social media debate across Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, with reactions ranging from surprise to anger. Even the Malaysian Prime Minister has voiced concern over the judges' lack of cultural awareness.

Contestant Zaleha Kadir Olpin served the judges a traditional nasi lemak, which included a chicken rendang. This led to judge Gregg Wallace, a former greengrocer and writer, complaining that the chicken skin wasn’t crispy, saying, “It can’t be eaten, and all the sauce is on the skin.”

In authentic rendang, the meat is slowly simmered in a coconut-based sauce, creating a tender, moist texture rather than a crispy one. While the dish originated in Indonesia, it is beloved throughout Southeast Asia, often made with beef. In 2011, it was named the world’s best food in a poll of 35,000 Dinogo readers.

During the BBC show, as he and fellow judge John Torode decided to eliminate Zaleha, Gregg Wallace emphasized once again, saying, “What bothered me was that the chicken skin wasn’t properly cooked, and the flavor of the rendang sauce was just on the skin.”

Torode, an Australian chef, also criticized Zaleha’s rendang, but for the opposite reason as Wallace: “It wasn’t cooked long enough to soften and break apart, leaving the chicken tough and lacking flavor.”

Following the broadcast, people from Southeast Asia took to social media to support Zaleha’s cooking style and call out Wallace for his lack of understanding of their traditional cuisine.

On Facebook, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Anifah Aman accused Wallace of ‘whitesplaining’ to Zaleha, adding that he hoped to meet her ‘one of these days.’

The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, also joined the conversation, posting a photo on Twitter with a caption expressing disbelief that anyone would expect a ‘crispy’ chicken rendang.

Zaleha shared on her Instagram that she was ‘gutted’ to be eliminated, but firmly stated, ‘I stand by my traditional way of cooking nasi lemak. I won’t change it for the world.’

‘Thank you so much for all your support and well-wishes,’ she wrote, alongside many comments from Southeast Asians criticizing the judges for their lack of understanding of how rendang is traditionally prepared.

While Torode seemed to have a better grasp of how rendang is typically made, he didn’t help the situation when he made a joke – in a now-deleted tweet – about the ongoing debate over the dish’s origins.

‘Maybe rendang is from Indonesia,’ he wrote. ‘I love this!! It’s amazing how worked up everyone is... Namaste.’

Namaste is a traditional Hindu greeting, commonly used in India and Nepal, but not typically in Malaysia or Indonesia, except among the Indian community in those countries.