A student-chef at the Olympiad

MANILA, Philippines - An experience in high school set Jasmin Castillo Buensalida on a path in the culinary industry that is already paying dividends. Recently, she was the sole representative of the Philippines at the Young Chefs Olympiad (YCO), making it to the finals after a gruelling three-stage cook-off.

Organized by India’s International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM),  it started in 2015 as an all-India tilt, but now sees young talents from all over the world – from 50 countries this time – battle it out in cook-offs. The challenges were broken up into three different trials.

In the first round in the capital city of New Delhi, contenders prepared an omelet, chicken fricassee and a recipe handed out on the day of the event. The second part in Bangalore, dubbed as the Silicon Valley of the nation, is a black box challenge, where the students created a dish from ingredients provided to them.

The third test in Pune, considered as the Oxford of the East, covered desserts and their own personal obra.

Only those with the highest cumulative scores advanced to the final round in Kolkata, India’s cultural center. Jasmin did her best, and secured a spot in the Magic Ten. She eventually finished sixth place overall.

Jasmin recalls the moment her name was announced for the finals. “I couldn’t believe it, but I was so relieved because I knew I drove my capabilities to the fullest, and all that hard work finally paid off.”

Currently a Culinary Arts student at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, this 21-year-old has just returned from her three-month intensive internship at the Italian Food Style Education Culinary Institute (IFSE), known for being the most innovative school for Italian cuisine and pastry, in the commune of Piobesi Torinese in Turin, Italy.

During her apprenticeship, four weeks covered lessons in authentic local dishes, as well as intrinsic Italian techniques and skills, followed by eight weeks of hands-on experience at several Michelin star restaurants around the country.

Although she was once reluctant to cook, an experience during high school was the turning point for her. “During one entrepreneurial session, we had to run a restaurant for a day. This served as an eye opener, which set me off on this particular path in life. But more importantly, I enjoyed every single moment. I saw myself in this industry from that day on,” she shares.

Her close affinity with her family is definitely obvious, for she constantly asks them for feedback. “There is no better feeling than to cook for your family, for I can see how they enjoy the food that I create with all my heart. They’re honest critics, so I constantly learn a lot from them.”

Salt is her most important ingredient, according to Jasmin. “Nobody likes bland tasting food. With just a pinch of it, all the other flavors are enhanced.”

Meanwhile, she laments that her favorite tool, long tweezers, is underrated. “It has made my life so much easier. Work just becomes so clear-cut when I use it,” she adds.

Cuisine-wise, she admires the way Japanese honor their food: uncomplicated, with the freshest ingredients possible and with an almost-complete reverence – it is great to see, and even greater to taste.

Her favorite dish is Spicy Tuna Salad. “The umami flavor and interesting textures excite me.” She loves it so much that though she frequently snacks on it, she still unfailingly requests it as one of her many birthday treats each year.

Tagliolini con Tartufo, she admits, is her most treasured recipe, which she mastered during her three-month internship in Italy. “I fell in love with it due to the explosion of flavors and velvety texture of the pasta sauce perfectly concocted from vegetable or chicken stock, butter and freshly grated parmesan. It’s that simple, but…” she says, as she closes her eyes, recalling the feeling of feasting on this magnum opus.

Jasmin has just started her journey on the upward trail that is the culinary industry, but there are definitely many more delicious worlds to conquer.