

How a 20-Year-Old South African became the world’s youngest MasterChef
Dec 24, 2024
Bridget Mangwandi, a trailblazing 20-year-old from South Africa, made history as the youngest MasterChef winner and the first black woman to achieve this title. She shares how she transformed the challenges of her age into an empowering strength. Bridget discusses her creative final challenge, reimagining a cherished family dish, and reflects on the influence of her biochemistry background on her culinary skills. With a vision for inspiring youth through cooking, she also elaborates on the significance of African culinary traditions and her future aspirations.
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Winning Moment
- Bridget Mangwandi describes the intense silence before the MasterChef winner announcement.
- Hearing her name was surreal, followed by joyful tears and her mother's screams of excitement.
Apricot Chicken Inspiration
- For the final challenge, Bridget reimagined her mother's favorite apricot chicken dish.
- She adapted it into a kingklip dish with kale risotto, impressing the judges.
Early Cooking
- Bridget's cooking journey started at age seven out of necessity, as her mother worked multiple jobs.
- Observing her mother and watching cooking shows like Siba's Table fueled her passion.