MasterChef Junior Challenges Kids to Cook Vegan Food

Last week’s episode of cooking competition show MasterChef Junior challenged young chefs to cook without animal products, a first for the popular show hosted (and executively produced) by Gordon Ramsay. The show pits young chefs against each other in an elimination-style competition and challenges them to cook dishes according to different themes. Former child actress and vegan activist Mayim Bialik (known best for her lead role in Blossom) appeared on the episode as a guest judge, appropriately. Chef Adam presented his burger—a falafel patty with kale, tomatoes, and caramelized onion, with a potato rosti on the side. Both Bialik and permanent judge and world-renowned baker Christina Tosi tasted the dish and praised Adam on taste, seasoning, and heartiness. “I would totally order that in a restaurant,” Tosi stated. Ramsey is notoriously outspoken against vegan food—once tweeting that he was “allergic to vegans.” However, the production of this episode indicates that the popularity of veganism amongst the show’s viewers outweighs Ramsey’s negative attitude toward cruelty-free foods.