Laughing at kitchen fails

PETALING JAYA (April 30):  Malaysians have been finding ways to cope with the limitations imposed by the Covid-19 Movement Control Order (MCO) and there has been no shortage of creative methods devised. Many would have heard of dalgona coffee – a whipped coffee and milk beverage that has taken the Internet by storm during the early stages of the MCO.

Recently, we have netizens cooking up a storm with most posting their culinary feats online. The MCO has certainly spurred many to embrace cooking, even those with little experience are dabbling in the kitchen as they face no prospects of eating out. Or, perhaps they could be just looking to pass time.

Enter “Masak Apa Tak Jadi Hari Ini Official” where reality does not meet expectations. The Facebook group is dedicated to showcase the not-so-delightful parts of cooking just for laughs. Seeking to provide some comic relief amid the MCO, netizens “proudly” display their disastrous and often, humorous attempts at cooking or baking.

With Hari Raya Aidilfitri less than a month away, a quick scroll of the group’s postings revealed a myriad of failed “kuih Raya”, pastries and desserts. Other posts showcased mistakes such as forgetting to turn on the rice cooker and blender mishaps.

The public page which was established on April 14 even caught the attention of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who mentioned the page in his speech on April 23 when he advised the people to remain positive during the fasting month of Ramadan. 

The statement propelled the group to greater fame and at the time of writing, it has recorded some 1.8 million followers. Meanwhile, those seeking to post and comment in the group are advised not to take offense at the posts and must adhere to a few rules such as no profanities, insulting remarks, advertisements and spamming. Of course, everyone is encouraged to laugh away.

However, not all posts are about failed dishes as several users also posted success stories while some provided tips and advice on making the ideal dish or dessert.

Seems like cooking from home will be part of the "new normal" post Covid-19.

According to data analytics firm Nielsen in its "Covid-19 Where consumers are heading? Study March 2020", about 62% of Malaysian consumers said they would eat at home more post-pandemic.

The survey was based on a sample population of 500 to 1,000 respondents depending on country size across 74 markets. Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong consumers are most likely to change consumption habits (to eat at home) post-pandemic with 86% and 77% respectively. Meanwhile, in Japan and Indonesia, people are the least likely to eat at home at 30% and 20% respectively.

The aforementioned Facebook group is already a testament that more novice cooks are embracing the kitchen. Perhaps with more time and practice, those skills can be honed to new heights and we will have a new breed of confident and passionate MCO-bred cooks.

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