MasterChef Canada facts for kids

MasterChef Canada is a super fun Canadian TV show where everyday people who love to cook, called amateur home cooks, compete to become the best! It's part of the big MasterChef family of shows seen all over the world.

The show first started on CTV on January 20, 2014. So far, there have been seven exciting seasons! Three amazing chefs, Claudio Aprile, Michael Bonacini, and Alvin Leung, are the judges who decide who cooks the best dishes. The show is made by companies called Endemol Shine International and Proper Television.

You can watch MasterChef Canada on CTV in Canada. It also airs in other countries like the United States, Sweden, Italy, and Spain. In 2018, CTV announced that the show would return for a sixth season. Filming for that season happened from October 2018 to January 2019. Season 6 started on April 8, 2019, and finished on June 10.

The seventh season was special because it was a "Back to Win" season. This meant that past contestants came back for another chance to win! It aired from February 14, 2021, to May 16, 2021. Right now, there are no plans for an eighth season.

How the Competition Works

In MasterChef Canada, amateur chefs compete in many cooking challenges. They want to prove they are the best home cook in Canada! The show is a lot like the American version of MasterChef.

Each season starts with about 20 people who are invited to the kitchen. To get a spot in the main competition, they must cook their very best dish, called a signature audition dish. They have a certain amount of time to make it. The judges look at how the food looks, how it tastes, and how well it's cooked. If the judges think the dish is good enough, the cook gets a special white apron. This apron means they are officially in the competition!

In the first three seasons, a cook needed at least two "yes" votes from the three judges to get an apron. After season 4, the rules changed a bit. If a dish isn't good enough, the cook goes home. Sometimes, people who didn't get an apron right away get a second chance to try again.

Types of Challenges

The contestants face different kinds of challenges throughout the season:

• Skills Test: This challenge tests how well the cooks know basic cooking skills. A judge shows them how to do something tricky, like cutting vegetables perfectly or cleaning a fish. Then, the home cooks have to do it themselves. If they do it perfectly, they are safe from elimination! If they don't do well, they have to cook in an Elimination Test.
• Mystery Box: In this fun challenge, all the cooks get a box with the exact same secret ingredients. They have to use only those ingredients to create an amazing dish. The judges pick the top three dishes. The winner usually gets a special advantage in the next challenge, like immunity (meaning they are safe) or control over the next test.
• Elimination Test: After a challenge, the judges taste all the dishes. They choose the best dishes, and those cooks might become team captains later. Then, they pick the worst dishes. The cooks who made these dishes are criticized, and at least one person is sent home.
• Team Challenge: The cooks leave the MasterChef kitchen and go to a special place, like a beach or a wedding. They are split into teams, usually two or three. They have to cook a fancy meal for a group of special guests, like firefighters or wedding guests. The guests vote for their favorite meal. The judges also have the final say. The winning team is safe, but the losing team has to face a tough Pressure Test.
• Pressure Test: This challenge happens after a Team Challenge. The losing team members come back to the kitchen wearing black aprons. They have to cook a very difficult, professional dish, often something sweet or savory that needs a lot of skill. They have limited time to recreate it perfectly. Sometimes, a judge or the winning team can save one person from this test. The judges look at how the dish tastes, how it looks, and how well it's made. The cooks who do well are safe, and the others are sent home.

After a special "Restaurant Takeover" challenge, there's often a "family reunion" episode. The final five contestants get a visit from their family members! In this challenge, they make a dish inspired by their family. In later seasons, their family members even helped them cook!

The Finals

When only three contestants are left, they face the last Mystery Box challenge of the season. The winner of this challenge usually gets to go straight to the grand finale! The other two cooks then compete in a final Pressure Test to win the last spot in the finale.

Finally, the top two (or sometimes three) contestants compete in a huge three-hour cooking battle! They have to make a three-course meal (like an appetizer, main dish, and dessert). Their families and past contestants watch and cheer them on. After each course, the judges taste and give their feedback.

At the very end, the winner of MasterChef Canada is announced! They win a big cash prize of $100,000, the shiny MasterChef Canada trophy, and the amazing title of MasterChef Canada! Some seasons also give out other cool prizes.

Meet the Judges

The three main judges are famous chefs who know a lot about food!

• Claudio Aprile: He is a chef and owns a restaurant in Toronto called Xango.
• Michael Bonacini: He is also a chef and co-owns several popular restaurants in Toronto, like Jump and Canoe.
• Alvin Leung: He is known for his amazing restaurants, Bo Innovation in Hong Kong and Bo London in London, UK. These restaurants have even earned special awards called Michelin stars!

Sometimes, judges from MasterChef U.S. have visited the show too! Joe Bastianich was a guest judge in Season 1, and Graham Elliot appeared in Season 2.

Seasons of MasterChef Canada

Want to know who won each season? Here's a quick look at the past winners and runners-up!

Special Episodes

Sometimes, MasterChef Canada has special episodes!

See also

In Spanish: MasterChef (Canadá) para niños