Malaysian-American contestant Jaime Tan has issued a public apology for mispronouncing the traditional Malaysian dish roti canai during a recent episode of MasterChef: Global Gauntlet, one that overshadowed her victory in a high-profile cooking challenge.
The 27-year-old content creator faced a mix of pride and criticism from netizens after she pronounced canai with a hard “k” sound rather than the correct “ch” in the episode first aired on June 3, as part of the American reality cooking series’ 16th season.
Addressing the backlash in a video posted on TikTok and Instagram on June 9, Tan said: “It makes me sad to disappoint so many South-East Asians. I know how important it is to people, so I just wanted to say I’m sorry. It was not intentional at all. I do not mean to misrepresent a national dish on television.”
Tan, who goes by the online handle igumdrop, explained that she was not raised in Malaysia, though her father is from Johor and her late grandparents previously operated a kopitiam there. She noted the intense pressure of the competition, stating she had cried during the episode because she knew her rushed flatbread “was not a perfect roti”.
MasterChef: Global Gauntlet features 20 home cooks grouped into four global regions: Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Americas. During the World Cup Cookoff episode, contestants were given 60 minutes to prepare the ultimate football watch party food.
Representing the Asia-Pacific region, Tan prepared roti canai from scratch, accompanied by Malaysian coconut curry, coconut rice and a cucumber-pineapple salad. The dish, which traditionally requires resting the dough for several hours or overnight, earned high praise from judge Gordon Ramsay.
The British celebrity chef commended her offering, calling the curry “fragrant, warm and sour”, and added: “It feels like you’ve been making it for the last six hours. Well done.”
Tan’s dish was named the top entry for the Asia-Pacific region before claiming the overall challenge victory against the winning plates from the other three regions. For her win, she received an immunity pin, protecting her from the next elimination round, and a US$2,500 gift card from home improvement retailer Home Depot.
The victory carries significant personal meaning for Tan.
In an interview with American women’s interest outlet First For Women, she shared that her father, a former Home Depot employee, frequently cooked the same curry for her before leaving for his shifts. She noted that the win validates the sacrifices of her working-class parents and allowed her to showcase Malaysia’s multicultural heritage on a global stage.
Despite the online criticism, Tan concluded her apology video by affirming her cultural identity.
“Guys, I might not be able to say roti canai properly, but I can open a durian with my bare hands and I think that’s pretty Malaysian,” she said. “Jamie boleh.” – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
