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MasterChef season 16 contestant Jaime Tan, better known online as iGumdrop, has apologised for mispronouncing Malaysia’s most favourite flatbread, as “roti kanai”, saying she never intended to misrepresent one of Malaysia’s most beloved dishes on international television.
Fresh off her victory in last week’s “World Cup Cookoff” challenge, where she represented Team Asia-Pacific, the American Twitch streamer said she was saddened by the backlash from Southeast Asians over the mistake.
“A lot of people are mad at me for pronouncing roti canai wrong. It makes me sad to disappoint so many Southeast Asians,” she said in a video posted on Threads.
Born and raised in the United States, Jaime explained that she was not brought up in Malaysia and had limited exposure to Malaysian culture growing up.
However, she said her connection to the country remains strong, saying that her father hails from Johor, while her late grandparents had operated a kopitiam, possibly in the state, before passing away.
“I feel strong roots to Malaysia, and feeling like I was carrying that or representing Malaysia on the show was just so meaningful to me.
“So, of course, I’m upset at myself,” she said.
Despite that, she was still upbeat for winning the challenge, as the dishes that she prepared would normally take longer than an hour to complete.
According to Jaime , traditional roti canai dough is usually left to rest overnight to allow the gluten to develop properly, making the decision to prepare the dish from scratch in under an hour a risky one.
“The reason I cried so much in this episode was because when I finished my roti, I knew that it was not a perfect roti,” she said.
“Guys, I did a Malaysian coconut curry, rice without a rice cooker, a pickled salad, and roti from scratch in 60 minutes. Spare me, please.”
Despite her concerns, Jaime’s dish impressed celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and the judging panel, helping Team Asia-Pacific defeat competitors from Europe, Africa and the Americas.
READ MORE: [WATCH] She Won MasterChef Challenge — But Malaysians Still Can’t Forgive ‘Roti Kanai’
Still, Jaime admitted she had been her own harshest critic and had anticipated much of the criticism that later surfaced online.
“Much love to Malaysia, and I’m sorry I butchered roti kanai,” she said.
Jaime’s victory in the World Cup Cookoff earned her the coveted Immunity Pin, ensuring she will remain in the competition for at least two more weeks.
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