MasterChef Australia Judge Jock Zonfrillo Postpones Trip To India Due To COVID-19

by Suchismita Pal
MasterChef Australia Judge Jock Zonfrillo Postpones Trip To India Due To COVID-19

When it comes to food, there’s so much to explore in India. From Punjabi, Sindhi, Hariyali, Bihari and North-Eastern to  Bengali and Odia, India offers a long list of cuisines to explore. No wonder, the food culture of India has drawn the attention of the renowned Scottish celebrity chef Jock Zonfrillo. The Junior MasterChef Australia judge had plans to visit India in 2020 but his tour was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Zonfrillo is, however, hopeful about exploring India in 2021 after the easing of travel restrictions.

Chef Jock Zonfrillo To Visit India In 2021

Scottish celebrity chef and Junior MasterChef Australia judge, Jock Zonfrillo, had to postpone his India trip this year due to COVID-19. He is now planning to visit India in 2021, anticipating that the travel restrictions will ‘ease off’. According to a Deccan Herald report, the celebrity chef said, “One of the main reasons to come there is to investigate the cuisines of different regions like Kashmir, Punjab, Bengal, etc. I want to understand the differences in these regions and why it is like that, the flavours, etc.”. He added, “But Covid has put a stop to that. Hopefully, it is on cards for next year if travel restrictions ease off. While growing up in Scotland, which has a large Indian population I would end up eating a lot of Indian dishes. So, it is familiar to me.”

MasterChef Australia Judge Jock Zonfrillo India
Picture Credits: Delicious

In an interview with Pinkvilla, he spoke about his long conversations with Masterchef Australia contestant Dev, who belongs to an Indian family. He narrated how he found the conversations about the difference in cuisines of the 29 states of India ‘engaging’. Pinkvilla quoted him saying, “We had a long conversation of there being 29 different states in India and the different cuisines in India. Long conversations about the difference between Bengali food, and Kashmiri and Punjabi.”

Also Read: Sindhi Mutton Curry With Celebrity Chef Rakhee Vaswani

Food Has Helped Zonfrillo Get Through ‘Troubled Times’

Jock Zonfrillo has been judging Junior MasterChef Australia along with co-judges Andy Allen and Melissa Leong. In his statement, he has expressed his happiness over the opening up of cafes and restaurants in Melbourne. Speaking about his food journey, Zonfrillo said, “It has led me from Scotland to here in Australia and will go beyond. I am grateful to have found food. It has helped me understand and find a path out of those troubled times and move forward in life. It has given me a diverse group of experiences and friends. It has allowed me to travel the world, understand culture. All this is invaluable, it can’t be learnt in a school.”

Picture Credits: Instagram/Zonfrillo

The chef had worked as a part-time dishwasher during his school days and he left school at the age of 15 to pursue his career as a chef. Zonfrillo has worked for famous chefs like Marco Pierre White and David Cavalier. And today he himself is a world-renowned Masterchef.

Also Read: Nutella Bomb Cookies With Chef Ruhee Bhimani

Once he visits India, who knows, he would come up with some brand new desi inspired dishes maybe! Meanwhile, here’s how to make restaurant-style Patiala Chicken at home with chef Abhinas Nayak: