Parents pressure school over cooking test‚ but SA chefs say it's great for kids

What can a grade R learner cook? A lot‚ say chefs.

Chef Khanya Mzongwana said children can adapt to the kitchen at a “surprisingly” young age and it is a way for parents to connect with them.

“Have you seen Master Chef Junior? Have you seen what these kids make?” Mzongwana said.

“You must introduce the wonder of ingredients to kids and cooking will never be boring for them … Engage their senses. They must know how things taste when they’re raw‚ how things taste in different stages.”

The Houghton Muslim Academy in Johannesburg recently asked their grade R to two learners to prepare a main dish‚ drink and dessert for an assignment‚ with the help of an adult.

The learners had to cook the food at home and had 40 minutes at school to finish up the assignment‚ which needed a theme. The school postponed the assignment on Wednesday to next year after parents complained.

“Our objective‚ when we considered this activity‚ was to invite you into the school environment so that you can spend time with your child as they perform and share in a fun and practical out-of-classroom setting. The assessment mark was of secondary importance‚” the school said.

Mzongwana believes children should learn early on where their food comes from because it improves what they eat.

“The great thing about teaching children how to cook‚ as opposed to damaged adults‚ is that everything is so magical and new for them. They want to soak up information. They want to know things. They want to be able to do things that adults can do.”

Celebrity chef and Fresh Living editor Justine Drake said cooking is good for children because it’s interactive and physical.

“There’s a little bit of creativity going on. They can talk about the ingredients‚ they can mix and they can toss. They’ve got to shred the chicken and take the bones out‚ so they’ve got stuff to do.”

Drake added: “There is a bit of art involved [with] the colours in your food … What are the textures? You don’t want everything to be all soft in your mouth. You don’t want all the same colour.”

Drake said there was no time like the present to learn about food groups.

“They learn things about the nutrients and about low-GI (Glycaemic Index).”

Drake and Mzongwana said if more children are interested in cooking‚ it might encourage more schools to grow their own food.

“Learning to grow food‚ that should be in every syllabus. Why don’t we learn that?” Mzongwana said.

Here are some meals Sunday Times food editor Hilary Biller suggested children around the age of six can learn to cook:

•  Smoothies;
•  Roast chicken;
•  Spaghetti bolognaise;
•  Homemade hamburgers;
•  Pizza;
•  Chicken Kebabs;
•  Greek Salad;
•  Coleslaw;
•  Potato salad;
•  Jelly and homemade custard;
•  Cupcakes;
•  Muffins;
•  Pancakes;
•  Crumpets;
•  Peanut butter biscuits;
•  Crunchies;
•  Ice cream made with condensed milk;
•  Fruit ice lollies;
•  Banana loaf;
•  Beat and bake cake; and
•  No-bake refrigerator cheesecake.