New Challenges on MasterChef: The Battle of the Blacks and Sugar-Free Desserts

This week on MasterChef, participants were put to the test with a unique challenge that required them to prepare desserts without the use of sugar, as well as engage in a fierce competition known as the Battle of the Blacks, where contestants had to work with their opponents' ingredients.

In the first challenge, the judges invited critics of the show to debunk myths surrounding MasterChef. This move aimed to maximize transparency in the cooking process. The judges allowed the critics to create the conditions for the challenge, observe the cooking process from a special observation room, and then taste all the dishes in a restaurant setting. Team captains Andriy and Mykyta chose their teams not for themselves but for their opponents. Each team was tasked with preparing a main dish and a dessert under specific conditions: the blue team had to cook red-colored dishes, while the red team was required to create green ones. The main dish had to be flambéed right in front of the critics, and the dessert was mandated to include beer. Ultimately, the red team emerged victorious, with Denis receiving the chef's knife, while Olga and Alina donned the black aprons.

The second challenge focused on dessert preparation, but contestants faced a significant hurdle: the pantry was devoid of sugar and fruits from which it could be derived. The only source of sweetness came from products hidden under lambs—various treats ranging from gummy candies to baklava and marshmallows. To acquire their set of ingredients, the contestants had to undergo another test: they formed a line and passed the lambs to one another until someone decided to select a specific option. As a result, each participant ended up with a random assortment of products from which they had to 'extract' sweetness for their dessert. Oksana excelled in this task, while Maria, Artur, and Polina received black aprons.

The third challenge tested not only culinary skills but also the leadership qualities of three captains, chosen by lottery and isolated in a special observation room. The captains were Karina, Andriy, and Yuliya. They tasted sample dishes that their teams were supposed to recreate. However, they could only manage the cooking process through a single microphone, which had to be shared among them. The kitchen operated under strict limitations: each type of surface—stove, oven, cold kitchen, and electrical appliances—was available only in one instance. This meant that the three teams had to constantly interact and negotiate who would work on which process at any given time. Furthermore, each participant could only perform actions permitted by their captain, complicating the process even further. The blue team performed the best, allowing Artur to shed his black apron, while the red team produced the poorest results, resulting in Andriy and Oleksandr ending up in black aprons.

In a unique twist, the contestants faced a paired Battle of the Blacks, where each participant received a tourist backpack. Inside, they were required to carry not their own ingredients and devices but the items belonging to their competing partner. Therefore, to access their own belongings, they had to constantly interact with each other. The culinary theme of the battle revolved around rustic-style dishes with a smoky flavor. Following the results of the Battle of the Blacks, this week's episode saw Olga Kovalytsko leaving the competition.

Don't miss the new episode of MasterChef airing this Saturday and Sunday at 7:00 PM on the STB channel, or catch it on the project's Telegram channel (search for MasterChef (all seasons)). Remember, MasterChef is the Ukrainian version of the British format that has gained worldwide popularity (the format has been sold to over 40 countries) and has been airing on STB since 2011.