MasterChef Australia's Best Taste Tests | MasterChef Australia | MasterChef World

Who knew a one-inch cube of food could be so terrifying? Like, we're up in the gantry, we don't have blindfolds on, and I can't even tell what these cubes are. This challenge is going to be so, so difficult. Wow. Thank you, gentlemen. Right, what you guys can't see is the table has been wheeled in full of one-inch cubes. We've arranged the cubes from easy to hard. The longer you stay in the game, the harder they're going to get. Right, let's get this game started. Cecilia, you're first. I am so nervous right now. My hands are starting to shake. I need to get this right. Right into it and the fragrance pops out straight away. And I'm thinking I've cooked this for my daughter every morning. Granny Smith, apple. Yes, you're right. I'm really relieved. I'm not the first person to get out of this challenge right now. Charlie. I've never done a blind tasting before. I can barely contain my nerves. I know I have to get this right because there's no way I want to go into round two. I grab the cube. It feels pretty firm. Cheese. What type of cheese, Charlie? Like cheddar cheese. Correct, Charlie. Well done. Now I've got one correct. I've got a little sigh of relief. I hope that I can guess a couple more right. Evie, off you go. Having one of the major senses taken away is scary. My heart's out of my chest. Please be a cucumber. I'm not, but what you just tasted is. Well done, brilliant. Lucky, lucky. My first cube comes out. I'm really nervous. I don't want to go to round two of elimination. I have a feeling it's kind of squishy. It doesn't feel like a fruit or a vegetable. I have a taste, but I just can't think about what it is. I pull it apart and it comes off kind of stringy. Chicken. Go Elise. Better. You're absolutely right. Mimi. It's an orange. Orange is right. Right, Anastasia. Avocado. I'm really used to just picking up something and I just know it by the shape. Chocolate. The fact that all of the food is presented in the same cubes makes it really difficult to try and distinguish them. I said B. Zoe, you're correct. That is B. Well done. But the food knowledge is really good. Everybody's getting everything right. Watermelon. Well done. It comes around to Mimi for her second guess. And I'm looking at it and the first thing that popped into my head was nectarine. I'm touching it and I feel a really smooth skin. I'm tasting the food and I can taste something really nice and juicy and stringy. It's also got a really vibrant flavour to it. I love this. I always eat it. I can't think of the name. It's smooth. It's a nectarine. What's your answer? It's a nectarine. Smooth. Mimi? Yes. Take your blindfold off. I'm sorry, it's wrong. Can you tell now? Mango. Mango is my favourite fruit. I pretty much eat it every day and I got it wrong. It's something so familiar but without sight, I had no idea what it was. Right, go and stand over there. You're into round two. Sorry, Mimi. I'm the first one through to round two. I'm really disappointed. I'm freaking out because this is one step closer to going home. Anastasia? It's so nerve-wracking. I know I have a good knowledge of food but my taste buds are almost like diminished because I'm so nervous. There it is, Anastasia. Is it a carrot? You sure? Yes. Anastasia? It is a carrot. Right, Cecilia? One spot is taken for the second stage of elimination. There's three left. It's getting harder and harder as the rounds go. So I taste something really salty and I know it but what comes in like a thick thing tastes like, I don't know, feels like chicken but it's really salty. Cecilia, what is it? It's salty. Having something in a cube, it's really, really confusing. What's your answer? I don't know. I'm so nervous. I'm feeling a bit mind blank. I just can't think on this spot. I need it. Chicken. I'm sorry, Cecilia. That's wrong. What is it? Please join Mimi. You're in round two. My heart sings because I was on the elimination a few days ago. I can't believe that I have to cook for my survival again. So Mimi, Cecilia, you're the first two contestants through to round two. Remember guys, we're looking for two more. Pressure's on. Charlie, I've got a little gem for you here. Is it eggplant? Charlie, well done, that's eggplant. Heather? Pineapple. Right, Zoe? Tomato. There you go, Liz. Liz, we need an answer. Uh, radish. Everyone is doing really well and I'm really worried. Cauliflower. You're correct. There's definitely added pressure because it's getting harder and harder. Charlie, you're next. Uh, it's blue cheese. Charlie, that is correct. And all of a sudden, it's my turn again. I hope I can name that cube. Heather for you. Yeah. I pick up the cube and it's so wet and I taste it and I'm like, oh yeah. Instant memory back to grandma having like half a grapefruit and it was so tart that I used to get it a sprinkle sugar on mine. So I think that memory just takes over for me. That's a grapefruit. Yeah. Heather, please remove your blindfold. Sorry, you're wrong. What is it? Lemon, lemon, the lemon. I'm in shock. I am so... I was 100% sure. I can't believe it. Yeah, this isn't good. Zoe. Yes? Zoe. No. Zoe, it's back to you. It's kind of slimy. Have a sniff. It doesn't really smell like much. I have a taste and it's kind of meaty. You're not a fan? Pull it apart a little bit and then I sniff my fingers. It's not like fish. So I'm thinking it could be tuna, could be salmon, could be trout. They're the only three fishes that I really think that I could eat raw. Can I do something weird? Yeah, you can do something weird. Depends on how weird it is. How weird is it? I just want to feel the texture properly on my lips. Yeah, cool. What, what, what? No, don't, don't laugh. It's the way that Fernandria tastes ham, tastes prosciutto. What, why are you doing, why are you touching your lips? I want to feel the texture. I think the most sensitive part on my face is my lips. And sometimes when you touch something with your fingers, you can't really, you don't get the same sensation. My hands smell hot. Do you recognise the smell? I think so. Is it tuna? You're absolutely right, it's tuna. Tuna's right and I can't believe that I've got it right and my lip trick worked. Elise. I'm so stressed out right now. The cooks in round two are such tough competition. I do not want to join them. Whatever this cube is, I have to get it right. Oh, it's like squishy. I'm feeling it and it's a weird texture. I'm thinking, what is this? I try to pull it apart to see whether it breaks in half and it doesn't. So I start smelling it and yeah, it smells like meat. The texture, it's a protein. I know it's definitely a protein. It tastes like veal. I mean, what else could it be? What's your answer? Veal. Sorry? You're it. It's not veal. You can take off your blindfold. What do you reckon it is now you're looking at it? Lamb? Are you kidding me? Absolutely, it's lamb. It's funny, isn't it? Once you look at it, you kind of know. Elise, go and join the others. I'm sorry, you're in round two. Oh my god, I'm in the second round and I'll have to cook for my position in this competition. I know this smell, but I don't really know what it is yet. I'm just thinking of Nonna's homemade pasta, but it has a very different texture. Right guys, blindfolds off. Write down your answer. I write down pesto and I'm hoping that it's not salsa verde. Show us your answer. Guys, you're all correct. I'm so relieved that I got that right and stuck with my guns. I think it is a type of mushroom. I stick my finger in it and it's a bit thick and gluggy and it smells a little sweet. So there goes that idea. I'm not sure if it's dates or prunes and I've just got to take a guess. All righty, write your answer down. Okay, all happy? Show us your answers. All right, one wrong. It was medjool dates, so dates was perfectly acceptable. Gonna get a little bit tougher now. A little clue, this one's not an ingredient. It's a dish. I can smell something. I'm having a smell of this dish and it does not ring any bells whatsoever for me. Get the fork and I have a taste. And the first thing I get is what feels like a mouthful of cabbage, which is like it's not a bowl of cabbage. I'm sure it's not a bowl of cabbage, it's a dish. I'm feeling noodles. The smell, the feel brings me back to Thailand. Right guys, time's up. They take the bowl away and I still have no idea what it is. You can write your answer. Okay, Steph, done. Ready? Nope. Let's go. Steph, I'm sorry, it's not fried rice. What was it? It's pad thai. Please join Jo, you're in round two. Okay, we're looking for not just what it is, but what the flavor is. I find a little biscuit and some cream in the center and really smooth top and bottom. So I know it's a macaron. I know it's a macaron. I eat these all the time, but we have to identify the flavor. It kind of tastes like tahini, which is something that I have all the time. I'm thinking it could be like a sesame seed flavor. Yeah, it's quite obviously a macaron. And all I can taste is nuts and I just don't know which one to write down. Waiters, thank you. Tell us what it is. I don't want to be in round two. Cooking up against Steph and Jo, they're both amazing cooks. That just adds more pressure. Right, let's have a look. Wow, Simon, you're wrong. Waleed, you're right. Kyle, you're wrong. Larissa, you're right. Christina, you're right. Ben, you're wrong. Sorry. Just to make things that little bit harder, the ingredients that you will taste are all one shape. Spheres. The blind taste test is going to be done with small spheres. Without the shape of the ingredients, it's going to be even harder to guess what it is. So here's how it's going to work. You're going to take turns tasting. Guess correctly, you stay safe. However, if you're the one of the first three to get it wrong, you're going to round two where you'll cook a dish hearing the ingredient that you got wrong. Right, let's see who's going to go first. Hands on the knife. Let's have a look. I'm a total master chef nerd, and I know from watching these blind taste tests that even some of the most brilliant cooks can be really stumped on very simple ingredients, and I need to have all my wits about me today to make it through. Because it's sweet week, everything that you taste will be either sweet or can be used in a sweet dessert. I'm nervous. The last thing I want to be doing today is cooking in round two. I'm not a strong dessert cook, and if I can get through this, I'm going to be safe for a little while yet. Right, let's get the ingredients in. I'm watching from the gantry and I can actually see the spheres, but I have no idea what they are. I'm really glad I'm not down there. This is going to be tough. Right, let's kick this thing off, shall we? Everybody ready? Yes. Tamara, you're first, so. I'm really nervous. All my other senses are heightened. I just hope that one of those senses includes taste. I pick up one of the small spheres and I start to squish it in my fingers to try to determine the texture. It's feeling kind of squishy and a bit sticky, almost like a date. It definitely doesn't taste like a date. It actually tastes disgusting to me, something I don't like. I'm just trying to think of what it might be. Does it make you smile? No. It's licorice. So licorice? Yes. Tamara? You're right. I hate licorice. I'm absolutely stoked that I've got the first one right and I have my fingers crossed that I don't need to taste again. Nicole, you're next. Yep. Off you go. The first thing I notice in my fingertips is that it's a really hard texture. Once I start eating it, it's very dry and it's very obvious. You know what it is? Coconut? You're right. Next one, Samuel. I'm pretty confident with my ability to identify flavours but I don't know how much of that I rely on the ability to see the food as well. I have no idea what I'm gonna have to put in my mouth. It's pretty scary. Yum. As soon as it hits my lips, I know it's milk chocolate. Milk choccy. Well done, you're right. I'm super relieved. Right, Ray, you're next. I feel pretty confident and comfortable with the blind taste test. I've been lucky enough to do wine tasting so I feel pretty comfortable in my knowledge regarding different tastes. Off you go. I have a bit of a feel. I can't really identify the texture. I have a smell. I'm not getting much of a scent. Pop one in my mouth and I can't really identify what this is. You can feel the tension and the pressure just elevate completely. I'm not really sure what this is. Ray? Watermelon. Your answer's watermelon? Yes. I'm sorry, Ray. That's incorrect. Take your blindfold off. Oh, grapes. I'm really disappointed. I was pretty confident that I was the favorite to get through this taste test and now I'm the first person that's going to cook in round two. It's really shaken my confidence going into this cook. Man, that shows you how hard it is. Right, Michelle, you're next. I'm feeling so scared because I'm not sure if I have a strong palate or not. You can't see anything. You have to just concentrate. It's crunchy to begin with and it's very spicy. Just like tingles in your tongue. Oh my god. I start spitting it out. I just was like, what is this? I just hope it doesn't get into George's face. Oh my god, it's disgusting. But I think I know. It tastes Asian. Ginger? Well done, you're right. I know because my mom cooks a lot of it at home. Back to my Asian route. Ginger. All right, Jess, I'm coming for you. Bring it on. I'll give it a few chomps and I know it's definitely a nut. It's got a creamy texture so I'm pretty convinced it's going to be a macadamia. It's macadamia nuts. Congratulations, well done. It's really nerve-wracking. I want to make it through round one and hopefully end up on the gantry. I put the ingredient in my mouth and it's a creamy sort of fresh fruity texture to it. I'm thinking it could be a date and I'm thinking it also could be a prune. They're so similar in texture. What is your answer? Is it a prune? No, I'm gonna go dried dates. What is your answer? I'm really scared. I'm gonna get this wrong but I'm just gonna go with my gut. Dried dates. Callum, you're correct, well done. Oh, I'm so relieved. That was a very close call. Benjamin? I pick up a sphere and it's a little slimy in texture, pretty soft to touch. I know this bloody flavour. Without sight you're relying on taste, texture and smell but all of that doesn't make sense if you can't see what you're eating. I know this flavour. What are you thinking? It's a very familiar taste, just reminds me of summer. It's rock melon. So your answer is rock melon? Yes. Sorry Benjamin, it's not rock melon. It's a really familiar flavour. It is. Try it again now, you know what it is? Banana! I must eat a banana every week, two or three of them and I can't pick it in a blind tasting. Fruits are hard. Texture of the fruits are hard. Tamara, back to you again. There's only one more spot left in that second round but now I've got to taste again. I need to get through this second tasting and then I'm sure that I'll be fine. I pick up the ingredient as I did before. I really want to try to feel the texture of the ingredient and I'm trying to, you know, squeeze it but it's not really breaking apart like the first ingredient did. My mind's racing about the ingredients I most often use in desserts but it really has quite a neutral, very, very subtle flavour and I'm trying to think what the hell it could be. Is it an obvious flavour to you or is it something you're struggling to find? A little bit struggling. It's definitely a fruit like similar to watermelon kind of texture like when you get to the rind part but not watermelon. What about the flavour? It doesn't have a whole lot of flavour. I'm feeling really unsure. I'm not feeling confident at all right now. Can't determine what it is. I'm going to need to push you for an answer. Yeah, I'm going to go with rock melon. So rock melon is your answer. Tamara, I'm sorry, it's not rock melon. Texture of melon has very little flavour. Cucumber. Not something that I thought would turn up in a sweet ingredient challenge but now I've got to cook with it. So those wonderful, pickly, spicy, sweet, sour, creamy, smoky flavour bombs that you find in bowls and bottles and jars and middle of table in every culture and every country. Dijon mustard. Dijon mustard, well done. I think this challenge could lull you into a bit of a false sense of security because there's lots of easy, obvious ones to begin with. Whole egg mayonnaise. That's absolutely correct. But as they're knocked out, it's going to become harder. Bigger chigarro. Bang on. Well done. Chili oil. You are correct. Yeah, it's a shallot vinaigrette. Well done. Cranberry sauce. Well done. Not charmed. Correct, it's not charmed. Well done. Yeah, Derek. Let's go, Mandy. There's nine of us left at this point. You know, I'm pretty confident there's still a lot of things on that table that I know. I get to the table, I look down, I see this yellow dish with the corn in it. I pick it up and I think sweet mustard pickle. That is incorrect. You're in round two. Wow. I simply cannot believe I've said the wrong thing. It's just dawned on me now what that was. Don't say it out loud. No. Jess, come along. I don't want anyone to touch that bowl. Don't make the same mistake that I did. I see the condiment that Mandy just tried and curiosity gets the better of me. So I go for it. So Jess, this is the one that Mandy just got wrong. I taste the spoon. I don't even stop to look down and see what's in it. Pick a lily. I immediately see the faces of the judges. I'm afraid that's incorrect. You're going to have to join Mandy and Tati. Near the other one. I don't know. Cannot believe that I've just made this mistake and it's got me into round two. So I'm looking along. I see this particular one. I have a bit of a smell. I know what this is. It's white. It's peppery. It's beautiful and smooth. It's horseradish. Is it wasabi? Please let it be wasabi. Steph, sorry. It is not wasabi. Far out. The wrong word has literally come out of my mouth. I knew that wasn't wasabi. The pressure has obviously just taken over my brain. I could go home based on these silly mistakes. I knew it wasn't it. Blake, you're next. I think I know what Steph's done. I have a taste of this white paste and I'm pretty sure I know what it is. It's a horseradish. You're absolutely right, Blake. Well done. Abby. It's my third guess and there's not that many things that I feel really confident about guessing on. I'm drawn to a bowl. It's it looks like it's got oil and lots of herbs. Salsa verde. I'm sorry. That's incorrect, Abby. Please join the others. You're in round. It's wrong and I should be having a little bit of a panic right now. But I'm secretly happy that the very last cook of this week, I'm going to be cooking once more for Nigella. So Tati, you said Tabasco and it was ricotta, Peruvian chili sauce. Mandy and Jess, you both got corn relish wrong. Yeah. Sorry, Abby. That was chimichurri. Yeah. And Steph, you know now it's horseradish. Wrong word came out of my mouth. Ah, cheese. So it's a cheese challenge and I love to eat cheese. It's awesome and who doesn't like cheese? This is how round one is going to work. Take it in turns. You're going to walk up. You're going to touch the cheese, smell the cheese, cut the cheese, taste the cheese and then identify the cheese correctly. Looking at the cheeses, I know what blue cheese looks like. I know what Swiss cheese looks like. But I'm going to have to be a little bit more specific. I am trying to count up how many of those I actually will know and it's not many. You can taste as many of these cheeses as you like before you have to name one. I am in hell. I buy cheese for my husband. I might try one now and then but this is definitely not my ideal challenge. Get the cheese right and you're still in this mini challenge. You're still in with a chance of cooking off against the top chef for that pin. Get it wrong and you're gone. I think I'm best suited for this challenge. I mean Rachel doesn't even like cheese. I'm feeling pretty good actually. It is a sudden knockout. Just one word of warning. Think before you pick. Not everything is as it seems. It's time to name that cheese. Brent, you ready? Yep. Let's do it. Go Brent. All right. What do you know Brent? What do you know? You're always second guess when you're up here. Always. My first pick is the bocconcini, the baby mozzarella ball. I think every person here knows what bocconcini is and I want to get it off there so no one else can pick it. What is it? Bocconcini. You're absolutely right. Well done. Renee, you're next. I know that's the one you guys don't think is what it seems I think. I pick up parmesan because I know what it is and I think it's going to be quite a simple answer. Right, what do you got? Parmesan. You're absolutely right. Well done. Go Rachel. The first one I choose is feta. Right, what do you got? I have feta. You're absolutely right. Greek feta. Brent, you're back up man. My second pick is ricotta. I see it in the deli every time I go to the supermarket so I know exactly what it is and I'm happy to get that off the bench as well. What do you got? I have ricotta. Yes, you do. Well done. I'm feeling pretty good. I've knocked out the two easiest cheeses and the girls have picked their first. So I don't know how much more they'll know. Back up, Renee. Before I choose my next cheese, I have a nibble of a few of the other cheeses just to make sure in my mind that I know what I'm going to choose after this one. My second pick is the Swiss cheese and I choose that because it's something that I eat quite regularly and it's something I buy for the kids. I think it's Swiss cheese. More information please. I'm thinking, really? Has she made a mistake? When the judges tell me I have to give them more information that's when I know I've got myself in a bit of a pickle. Like gruyere? And I say gruyere because I know that's a type of Swiss cheese. Renee, you're incorrect. Oh, damn it. Put the cheese back down then head upstairs. Community, not today for you. I'm really upset. I'm actually having to hold back tears. That is something I've been looking forward to for a long time is going into immunity and as I walk up to the gantry, I'm actually gritting my teeth. I'm really humiliated by the fact that I didn't know it. All right, it comes down to you two, Brent, Rachel. Do you go shopping for cheese with your husband? I buy him cheeses for him to taste. My second pick is the big block down the side. Salty. I taste it, feel the saltiness, little cracks in my mouth. Brent, how many of these do you think you know? I think I know about three, possibly four more. Wow. Rachel, what about you? The one? Brent knows about three or four. Okay, mate. I know one. All right, what do you got, Rachel? My daughter's favourite, a good old cheddar. Absolutely right. Well done. All right, Brent, your turn, man. All righty. You should be right, you know four of them. I love eating soft cheese. It's probably my favourite cheese to eat and I'm in two minds. Is it brie or is it camembert? Is it brie, is it camembert? He's a brave boy. Oh, I'm going for it. You're braver than I. Just so you know, when the four of us named the cheeses, the cheese that you're carrying there, two of us named it one type, two of us named it another type. That's my worry. I love to eat it, so I'm just gonna hope that I'm right. What is it? Camembert. I'm feeling pretty confident. I mean, it's pretty firm and it's got the shape of camembert. Distinguishing the taste is almost impossible for an amateur, but I'm just going with my gut and I'm hoping that I'm right. Brent, this is your second chance at immunity. You picked one of the hardest ones. Matt and I, we said that cheese was camembert. Gary and Matt know their cheese and when Gary tells me that they chose camembert, I've got relief. Yeah, I think I'm safe and I think Rachel doesn't know any other cheese on the board, so I'm feeling really good. And we were absolutely wrong. It's actually King Island Dairy Bree. That's okay. Why didn't you just pick a cheese that you know what it is? I mean, I know two or three more cheeses on the board. Why wouldn't I just do that? A wasted opportunity.