An international food afternoon has tested the culinary skills of Upton Junior School’s young cooks.
The aim was to work together to achieve their common goal – in this instance tasty Mexican tortillas that included their home-made salsa sauce and guacamole, grating cheese and assembling their own individual tortilla wrap with chicken and tortilla chips.
In the kitchen the Year 6 girls and boys learned a range of skills and techniques including peeling, chopping, slicing, grating, mixing, and measuring food amounts accurately.
Athanasia Papa-Adams, Head of Year 6, said: “The children were really keen to create the best tortillas they could – they served up tasty afternoon snacks that were delicious. I wonder if we may have the next Master Chef amongst our Year 6 cooks, you never know!”
As part of the culinary experience the pupils researched the heritage and culture of Mexico, and the session also highlighted vitally important aspects about hygiene and storing food items safely.
This included discussion about the best way to store items including eggs, tomato ketchup and chocolate, something that many people are unsure about. They also explored cross-contamination and safety in the kitchen, while watching video clips and live demonstrations with tips for dicing and chopping.
The children’s verdict at the end of their kitchen creativity was that Upton’s ‘terrific tortillas’ are among the best the pupils have tasted.