The MasterChef-fect.

I was overseas when the first Masterchef wave reached Australian shores - though from the sounds of it, it hit more like a tsunami. Every week from the far reaches of South and Central America, I would without fail see comments on Facebook, in the news and even in casual emails I was receiving from friends and family about this exciting new reality TV show that seemed to be generating more salivation than Pavlov's Dog. Salivation that came the most from friends whose idea of cooking consisted of emptying a tin of pre-made sauce over packet pasta, and whose idea of eating out was a $7 pub steak (and even then only if suitable entertainment was on hand). They were eating out of necessity - the food was a low priority, and it's taste was even lower.

Regularly hailed as one of the great culinary cities of the world, Sydney has for many years maintained a fantastic mix of restaurants - some good, some bad - serving food from all over the world. For reasons which I will discuss my theories about at some point in the not-too-distant future however, this never had the support of a population which was in many ways culinarily challenged. Sure - the roast meat and three veg have slowly over the years been replaced by the thai green curry - but even that transition was not a far reach from the pre-made sauces aisle in the supermarket.

Cue the pleasant surprise upon arriving into Sydney post-yearlongtripaway and post-masterchef-culinary-paradigm-shift. It had become very quickly apparent that people suddenly cared about food. Not that the passion wasn't always there - like language, there is perhaps something inherently instinctive and underlying in our biology, burning deep down inside of everyone, regarding food beyond it's role as a basic need, and of course there is no question of cultural influences on our culinary habits. But since my return, more and more often I noticed that a meal out consisted of a much greater appreciation of the time spent eating food, and that more and more often the names of reputable restaurants outside the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney were discussed as meal options. Even a night out for pub steak became part of a search for the BEST pub steak - the flavours, the atmosphere, the side dishes all turning the pub meal into something far bigger than it used to be. Friendly (yet oh so serious) bets emerged regarding the non-consumption of fast-food for as long as possible, and paying $30 for a meal no longer seemed like too expensive an option. And all of Australia was feeling the same way.

Market Research and Analysis Group IBISWorld has stated in it's recent Australian Industry Report on Cafes and Restaurants that, thanks to Masterchef as a direct result of Masterchef:

"The industry is currently feeling some positive flow-on effects... Many households are rediscovering the joys associated with the total meal experience, incorporating the package of well-presented quality meals as well as the ambience and associated hospitality."

This suggests that - depite the Global Financial Crisis - the Australian restaurant industry is booming - big time. Growth of up to 4% is predicted over the current financial year, which is more than double from the previous financial year, and growth up to 22% is predicted over the next five years. Australians will consume more than $10billion eating out over the next twelve months - up more than 10% on previous years expenditure.

But not only are people beginning to think about what they put in their mouth - and enjoying the experience at the same time. They are also beginning to understand how it gets there, by more than ever jumping into the kitchen and trying their hands at the recipes they see on TV. Coles has reported upwards of 1400% spikes in sales of the more unusual products featured in Masterchef recipes after they appear on the show, and the sale of cookbooks are predicted to increase 13% over the next 12 months despite a highly saturated, and traditionally poor performing market. Thanks to the Masterchef Masterclasses, Australian's everywhere now know how to make their own gnocci, shuck their own oysters, and croquem their own bouche. Or at least they think they do.

And herein lies one small problem. Not everyone is a Masterchef, but a lot of people out there believe they could be. People are inherently overachievers, particularly when there are other people to impress, and while there might be no harm in trying to recreate an Adriano Zumbo macaron, or Matt Moran's suckling pork with ginger and pickled watermelon, or while we are at it, Hestor Blumenthal's "Sound of the Sea", there is perhaps a bit too much glamorisation going on regarding cooking. These celebrity chefs have spent years perfecting their crafts in industrial kitchens around the world working long hours in highly critical environments. Even the Masterchef contestants have enjoyed years of practice in their home kitchens testing their passions. Speaking to a prominent Australian celebrity chef recently at a food demonstration in my local supermarket (who I won't name, because I had no intention of reposting his remarks until even more recently) there is a lesson to be learnt from this.

"Masterchef doesn't teach people things they can cook at home - it makes everyone think they can do things that just aren't possible in a normal household kitchen under any normal time period. It is certainly generating interest, and that is important. But if you want to become a better chef, and cook at home, the most important thing is to start simple. Walk before you run. Learn to make your short crust pastry before stuffing it with your lemon curd. Then learn to cook the perfect roast rack of lamb. Then learn to make the perfect mint sauce. Do things one at a time and then - if you are serious about it - start to bring them all together."

What Masterchef has achieved however is a brand new appreciation for cooking at home. Pre-grated cheese is a thing of the past. Tinned soup is on the out. And food that is "local", "fresh", and "seasonal" is high priority for more and more shopppers. It is this awareness that has more than anything else changed the scene for the Australian food industry - people are now cooking more at home, cooking better at home, and are expecting more and better when they eat out. And this effect is certainly not a bad thing.

As for the Junior Masterchef-fect... apart from endorphins released in amazement at the on-screen creations, we may have to wait another 10 years until the cheflings leave the nest before we start to see the fruits on societies cultural table.