Requirements of a Food Network Reality Show Judge

Have you ever wondered what it must be like to be a judge on a food-based reality show? Programs like "Top Chef" and "Chopped" are sublime forms of entertainment. They make us hungry, ensuring that we will buy all the stuff we see in the commercials. But these programs also show us how to make our favorite dishes. We like rooting for the culinary underdogs as we watch how this food magic happens. But the judges in cooking competitions also have a lot on their plates (very bad pun intended.) If you think you've got what it takes to snag a spot on a food competition's judges' panel, think again...

Be prepared to eat some strange things.

If you only like chicken breast and steak, you will be in for a rude awakening. The range of tastes of a reality show judge needs to be pretty broad. Based on the kinds of dishes that we see on these shows, you will be eating some pretty bizarre foods. Food Network reality show "Chopped" is notorious for including ingredients that most audiences would never think of, let alone eat. Items like black chicken and even snake meat have been featured as ingredients in the "Chopped" menu basket.

Experience is necessary.

On occasion some of these Food Network reality shows will introduce a celebrity judge that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the culinary world. But for the most part, these judges have owned restaurants, are five-star chefs, or have some other ties to the Professional World of Food.

You must have an artistic eye.

One of the biggest aspects of cooking competitions is presentation. If the dishes presented to the judges don't look appetizing, the contestants suffer the wrath. However, in order to know what looks appetizing, it helps if you have some sort of artistic eye. Knowing about shapes, textures, color and composition are all important highlights of the gourmet dining experience.

You must have a "sophisticated" palate.

As a judge, whether or not you have cooked for millions of people - it is imperative that you have a sophisticated palate. you must be able to determine the difference between rosemary and cumin. In many cases, you will be required to pick out certain herbs and spices even if the contestant hasn't admitted to using them. (This is quite a acute skill.) In essence, you'll be required to pick apart the various flavors in a dish in order to understand what effect the chef was going for. In fact, the judges' taste buds provide most of the fodder for these food-based reality shows.

Don't just "eat."

There are perhaps plenty of professional chefs that would be great on a panel for one of these reality shows. But you'll need to have an actual pulse in order to entertain audiences. Sure, you'll need to understand food, how it is prepared, and offer a professional opinion. And be prepared to argue with the other judges about whether a habanero elevates a foie gras. We like that kind of friction. I n the long run, having some sort of avant-garde personality is great for ratings.

SOURCES:

www.foodnetwork.com
www.epicurious.com
www.realitytvworld.com