5 Culinary
"There is no sincerer love than the love of food." -George Bernard Shaw
Reem Ahmed
MasterChef Canada’s first Muslim hijabi is Reem Ahmed. In order to pursue a degree and a career as a biomedical engineer, Chef Reem Ahmed relocated to Canada from Egypt in 2008. She committed herself to working hard, being creative, and consistently accomplishing great things while she was an engineering student. 1,2
During her time in college, Reem worked as a medical imaging research assistant at Toronto’s Sick Kids hospital. She worked with engineers to develop a tool that helps people with dementia. She decided to pursue a culinary career after taking a career break to become a mother and finding comfort in cooking after graduating. Inspired by family customs, she developed a renewed love for cooking after getting married and having her son. Her family’s support turned into her bulwark while she battled postpartum depression. After realizing that cooking was her actual passion and shattering misconceptions about Muslim women, Reem decided to follow her love of food and eventually tried out for MasterChef Canada. The first Muslim contestant on MasterChef Canada, Reem, made history by becoming a top 10 finalist and by developing her culinary abilities and tasting a variety of cuisines. 1,2
Reem was driven to push herself and confront social stereotypes, which is why she decided to audition for MasterChef Canada. She hopes to be a positive representation and feels both honored and pressed to be the first hijabi Muslim on the show. She anticipates an increase in Muslim women applying to MasterChef Canada because she thinks her participation will inspire other women to pursue their goals. Reem counsels other Muslim women who wear hijabs to persevere, have confidence in oneself, and place an emphasis on development rather than perfection. 2
Her culinary goals go beyond opening an Egyptian restaurant; she also wants to be a host of a cooking show. Reem enjoys how Egyptian food combines basic ingredients to create rich flavors while being affordable and simple. Her main objective on MasterChef is to go above and beyond her own boundaries and show that anything is possible if you have kindness and guts. Inspired by her unexpected voyage, Reem suggests that the “impossible” be tackled by starting the “possible,” citing her engineering experience as a point of reference. Reem would stress doing what one loves, living life to the fullest, and helping others if she could go back in time and provide advice to her younger self. 2
Currently, Reem from the Heart, also known as Chef Reem, operates a lucrative virtual cooking school and is frequently asked to give speeches and lead food demonstrations at different gatherings. She has appeared on CBC, BBC Arabic, CTV The Social, CP24 Breakfast, and the cooking program on City TV Breakfast Television. Her dreams include having her own cooking show on TV and creating her own real Egyptian restaurant. She continues to show up and increase awareness of the Arab community; in 2019 she was awarded the Arab Women of Excellence Award in the Arts. 1
Key Takeaways
Chef Reem’s ultimate purpose is to uplift, encourage, and demonstrate to all women—especially mothers experiencing anxiety and sadness after giving birth—that everything is possible if you put your mind to it, regardless the race or religion. 2
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