If you’ve ever watched Chopped, you’ve probably pictured yourself in the competition, and have found yourself shouting at the contestants when they make rookie mistakes (for the last time, you need to use all 4 mystery ingredients!). As exciting as the actual competition is, a huge part of what makes Chopped so compelling is the panel of judges, a group of very different but extremely talented chefs who come together to critique the dishes and find the next Chopped Champion. In an effort to make your TV binge seem a little more productive, we figured out which major is most like each chopped judge, so you can feel (almost) academic while watching.
Undecided: Ted Allen
While Ted is the host and not a judge, he is an integral part of the Chopped cast. Ted Allen is a jack of all trades, much like someone who’s still undecided in their major. He’s got tons of claims to fame and has fun dabbling in a wide array of shows and various food-centered careers. Tons of options, and no reason (yet) to commit to just one thing.
Spanish: Aarón Sánchez
Aarón Sánchez is hailed as the authority on Latin cuisine as a judge on Chopped, so it’s no surprise that someone studying Spanish would match up with him.
Psychology: Alex Guarnaschelli
As a judge, Alex Guarnaschelli takes the time to get to know the chefs before her and understand their personal stories and how they relate to the food that’s been prepared. Psych majors definitely take this approach in their personal and professional lives.
English/Communications: Amanda Freitag
Amanda likes to create a dialogue with the chefs, to understand their dishes and discuss ways both the dish and the chef could have been better, much like English or Communications students strive to create dialogues and foster conversations to improve and understand both fiction and fact.
Political Science: Chris Santos
Chris Santos loves to give criticism, but also loves to follow up any harsh words with a well-deserved compliment. He, like a political science major, lives for a little excitement and could debate his opinion forever.
Business: Geoffrey Zakarian
Geoffrey Zakarian is a big deal in the cooking world, just like (most) business majors think they are a big deal in their own worlds. He sees the big picture of the dish and of a chef, and makes decisions accordingly.
Nursing: Maneet Chauhan
Maneet cares about every single competitor on Chopped – regardless of their dish, she strives to make sure they understood both the positives and negatives of their creation and always finds a way to give praise. Nurses fall into these patterns as well, as they help to care for and give advice to patients.
Computer Science: Marc Murphy
Marc Murphy is the type of judge who wants to know the steps behind the creation of a dish — the code, if you will. Like a computer science major, to him the process is just as important as the product.
Engineering: Marcus Samuelsson
Engineering is all about the foundations, and Marcus Samuelsson is a judge who cares deeply about the foundation — aka, the presentation — of the dish in front of him. A messy plate = major engineering fail.
Biology: Scott Conant
Biology is all about the facts of life, just like Scott Conant’s judging style revolves around the basic facts of cooking. He loves to see plates that are subtle, using the natural flavors of the ingredients to the best of their ability, without overpowering them with random flavors (namely red onions).
So there you have it. No matter what your major, there’s a Chopped judge that fits it. Next time you wanna critique anything, just remember which Chopped judge you are and maybe ask yourself, “WWTAD”? (what would Ted Allen Do?)