QuizDiva: Chennai's Unique Culinary Quiz Celebrates Women Chefs
Chennai recently witnessed a first-of-its-kind culinary competition exclusively for women chefs, culinary professionals, and hospitality students from South India. QuizDiva, held at the Institute of Hotel Management in Taramani, tested participants on both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, blending the rigour of a quiz with the creativity of the kitchen.
The event saw over 70 participants compete for top prizes worth ₹1 lakh, ₹75,000, and ₹50,000. The competition was organised by X Quiz IT in collaboration with the South India Chefs Association (SICA), with the overall event managed by Arun Jayakaran Ventures (AJV).
Participants faced a variety of challenges, including questions that drew on culinary history and food science. For instance, one question asked about a dish that came to India from Indonesia, attributed to cooks employed by Indonesian Hindu kings between the 9th and 12th centuries, according to food historian KT Achaya. Another question referenced a snack brand designed by chemist Fred Baur, whose saddle-like shape is a mathematically optimised hyperbolic paraboloid, packaged in canisters to withstand transport pressure.
The quiz segments were conducted by Arvind Rajeev, founder and creative head of X Quiz IT. He explained the motivation behind the event: “We have done quiz competitions for chefs in the past but this is the first time we were doing something exclusively for lady chefs who were in the fray to showcase their expertise in theory and practicals. We wanted them to look beyond the books.”
With women playing an increasingly important role in the hospitality industry, QuizDiva served as a platform to recognise and encourage their contributions. The competition was designed to celebrate talent, creativity, and professional excellence, offering participants a chance to demonstrate their depth of knowledge and practical culinary skills.
The winners were announced at the end of the event. Niranjana Murugesan Durai, a Chennai resident who runs a home-based cloud kitchen after a stint in the hotel industry, took the first prize. She plans to use the cash award to grow her business. Rubah Fathima and Nandhita Sriram were declared second and third prize winners, respectively.
For the winners, the experience was a novel one. They noted that the quiz format required “strategic guesses” and also gave them an opportunity to admire the many accomplished female chefs in the industry. The event concluded with actor Thalaivasal Vijay, the special guest, giving away the prizes.
