Canadian-Bangladeshi chef Madiha Turshin has advanced to the quarterfinals of the international Favorite Chef 2026 competition, presented by celebrity chef Carla Hall in support of the James Beard Foundation, where public voting will determine the finalists advancing to the semifinals.
Voting remains open until Thursday, July 23, at 7:00 PM PDT.
As the chef and creative director of Yum Moments, Turshin is using the competition to present a contemporary vision of Bangladeshi cuisine one that combines classical culinary techniques with food history, cultural storytelling, and the country's rich culinary heritage shaped by centuries of trade, migration, and cultural exchange.
Rather than defining herself through a single signature dish, Turshin describes her signature as "a style showcasing Bangladeshi cuisine through a global, technique-driven lens," transforming familiar flavours into refined contemporary experiences while remaining deeply rooted in her heritage.
Among the dishes featured in the competition are Verdure, a seasonal vegetable composition with coriander-mint oil and Kashundi turmeric aioli; Rohu à la Bengal, a modern interpretation of Bangladesh's iconic fish-and-rice tradition; Comfort, Coloured, an elevated red lentil soup; and Monsoon Tea & Memory, a dessert inspired by sandesh and infused with Bangladeshi milk tea, saffron, and hibiscus.
Each creation reflects themes of identity, migration, and cultural connection through food.
A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu's Grand Diplôme, Turshin's work extends beyond the kitchen into food history, research, media, and interdisciplinary creative practice.
Through Yum Moments, she explores cuisine as a meeting point of culture, design, history, science, and storytelling.
If awarded the competition's grand prize, Turshin plans to publish a culinary coffee-table book that reinterprets traditional Bangladeshi recipes through modern techniques and global influences.
She also aims to establish Yum Moments in Dhaka as an immersive culinary and cultural space that brings together chefs, artists, researchers, and international collaborators, contributing to Bangladesh's growing culinary tourism sector.
Public voting is open, with supporters able to vote once every 24 hours.
Turshin's participation represents not only a personal milestone but also an opportunity to bring Bangladesh's evolving culinary identity to a wider international audience.