Masterchef Australia Recap — S12 E08 — Melissa’s Marvellous Box

Two hopefuls have fallen, leaving only approximately three hundred still in the race. Tonight it’s time for a mystery box, and the box has been specially prepared by Melissa, utilising her well-honed skills at putting objects inside a container.

“When was the last time you did a mystery box?” Dani asks Callum, who tells her it’s none of her damn business. All the cooks speculate on what might be in the boxes, because they have very little in common and can find nothing else to talk about.

“Hands up who likes mystery boxes,” says Jock. Everyone claims to like them except Tracy, who has never seen one before, never having been on the show until now. Khanh says he loves mystery boxes, but then reveals he can’t remember whether he ever won one, such are the lengths the human psyche will go to to repress memories of Masterchef participation.

Once Melissa’s involvement in the mystery box is revealed, everyone has a good old laugh about whatever character traits they’re all supposed to know Melissa possesses, and then the boxes are opened. They contain cherries, coriander, honey, black vinegar, Chinese five spice, taro, whiting, chicken feet, spring onions and galangal, a pretend spice she made up. These ingredients have specifically been chosen by Melissa to make sure the contestants cook huge amounts of absolute garbage. Melissa tells the story of how she used to go to yum cha with her parents, which is what inspired her to become whatever it is she is.