In a fun display of creativity and sugar, culinary (ACHA) students from Bergen County Academies (BCA) showed off their impressive cakes at this year’s Chocolate Competition. The event, held on Thursday, March 20, featured 18 cakes with themes ranging from anime to nature’s beauty.Senior students Isabella Pasongrica and Daniela Rey took 1st Place in the senior category with their Midsummer Night’s Dream-themed cake. Juniors Kyrpa Grewal and Fiona Curran took first place in the Junior category with their Princess Kaguya cake that featured a bamboo forest and a stunning cherry blossom tree. Juniors Sophia Tripodi and Katherine Sirianni took first place overall with their impressive Princess Mononoke-themed cake that included the warrior princess San in a magic forest and the head of the Forest Spirit peering over a sugar lake.
The competition had cakes inspired by many different themes. Seniors Nathan Chung and Kendrick Rivera recreated the intense world of Jujutsu Kaisen with cursed spirit motifs. At the same time, juniors Allison Chen and Suzu Hirai made a tribute to Porco Rosso with marzipan seaplanes flying over blue buttercream waves. Other cakes ranged from whimsical to thoughtful: Anna Meyerzon and Ava Blades’ cake was inspired by the film ‘Whisper of the Heart’, and Hannah Kim and Haven’s Ponyo cake featured an aquatic charm with waves and fondant fish.
This year marked the first Chocolate Competition led by new culinary teacher Chef Jerel Jhocson, who returned to BCA as a teacher after being a student here. The Academy Chronicle had the opportunity to interview him, asking him about his thoughts on this year’s Chocolate Competition.
Academy Chronicle: As a new teacher at BCA, what was it like stepping into a big tradition like the Chocolate Competition for the first time?
Chef Jerel Jhocson: It was very intimidating. As a student here, I wasn’t in culinary, so I didn’t realize how big the competition was until I had to teach and oversee it. It has a long history with Chef B and Chef J, and I wanted to respect that. I also wanted to add my touch to it, but I had to make sure to keep the tradition alive and make sure the students were proud of their work.
AC: Did you make any changes to the competition or add your twist?
Chef Jerel: Yes, one of the changes was that we used cake dummies for the first time. These are Styrofoam cake models, and they helped streamline the process. The students didn’t have to bake fresh cakes; instead, they decorated the cake dummies, which allowed us to display them after the competition. Normally, cakes spoil or are eaten, but with the dummies, we were able to show them off. We also baked fresh sheet cakes for tasting, which gave us a fresher product.
AC: What impressed you the most about the students’ cakes during the competition?
Chef Jerel: I was impressed by their fearlessness and ambition. Cake decorating is something people usually do professionally for years, but these students have limited time in the kitchen, yet they created cakes that were just as good as professionals. They were brave with their designs and ambitious in what they wanted to accomplish.
AC: What was the biggest challenge for you in leading the competition?
Chef Jerel: Time management was the biggest challenge. I didn’t realize how much time and effort it would take to plan and execute the competition. It was a big commitment from the teachers and the students, and it was important to ensure everyone had enough time.
AC: What was the best part of the competition for you?
Chef Jerel: Eating the cakes! Because we baked fresh cakes, there were a lot of different flavors and creative designs. The tasting was the highlight for me.
AC: Now that you’ve experienced it, how would you like to improve the competition next year?
Chef Jerel: For one, I’d like to start preparations earlier. I also think that bringing in industry professionals to work with the students would be valuable. Seeing how professionals do things can help them grow. As for the themes, we’re already excited about next year’s theme, and we’re hoping to give students more time to plan and come up with even bigger and better designs.
The Academy Chronicle thanks Chef Jerel for sharing his insightful thoughts about the Chocolate Competition. His reflections provide a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs of organizing such a special event. We can’t wait to see what the students have to show us next year as they continue to push the boundaries of creativity and cake artistry. With the changes Chef Jerel plans to introduce, next year’s competition promises to be even more exciting and innovative, showcasing the incredible talent of BCA’s culinary students.
