WANT to win a pizza-making competition?

First, skip the workshops organised for it.

Next, think outside the box, do your own research and come up with something unique.

That is what 38 students from nine schools learnt yesterday at the Nanyang Polytechnic-Pizza Hut Pizza Making Competition.

Dressed in hairnets and aprons, the contestants looked every bit the chefs they were emulating; their eyebrows arched in concentration, their fingers diligently working the dough and sneaking the occasional titbit into their own mouths.

Emerging as winners after a tough fight was a group of girls from Greendale Secondary School, with their cranberry-based Meaty Berry Pizza.

Made with three kinds of cheeses and with its crust stuffed with pieces of turkey, the Meaty Berry sealed the deal with a stunning display which included candles and a wine bottle.

Said Dr Joel Lee, director of the polytechnic's School of Chemical and Life Sciences, who was one of the judges: 'It excited the five senses!'

The 14-year-olds who won were equally excited. Lee Shu Yi, Nurul Dian and Humairah Sa'ban, entered the competition without participating in a workshop that had been held in September.

That was where the students got a lecture on basic food science and a three-hour practical session.

Lecturer Stewart Tan of the School of Chemical and Life Sciences said: 'The main aim was to bring food science closer to secondary school students and to appeal to their age group. We chose to do this through pizza making.'

The other two top teams also did not participate in the workshop and came up with their winning concepts through their own research and experiments.

'The competition has given the students the space and opportunity to think outside of the box and be innovative. This is the kind of spirit Singapore should be looking to promote,' said Dr Lee.

The Greendale team, which went home $250 richer, practised up to three times a week, subjecting their teachers, friends and families to countless taste tests.

'Our teachers and parents were also very supportive of us, chipping in with ideas and helping as our tasters,' said Shu Yi.

The first runner up, Team 2 from Hong Kah Secondary School, came up with their Fruity Pizza with Honey Glazed Roasted Chicken through hours of brainstorming. They won $200.

Their final product was a combination of cinnamon apples and mixed fruits topped with a burst of candy canes in the centre.

The second runner up, Unity Secondary School, was equally creative in winning $150. Its team of boys produced a pizza baked with mixed herbs, a dash of lemons and slices of pears after a 'tiring process made worse by ingredients coming in late'.

Original challenge

During the preliminary rounds on 19 Nov, contestants were given the challenge of creating an original pizza with international flavours.

Entries included Japanese, Mexican and multi-ethnic flavoured pizzas. One of the more innovative pizzas involved a fish-cake stuffed crust.

For yesterday's finals, the top 10 teams raced against the clock for nearly three hours to complete the challenge - to create the ultimate Christmas pizza.

Basic ingredients were provided, but the contestants had to bring in additional ingredients.

Asked whether the winning pizza will be brought to tables this Christmas, Pizza Hut representative Lena Ong, who was one of the judges, said, 'It is not totally impossible but a lot more development has to take place.'

This is not the first time such a collaboration has taken place. In 2006, the polytechnic organised an ice cream-making competition with Swensen's. And it will not be the last time.

'It doesn't stop here,' said Dr Lee. 'NYP will continue to hold workshops and competitions so watch out for them!'

Cheryl Julia Lee

This article was first published in The New Paper on Dec 11, 2008.