How Chef Madiha Turshin is taking Bangladeshi cuisine to the world's biggest culinary stage

 The Canadian-Bangladeshi chef has reached the Semifinals of the international competition presented by Carla Hall, where public votes will determine whether she advances to the Final 16 chefs.

For Chef Madiha Turshin, competing in Favorite Chef 2026 has never been about winning a title alone. It has always been about creating a space where Bangladesh's culinary story can be seen, understood, and celebrated on an international stage.

Presented by award-winning celebrity chef Carla Hall in support of the prestigious James Beard Foundation, Favorite Chef brings together thousands of chefs from around the world. After weeks of public voting, Chef Turshin has advanced to the Semifinals, placing her just one step away from the competition's Final 16. With only a few days of voting remaining, she is calling on supporters across Bangladesh, Canada, and the global Bangladeshi diaspora to help carry that journey forward.

A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu's Grand Diplôme, an official member of Chefs Canada (National Culinary Association), and the founder of Yum Moments, Chef Turshin is known for presenting Bangladeshi cuisine through a contemporary, technique-driven lens while remaining deeply rooted in its heritage.

"My signature is not a single dish but a style," she explains. "I transform the flavours and traditions I grew up with into refined, contemporary experiences while staying deeply rooted in my heritage."

Her competition dishes, including Verdure, Rohu à la Bengal, Comfort, Coloured, and Monsoon Tea & Memory, explore how Bangladesh's foodways have evolved through centuries of trade, migration, craftsmanship, and cultural exchange. Together, they reflect her belief that cuisine is a living story, continually shaped by people, place, and time.

When asked why this competition matters, Chef Turshin's answer is deeply personal.

"I've watched talented Bangladeshi chefs compete internationally, only to leave before they had the chance to fully share the depth of our vibrant, scrumptious cuisine. I don't want Bangladesh's story to end before the conversation even begins. This competition gives people around the world a reason to stop, look closer, and discover a cuisine that deserves far more recognition than it receives."

If successful, Chef Turshin hopes to use the momentum to expand Yum Moments into a multidisciplinary culinary concept in Bangladesh that brings together gastronomy, culture, design, history, and storytelling. Her long-term vision is to welcome international chefs, researchers, artists, and curious travellers while creating new opportunities for Bangladesh's local culinary community and contributing to the country's growing culinary tourism.

Reaching the Semifinals marks one of the strongest performances by a Canadian-Bangladeshi chef in the history of the Favorite Chef competition. Now, with a place in the Finals within reach, every vote has the potential to make history.

Supporters can cast one free vote every 24 hours, while donation votes provide additional support and contribute to the competition's charitable fundraising initiatives associated with the James Beard Foundation.

With the love, generosity, and support of Bangladesh and the global Bangladeshi community, Chef Madiha Turshin hopes to take contemporary Bangladeshi cuisine one step closer to the Favorite Chef 2026 Finals, and one step closer to the global recognition she believes it has long deserved.