A Korean-American student has won the Kids Baking Championship, a competition where talented young bakers compete to become the best young baker.
Toby Hyun, 12, a seventh-grader at St. Mark’s School in Dallas, Texas, outperformed four competitors in a Food Network competition. He shone in the Thanksgiving special “Sweets-Giving” episode that aired on November 12. Hyun featured Thanksgiving-themed sweet treats, including buttercream boards, cupcakes, and chocolate-covered pretzels.
“I was very nervous during the competition, but I was able to learn and grow from this opportunity,” Hyun said. “I am honored to be able to participate in the baking competition again this year after last year.”
He won the grand prize of $10,000.
Meanwhile, Hyun competed against 11 other bakers in Season 11 of the Kids Baking Championship, which ran from December 2022 to February 2023, but was eliminated in the second round.
Hyun’s love for baking began at an early age. “I often helped my mom when she was cooking since I was three years old. At the age of seven, I started cooking for myself,” he said, “and now I sell my own cookies.”
“As a student, my studies come first, so I can’t bake cookies very often, but I try to bake two to three times a week,” he said, adding, “The cookie I’m most proud of is the matcha cookie.”
Toby Hyun, born to a Korean father and a Chinese mother, also draws inspiration from traditional Korean flavors when baking and is not afraid to try new things. “Korean desserts use a variety of ingredients such as sesame seeds, corn, and persimmons to create different flavors, expanding the spectrum of desserts,” Hyun said. “As of Korean descent, I often invite my friends over to introduce them to Korean desserts like sesame cake and shaved ice (Bingsu).”
It was Hyun’s parents who supported him when he decided to start baking. “Whenever I bake, my parents help me prepare the ingredients and clean up afterward, so I can develop my passion for baking even more,” he said. “I’m very grateful for their unconditional support.”
In addition to baking, Hyun is also passionate about robotics and sports. “I’m interested in STEM fields such as robotics and engineering,” he said, “and I’m taking on many new challenges to find what I really want to do and what I’m good at.”
BY YEJIN KIM, JUNHAN PARK [kim.yejin3@koreadaily.com]
