Our Embassy was thrilled to host Christine Ha, an accomplished American chef, writer, and TV host. She is the first blind contestant of MasterChef and winner of the popular series’ third season in 2012. She came to Bosnia and Herzegovina to share her experience, an American experience of innovation and achievement but also a personal and professional journey of overcoming incredible challenges. Christine wanted to connect with the people of BiH, to teach cooking and to give something to local communities. And that is just what she did. From cooking and serving all-American chicken soup with “tetka” Zilha, the head chef at Sarajevo’s renowned People’s Kitchen, a soup kitchen, to partnering with vocational students in culinary studies in Banja Luka to bake and deliver chocolate chip cookies to the Rada Vranjesevic Children’s Home, Christine shared her culinary expertise and some delicious food with communities in need. Christine also made sure to take in a whole lot of the best BiH has to offer when it comes to Balkan cuisine: famous cevapcici and burek in Bascarsija, cevapi at the Banjalucanka, Trappist cheese and of course a little rakija at the Mariastern Monastery.
