The smell of cooking food filled the air in the kitchens of MacKay Hall, while Latino music drowned out the noises of sizzling beef and echoing voices.

Over all the commotion Victor Aguilar, judge at Top Chef Latino and sophomore in chemical engineering yelled, “Your food has to be presentable in 10 minutes!”

With that warning, more pressure was added to the competitors of Top Chef Latino. The participants wielded their spoons even faster and urged their teammates to work more quickly.

Seven teams of two competed in Tuesday nights Top Chef Latino to cook the perfect Latino inspired dish.

Out of over 50 ingredients, the teams had to pick at least five with which they had to cook. The rules declared that the teams couldn’t know what kind of ingredients they would get.

“It is really interesting to see what they are able to [come up with]. It shows what they grow up with,” Aguilar said.

The teams had to make appetizers for at least 40 people because everyone at the event got the chance to taste the food after the judges did.

To prepare for these requirements Celize Christy, competitor on team Coloma and junior in global research and animal science, said that her teammate and she looked at different recipes and tried to plan out meals that the available ingredients could create. 

Cooking a dish with unknown ingredients is a challenge in itself, but to add an extra twist, the organizer of Top Chef Latino set up three challenges over the hour.

During the first challenge, the team leader was sent out of the room for three minutes, and the second team member had to cook on his or her own. Ten minutes later the contestants were asked to turn off their stoves for four minutes.

“Oh, that will affect the food!” said Juan Meza, freshman in animal ecology and audience member of Top Chef Latino. “Especially if you have a lot of meat.”

While the seven teams worked through the challenges and cooked a presentable dish, up to sixty people gathered in the kitchens and cheered their favorite teams on.

Latino Heritage Month has hosted this event for the second time in its history.

“We probably tripled our numbers of audience members, and because so many people wanted to compete we have made teams of two this year,” said Sandy Velasquez, president of the Latino Heritage Committee. “It is really great.”

For the last twenty minutes, a countdown ticked out the time for the competitors, and Aguilar announced the last challenge.

“You have twenty minutes left, and for the last challenge we ask you to use only one hand for three minutes while you are cooking.”

Time and the challenges worked against them, but when the final bell rang each team was ready to present a dish. The judges rated them on taste, usage of ingredients, representation of Latin American food and creativity.

Ariana Mora, junior in psychology and Chris Hinojo, senior in microbiology, of team “LosIncas” were declared victors at the end of the night with a dish of deep fried rice called chaufa and empanadas filled with mozzarella cheese, salt, green onions, beef and sausage.

“Everything worked out as planned. We feel really good,” said Mora.

The team will receive an unknown prize at the Cultural Night of the Latino Heritage Month on Oct. 19.