In a culinary competition that brought together IKEA co-workers from six countries, Malaysia has emerged victorious.
I’ve always been a little biased that Malaysian food is the best in the world—turns out I was right.
On February 4th in Älmhult, Sweden—IKEA’s birthplace—Fatin Badrul Hisham and Nurul Fatihah Binti Rosli from IKEA Malaysia won the 2026 IKEA Talents global food contest with their stuffed fried tofu dish.
The win marks a proud moment for Malaysian cuisine on the international stage, beating out creative entries from Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Poland.
This year’s IKEA Talents shifted focus from music (2024’s theme) to food, aligning with the company’s current emphasis on its Cooking & Eating range.
The competition invited IKEA employees worldwide to share dishes that showcase their cultural heritage and culinary creativity.
IKEA Talents: The Cook-Off That Had Everything
Picture this: Six cooking stations. Ninety minutes on the clock. An audience of IKEA co-workers watching every chop, sizzle, and plating decision. It’s basically MasterChef, but everyone’s wearing a name tag and probably knows where to find the Allen keys.
The finals brought together culinary talent from across the globe. While others brought Swedish-inspired plins, plant ball stir-fries, and even an “IKEA Style Swedish Lasagna”, it was Malaysia’s stuffed fried tofu that had the judges reaching for seconds.
The Secret Ingredient? Sambal (And a Little Adjustment)
“We’re touched and really didn’t expect to win,” said the winning duo, “but we felt the support of friends and family all the way from home. We think adjusting our sambal soy sauce to the jury’s taste made a real difference. Also, seeing the tofu survive the journey from Malaysia made this win even more special.”
Let’s pause to appreciate that last bit. They packed tofu in their luggage and flew it to Sweden. Now that’s dedication.
The dynamic duo clearly understood the assignment: bring flavor, bring culture, and maybe dial down the heat just enough that Swedish taste buds don’t panic. Smart move, and it paid off big time.
IKEA Food Is More Than Meatballs
IKEA Talents isn’t just about finding the next viral cafeteria dish (though we wouldn’t say no to stuffed tofu showing up next to those meatballs). It’s part of how IKEA celebrates what makes its 220,000+ co-workers special—their creativity, their culture, and their ability to turn a 90-minute cook-off into a love letter to home.
“At IKEA, we believe everyone has talent,” says Alejandra Piñol, Chief People & Culture Officer. “Creating opportunities like this strengthens our culture, builds confidence, and helps people grow.”
IKEA Cooking & Eating
After the previous year’s music challenge, the 2026 edition shifted to food, perfectly timed with IKEA’s current focus on Cooking & Eating.
Tine Colpaert, Food Operations Leader, put it beautifully: “The finalists didn’t just cook great dishes, they brought our food philosophy to life through creativity, sustainability, and affordability.”
In short, the ability to bring together different ingredients to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Sound familiar? It’s the same philosophy IKEA applies to furniture, just tastier.
Tofu On the Menu?
From kitchens in Kuala Lumpur to cooking stations in Älmhult, this competition proved that food really is the universal language (even more than wordless assembly instructions).
Congratulations to Fatin and Fatihah! Here’s hoping that stuffed fried tofu makes its way onto IKEA menus worldwide. We’d definitely queue up for that.
What do you think? Should IKEA add the winning dish to their restaurant menu? Drop your thoughts below!
Feeling inspired? Try your hand at cooking Malaysian food. Start with this recipe book and bring those winning flavors to your own kitchen.