Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below.

Appetisers and snacks may include:
Chinese: fresh spring rolls, stuffed pastries, seafood in beancurd skins, century eggs, sesame squid, carrot and radish rolls, and cucumbers with dried prawns
Malay and Nonya: spring rolls, curry puffs, pickled mackerel, shrimp rolls and fried marinated chicken wings
Indonesian: fried bean curd, satay, stuffed savoury pancakes, fried bananas and crackers
Thai: spring rolls, fish cakes, prawn balls, stuffed sago balls, fried cashews and chillies
Vietnamese: spring rolls, meat and prawn rice paper rolls, grilled beef rice paper rolls, pork and prawn salad, triangle spring rolls and shrimp toast
Indian: pappadums, koftas, pakoras, samosas, kabab and bhajis
Japanese: smoked salmon, skewered chicken balls, pork and vegetable kebabs.


Ingredients and commodities may include:
fresh and dried vegetables and fruits and salad vegetables
culturally appropriate meats, such as chicken, beef, lamb, goat and pork
seafood, such as prawns and other crustaceans, squid, shellfish and fish
eggs, rice and farinaceous products
herbs, spices and condiments
commodities specific to particular dishes and cuisines
specific Asian commodities, including:
Chinese: sauce (soy, oyster and black bean)
Japanese: seaweeds (wakame and nori), condiments (sake, mirin and shoyu), miso (red, white or light brown) and wasabi
Indonesian: shrimp cake (terasi) and shrimp paste (petis); tamarind, including assam keeping and assam djawa; soya sauce (kecap); herbs and spices, fresh and dried (salam, basil and lemongrass)
Indian: flours (besan, atta, chickpea and maida), spices and herbs (cumin, cloves or fresh and dried coriander), spice pastes (bumbu), pappadum (regional varieties), lemon and lime juice, aromatic leaves and curry powder (masala)
Malay and Nonya: shrimp cake (blachan), tamarind (assam keeping and assam djawa) and soya sauce (kecap).


Equipment may include:
mortar and pestle
stone grinders
pans
woks
steamers
cutting, chopping and slicing implements such as cleavers and knives
grills and griddles
serving platters and serviceware.

EVIDENCE GUIDE
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.


Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency
Evidence of the following is essential:
ability to prepare a variety of snacks and appetisers within realistic time constraints using cookery methods appropriate to the style of cuisine
knowledge of cuisine style, including cultural considerations, typical commodities, culinary terminology and equipment
preparation of a variety of appetisers and snacks relevant to a particular cuisine, using authentic and appropriate ingredients
application of food hygiene and OHS principles and procedures.


Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure:
demonstration of skills within a fully equipped, operational commercial kitchen suitable for Asian cooking, including industry-current equipment, as defined in the Assessment Guidelines
industry-realistic ratios of kitchen staff to customers
preparation of dishes for real customers within typical workplace time constraints.


Methods of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
direct observation of practical demonstration of preparing and presenting appetisers and snacks for Asian cuisine
sampling of dishes prepared by the candidate
written or oral questions to test knowledge of Asian cuisine styles, cultural aspects, typical commodities, safety issues and food quality indicators
review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate, such as menus and photographs.
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.


Assessing employability skills
Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts.
Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role.