The Dumpling Sisters - two Chinese Kiwi cooks who have won praise from Jamie Oliver

Amy and Julie Zhang are “Chiwis” – Chinese Kiwis whose parents immigrated to New Zealand from Guangzhou. The sisters now study in the UK and are primed for success, and Amy has completed a PhD in chemistry from Cambridge University and Julie a masters in criminology at Oxford. 

But beyond their interest in science and psychology, Amy and Julie have another love – a passion for food that has inspired their own online cooking show.

The programme, shot and edited by the girls themselves, has generated a healthy buzz among internet foodies since its launch. And while The Dumpling Sisters already have a respectable following, the girls may be on their way to internet superstardom after becoming finalists in a contest sponsored by famous English TV chef Jamie Oliver to find the next guest stars for his award-winning Food Tube channel on YouTube.

“It’s no surprise that we were pretty darn excited when we heard about a new competition being run by Jamie Oliver,” Amy and Julie wrote on their site. “The brief to YouTubers all over the world was simple: create a short video recipe featuring rice, and we happen to love rice!”

The sister’s entry to the competition, which received more than 250 entries from around the globe, was a recipe for "iceberg parcels with fried rice, boozy Hoisin chicken and no-cook satay sauce" – a dish that combined influences from both Chinese and Western culinary traditions.