Dal dentistry prof shares sweet tooth on The Great Canadian Baking Show

Sachin Seth sees the irony of being a dentist with a sweet tooth.

"One could say it's a make-work project for all of the dentists out there," he said with a laugh, during an interview in the kitchen of his Halifax home.

It's his love of sugary foods that's landed him a spot on season two of The Great Canadian Baking Show, which premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. AT on CBCTV.

'A perfect mix of art and science'

Seth, who is assistant professor at the faculty of dentistry at Dalhousie University, sees a parallel between his occupation and his passion for making desserts.

"Dentistry is a perfect mix of art and science. It really requires you to be meticulous with your fingers, having a good scientific background," he said. "Baking is not really that different. Baking, in the end, is really a big chemistry experiment."

Seth, 43, was a young teenager when he started getting interested in the world of baking.

"I always loved eating.Food was a big thing in my house growing up and so having a big sweet tooth, it just sort of was a natural progression into starting to make some of my own things," he said.

Bucket list

As for his favourite food to bake, Seth saidit depends on his mood that day. But more often than not, a certain French pastry is at the top of his list.

"It is quite difficult but it is quite rewarding when you are all said and done," he said. "There's nothing better than a hot, buttery croissant with a cup of coffee. It's beautiful."

Seth said getting on the show was a "bucket list thing for me."

"I never thought it would actually come to fruition. Applying and going through the whole process was a wonderful experience in itself, but then getting to be on the show was amazing," he said.

"It was something I don't think I ever would have experienced anything close to in my life."

Top-notch contestants

He said the audience can expect some top-notch baking from the 10contestants, who are from all over Canada.

And while some reality shows are criticized for being heavily scripted, Seth said this contest is "100 per cent genuine."

"There is no fake anything. Even the time limits that the audience is aware of, those were the time limits that we had to stick to," he said.

"So if it was three hours for a bake, it was three hours for a bake. Not a second more or less, so it's very strict to what you are seeing as an audience member."

Seth plans to watch the show's premiere, which he has yet to screen, at home with family and close friends and a bottle of champagne.

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