NIFCA Culinary Arts Expo Showcases Creative and Innovative Use of Local Ingredients

Entrants in this year’s NIFCA Culinary Arts Competition showed more creativity and innovation in the use of local ingredients in their dishes. And come Saturday, the public will get a chance to see that up close when the NIFCA Culinary Arts Expo takes place at the Queen’s Park Steel Shed.

Over the past few days, the fare of entrants was judged in the five categories of Bajan Sweets and Treats, Bajan Preserved, Bajan Baked Goods, Bajan Cocktails or Mocktails, and Bajan Ice-cream and Desserts. The entries winning gold, silver and bronze will be on show at the expo which will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Several prizes are in store for winners, including new special awards such as the Peter Edey Award of Excellence, which will take the form of a cash prize of $3 000 and a trophy, for the highest gold-scoring junior culinary entry; and the Business Entrepreneur prize, offered across all disciplines and valued at $15 000, which will be given to a gold award-winning adult participant whose work demonstrates entrepreneurial value.

The category of Best Use of Local Flours is also new to the NIFCA season. This was introduced due to the growing number of entrants using Barbadian flours such as those made from cassava, breadfruit, and sweet potato in their dishes.

The National Cultural Foundation’s External Coordinator Of Culinary Arts, Sophia Catwell expressed her satisfaction with the more than 150 entrants this season and the creativity displayed in the entries in the various categories.

She believed the heightened level of creativity and unique use of local ingredients was a testament to NIFCA’s thrust to encourage the use of local products. This success is especially significant as NIFCA celebrates its 50th anniversary under the theme 50 Years of Excellence Remembered.

Based on the standard and innovation of entrants, Catwell was confident that this year’s NIFCA Culinary Arts Expo would be among the best.

“It’s gonna be excellent. We are seeing some innovative ways of using different local items . . . . I’m liking what I’m seeing in terms of innovative ways that persons have chosen to use local products – local items, like hog plums and Scotch bonnet peppers and stuff like that in different forms. It is heartening to see what they are doing and we are going to have a good showing in terms of the displays at the exhibition,” she said. (PR)