Ajinomoto Umami Culinary Challenge fires off Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Over 200 aspiring chefs showcased their innovativeness, culinary skills, creativeness and mastery at the Ajinomoto Umami Culinary Challenge - Visayas 2013 (UCC-V 2013).

Dubbed as the "Battle of the Umami Bowl," the 2nd UCC-V was held at the SM City Cebu Trade Hall last September 21. A total of 20 school teams composed of culinary students from all over Cebu province and some parts of Bohol tested each other's cooking mettle in the one-of-a-kind culinary challenge.

"We want to expand Umami education," Helen Lim, Ajinomoto PR Manager explained on why they created the event. The competition is a multi-category culinary challenge that focuses on umami, the fifth basic taste. Umami, from the Japanese words umai (delicious) and mi (taste), has been recognized as the fifth basic taste. It is considered distinct from the other basic tastes – sweet, sour, salty and bitter.

The participants competed in different categories, with teams creating the best dish that maximizes the full potential and usage of the umami taste. The categories were Best Filipino Umami Dish, Healthy Asian Umami Dish and My Own Umami Creation.

Emerging as the winner in the Best Filipino Umami Dish is the International School for Hotel and Restaurant Management (ICHMS). The school team was then pitted against the Visayas Showdown winner, Hercor College of Capiz.

Hercor College emerged as champions and will represent the Visayas in the 5th Ajinomoto Umami Culinary Challenge national finals in Manila in February next year.

Other winners of the different categories were the Cebu Technological University - Danao Campus for the Healthy Asian Umami Dish, followed by Mandaue City College (2nd place) and Lapu-lapu City College (3rd place). In the category My Own Umami Creation, Benedicto College won the top spot followed by the Cebu Institute of Technology, and Lapu-Lapu City College. Also, The Umami Bowl Award for Excellence was given to Benedicto College for gathering the highest team score in the three categories. (FREEMAN)