Culinary Challenge

The 4-H Culinary Challenge Contest will require youth to demonstrate healthy decision making through nutrition, food preparation, menu planning, and food safety. They will apply healthy living knowledge and skills by planning a nutritious menu, demonstrating their understanding of time management skills in the kitchen, and expressing their originality and creativity through an appropriately themed and properly set table. To showcase these skills, youth will create a menu, prepare a food item, and choose an appropriate theme for their occasion while expressing their food, nutrition, and food safety knowledge during a live interview with a judge at the contest. In order to highlight knowledge and skills acquired during pre-contest preparation, youth will utilize technology as part of their interview.

Rules:

Exhibitors have the option to participate individually (county only) OR as a team, however county contest is not required to participate in the State Contest. If a county contest is held, teams must receive a purple ribbon in order to advance to the State Fair competition. Qualifying teams must be exhibitors aged 8 and older. Teams can be made up of a Sr. and Int. Exhibitor; however, they will compete in the senior division.

All exhibitors must be enrolled in a 4-H food and nutrition project during the current

4-H year.

A team will consist of two members to be eligible to compete. 4-H members must be 8 years of age by January 1 of the current calendar year.
Judging interviews will be approximately 12 to 15 minutes. This time includes a short presentation by the teams, as well as questions from the judge.
Teams should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to their assigned time to set up their table.
Team members must provide their own table for the display.
Upon arriving, check-in at the registration table. Teams will be assigned a specific area to set up.
The check-in area will contain a microwave and *limited* temporary storage for table settings.
Only contestants will be allowed to set up or arrange table settings.
Participants must have their table setting ready by the assigned time. Once tables are set, contestants should stay with their tables, as they are responsible for items placed on tables. Chairs will be available for contestants.
During judging, 4-H members may choose to dress in appropriate clothing, costume, or accessories relevant to the theme.
Tables can be removed after judging has been completed.

Challenge Ingredient/Item

A challenge ingredient will be selected each year, highlighting a Nebraska commodity food product. The 2026 challenge ingredient is potatoes. Please keep food safety in mind when selecting the recipe used for the Challenge. Foods must be able to be kept chilled during transport to the contest, then be able to be re-heated in a microwave if needed. Each team must incorporate the challenge ingredient into their food item they will be presenting during the contest. This may require altering a recipe or creatively incorporating an item into their overall table theme. The challenge ingredient must also be included in the interview presentation, demonstrating youth knowledge of the ingredient, such as nutritional value, a farm-to-fork concept, or how to adapt a recipe to include the ingredient.

Judges Interview

The team should view themselves as the hosts, welcoming the judge, cooperatively presenting the table to the judge, incorporating multi-media resources, and answering any questions from the judge. Teams must be prepared to present to the judge utilizing technology, such as slideshows, picture story, or other multi-media resources. Presentations may include photos, clip art, animation, video or audio sound. The 4-H members should cooperatively present a verbal presentation to the judge that is highlighted by their multi-media presentation via computer or tablet. Participants must provide their own computer or other equipment needed for their 4-H Foods Event judging interview. Presentations will occur at participants’ tables. Please do not bring projectors or other equipment which will require extra space.

Considerations should be given to creatively include the following items through the multi-media presentation:

· Nutritional facts of their menu

· Food safety

· Time management

· Choice of menu

· Food preparation

· Cost of item/per serving

· Food handling techniques

· Recipe of the food item shared with the judge

· Challenge ingredients (nutritional value, farm-to-fork, recipe revision, etc.)

Culinary Challenge

Teams of two 4-H members will have the opportunity to participate in the 4-H Culinary Challenge Contest,. Teams will be determined by the oldest 4-H’ers age and will be placed as follows:

F500010* Junior - ages 8 - 10

F500011* Intermediate – ages 11 - 13

F500012* Senior – ages 14 - 18.

Age divisions will be determined by their 4-H age, the age of the youth before January 1 of the current year.

Scoresheets, Forms, and Contest Study Materials

Scoresheets can be found at: https://go.unl.edu/ne4hculinarychallenge.

*State Fair Eligible