Culinary Challenge Contest
Premiums: $5.00, $4.00, $3.00, $2.00
The 4-H Culinary Challenge Contest will require youth to demonstrate healthy decision-making through nutrition, food preparation, menu planning, and food safety, utilizing a foods and nutrition curriculum. They will apply healthy living knowledge and skills by planning a nutritious menu, demonstration their understanding of time management skills in the kitchen and expressing their originality and creativity through an appropriate 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
- Age categories are based on 4-H Age (age as of December 31of previous year)
- Contestants can participate in county contest as an individual or team. (Only teams are allowed at county fair)
- The exhibit building does not have a microwave available.
- Contest members must provide their own table.
- Participants must have their table setting ready by the start of event. 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.
- All tables will be removed following a designated time the end of contest.
- Grand and Reserve Champion of the Culinary Challenge are encouraged to bring their table, table setting, and menu to display at county fair. Bring on Entry Day of county fair.
Challenge Ingredient/Item
1. A challenge ingredient will be selected each year, highlighting a Nebraska commodity food product. The 2025 challenge ingredient is pork. 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
2. 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 slideshow, 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 ingredient (nutritional value, farm-to-fork, recipe
- revision, etc.)
*B157901 Junior: Ages 8-10
*B157902 Intermediate: Ages 11-13
*B157903 Senior: Ages 14-18