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6th Year Ajinomoto Culinary Challenge

The annual Ajinomoto® Umami Culinary Challenge (UCC) 2015 is slated on Friday, January 30, 2015 at the Hall 2 of the SMX Convention Hall from 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM. On its 6th year, UCC organizer, Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation, puts together the best culinary teams from Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao in one (1) cooking arena to showcase their masterful culinary creations. UCC is the biggest, intercollegiate, multi-category culinary competition that focuses on the delicious potential of umami, the 5th basic taste. The event attracts HRM and Nutrition students in 54 schools coming from NCR, Ilocos, CALABARZON, Central Luzon and Bicol Regions and regional winners from Visayas and Mindanao.

Apart from the Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao Cooking Showdown, UCC 2015 features three (3) competition categories: Best Filipino Umami Dish, My Own Umami Creation and My Eat Well, Live Well® Plate. The competing teams will be judged based on intensity of their dish’s umami taste, culinary technique and creativity, dish preparation and plate presentation. One of the major criteria is the Eat Well, Live Well.® Cooking, which referred to culinary nutrition or the integration of culinary skills and nutrition knowledge to create delicious and nourishing umami dish.

Winners will receive cash prizes: first place winners P10,000, second place winners P8,000 and third place winners P5,000. National Showdown winners will receive PhP 15,000. Major prizes also include gifts from UCC 2015 sponsors: La Germania, Solane, Fujidenzo and Masflex.

Ajinomoto® advocates culinary nutrition embodied in its slogan Ajinomoto® Eat Well, Live Well. Leading technical experts in food, nutrition and medicine will also provide valuable insights to student-competitors to solidify their background in culinary nutrition and educate them about umami and its role in health and nutrition. Umami, the scientifically recognized and proven 5th basic taste alongside sweet, sour, bitter, and salty, was first identified and isolated by Dr. Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo Imperial University in 1908.


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