Entries Open for ‘Many Moods of Tilapia’ Cooking Competition

Persons passionate about cooking are invited to enter the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) ‘Many Moods of Tilapia’ cooking competition.

The contest is open to householders, street vendors, and chefs, as well as establishments, such as hotels, schools and catering companies, among others. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, October 19.

The competition was initiated as another step in the National Tilapia Campaign, to encourage Jamaicans to consume more of this variety of fish as another source of seafood-based protein.

This thrust is especially important, given the reported declining supply of Jamaican reef fish.

Director of Corporate Services at the NFA, Angela Patterson, said tilapia lends itself to creative preparation, noting that the Authority is looking to generate public engagement in this regard.

“Tilapia has been grown in Jamaica since the 1940s; its fortunes have [however] ebbed and waned with time. So here we are now trying to promote it… to push it, to get people to not only eat it but also produce it,” Ms. Patterson pointed out.

She was speaking during a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank at the Agency’s head office in Kingston, on Thursday (October 13).

Ms. Patterson, who advised that the competition is open to anyone interested, said the event also aims to develop a catalogue of creative tilapia cooking recipes.

“We would like [persons] to use Jamaican seasonings. [They] would be judged on the creativity of the recipe, how nicely presented it is and, by the time we get to the cook-off, how tasty it is,” she further informed.

Persons are invited to email their recipe entries to tilapiarecipes@nfa.gov.jm or drop these off at the NFA’s Office, 2C Newport East, Kingston.

Judges from the Jamaica 4-H Clubs will adjudicate during the initial rounds, to select the best entries.

The successful entrants will be contacted and invited to submit a video of their recipe to the aforementioned email address.

“The judges will look, again, at what you have videoed and this is where the presentation, the appearance, and so on, will come into play; then we will invite you for a cook-off,” Ms. Patterson indicated.

She advised that the cook-off was initially being targeted for early December, but consequent on November 2 being celebrated as International Fisheries Day, she said “there is a thought that we are going to combine the two”.

“However, the people who will be invited to the cook-off will be informed of the official date,” the Director further said.

Persons at the cook-off will be judged and the overall winners announced.

“The first-prize recipient will receive $100,000; second-prize, $30,000 in Hi-Lo vouchers, and the third-prize winner will receive $25,000 in cash,” Ms. Patterson informed, adding that all recipients will get cooking products.

“The persons who go through the various elimination rounds will get trophies and seasoning products from our sponsors,” she also indicated.

The competition’s main sponsor, Rainforest Seafoods, is providing the winning prize.

The second-place prize is being provided by Grace Kennedy, with Maggi providing the third-place prize along with seasoning products.

The NFA has also partnered with Spur Tree Spices Jamaica to provide trophies for first and second place, with Easispice providing the trophy for third place as well as seasoning products.

For further details, persons can visit the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries website, www.moa.gov.jm.