Emirati cooking competitions feature authentic flavors of UAE traditional cuisine

ABU DHABI: The Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation’s pavilion at the Heritage Village of the Sheikh Zayed Festival has organised a number of events, shows and competitions, including a series of traditional cooking competitions that showcases authentic Emirati cuisine.

The pavilion is one of the most famous areas at the festival each year, as it plays a significant role to highlight the festival’s message, the development and progression of the global event, and express its educational message for the citizens of the UAE and visitors of various nationalities who take part in this heritage event.

Daily cooking competitions for the best Emirati dishes will be held over the course of 120 days with the participation of local chefs and cooking enthusiasts, attended by food lovers and culinary aficionados who are interested in authentic Emirati cuisine.

The traditional cooking competition consists of eight competitions in total, each include a total of 12 days of tasting, judging and awarding points to each of the dishes served daily, with a final deliberation that will take place on the 12th day.

The competitions will feature eight main dishes: Al Jami, Al Memroosa, Al Khadid, Al Thwaba, Al Bzar, Al Qoras, Al Ajar and Al Yaqat. The verdicts will be announced at the end of each competition, and each contestant has the right to choose which of the eight dishes to cook.

Participants are expected to prepare dishes that include all the authentic flavors and ingredients that were used in the past to make their chosen dish.

This event aims to introduce and preserve Emirati culinary traditions for future generations, as well as encourage visitors and residents of the UAE to know more about the Emirati cuisine and promote it globally.