The booth of the Bangladesh Embassy is seen in the 2018 Embassy Chef Challenge, in Washington D.C., the United States, May 17, 2018. Chefs from over 25 different embassies across the U.S. capital gathered at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in downtown Washington D.C. Thursday evening for the 10th annual Embassy Chef Challenge. (Xinhua/Yang Chenglin)
WASHINGTON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Chefs from over 25 different embassies across the U.S. capital gathered at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in downtown Washington D.C. Thursday evening for the 10th annual Embassy Chef Challenge.
Battling for the title of best dish, each chef prepared a dish representing his or her own country and competed in a number of categories.
A panel of culinary experts judged the dishes based on presentation, taste and how well the chefs represent their countries. Guests who attended the event also participated in the selection of a people's choice award.
The Philippine Embassy represented by veteran chef Abie Sincioco-Mateo won first place in both the Judge's and People's Choice awards categories. The chef took advantage of Washington's newfound love for Filipino cuisine and presented her country's traditional food, pork sisig, to food lovers in the United States.
Sisig, a chopped-pork dish, takes all the good parts from a pig's head, including the cheeks, snout, and ears, together with the liver and belly, and then chops them into small pieces, which are then fried after simmering them in water. The mixture is spiced with chili peppers and calamansi, and finally mixed with egg, onion, and sometimes mayo.
"Being a part of this annual gastro-diplomacy extravaganza allows us to not only promote our nation's unique dishes, but also contribute to the multi-cultural heritage of Washington D.C.," Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez told reporters before the event.
The event offered a rare opportunity for guests to sample the food and drinks prepared by embassy chefs who normally work behind closed doors.
Visitors can sample authentic cuisine from over 25 countries in a single night. One minute they can enjoy coconut and shrimp creole from Colombia and the next minute, they can taste chicken with spices from Morocco. Other countries, such as Barbados and Canada, showcased their unique wines and beers as well.
In addition to cuisine, the event also featured art and music from different countries.
The event, presented annually by the Trade Center Management Associates, has provided a setting for culinary diplomacy to thrive since 2009 with a diverse group of highly regarded chefs from around the world delighting guests with dishes and drinks from their homelands.
