4-H Food Showdown
Culinary Creativity: The 4-H Food Showdown
The Food Showdown is a youth culinary challenge where three member teams compete to
create a dish while demonstrating their knowledge in foods and nutrition, kitchen
safety, equipment and creativity in food preparation. 4-H Food Showdown teams will
create their dish using only a clue, provided secret ingredients and items from the
common pantry. From the secret ingredients, 4-H members must identify, prepare and
then present information related to the serving size, nutritional value and cost of
the dish.
Objectives
- Provide opportunities for participants to exhibit their food and nutrition knowledge, skill, and creativitywhenpreparing and presenting food.
- Provideopportunities forparticipants to learnfrom other teammembers,while promotingteamwork.
- Give participantsopportunities forpublic speaking and leadership.
Age Divisions as Follows
- Junior: 8-10 years old (*Child must be 8 years old AND in 3rd grade to compete)
- Intermediate: 11-13 years old
- Senior: 14 and up
**All participants must be enrolled on ZSuite - no exceptions**
Rules
- Participants must be 4-H members enrolled in Adair County 4-H and registration form turned into county office by due date set. A Medical Release form must be done online for each Food Showdown participant.
- Each team will have a maximum of three members, the team can be mixed ages. However, team will compete in the division oldest member qualifies for. To compete as a senior at District Contest ALL team members must be 14 years old and up.
- There is a 3 minute time limit on presentation with judges.
- Junior & Intermediate teams will NOT use heat and will have 30 mins to prepare their dish.
- Seniors are the only division that will use heat and will have 45 mins to prepare dish.
- All teams will be assigned the same category and given the same ingredients. Category, secret ingredients and the clue will not be announced until the start of the contest.
- Clean aprons, closed toed shoes; long pants and hair must be pulled back out of face. Each team will have the option of wearing coordinated clothing.
- 4-H Food Showdown Worksheet and copies of grocery prices are provided day of event. Calculators will be allowed. Cell phones or other electronic devices will not be permitted in the contest area. Teams may not use their personal copies of the resources during the contest.
- All teams must supply their own equipment for the showdown. (See supply box list). Boxes will be checked upon arrival. Any extra equipment will be confiscated.
- Judges reserve the right to disqualify teams demonstrating unsafe food safety practices or dangerous use of the equipment.
- Any competitor who requires auxiliary aids, special accommodations or has food allergies must notify4-H Office at pre-registration.
**Champion and Reserve Champions and 3rd place for each division will receive certificate and ribbon day of event. Top two will get invitation to annual Achievement banquet. ***
Supply Box List
Jr. & Int. Teams
- Aprons (3)
- Calculator (1)
- Can opener (1)
- Colander, medium (1)
- Cutting boards/mats (2)
- Bowl, small (1)
- Disposable tasting spoons Fork (1)
- Gloves disposable Grater (1)
- Hand sanitizer (1)
- Kitchen Shears (1)
- Kitchen Timer (1)
- Kitchen Towels (2)
- Knives (3)
- Measuring cups , dry
- Measuring cup,
- Liquid Measuring spoons
- Note Cards
- Pencil
- Pancake Turner (1)
- Rubber Spatula (1)
- Serving Platter (1)
- Serving bowl (1)
- Sanitizing wipes
- Mixing bowls
- Tub for dirty dishes paper towels
- Serving spoon (1)
- Mixing spoons (3)
- Table cover(1)
- Decorative plater(1)
- Serving bowl
Sr. Teams
All items from Jr. & Int Teams plus:
- Heat Source - can only use one of the following
- Single or double burner hot plate
- Electric Skillet (1)
- Griddle (1)
- Hot pads (2)
- Baking Sheet (1)
- Extension Cord
- Food Thermometer (1)
- Rolling pin (1)
- Sauce pan w/lid (1)
- Storage bags or containers Tongs (1)
- Vegetable peeler (1)
- Whisk (1)