Culinary Arts is very integral to national health and wellbeing as well as to tourism and extremely beneficial to the promotion of Jamaica as a tourist destination.
A major programmes in Culinary Arts undertaken by Jamaica Cultural Development Commission is the Festival of Foods.

1. The National Culinary Arts competition is staged under the brand name “A Festival of Foods”. The competition categories are structured to attract wide participation islandwide:

• Main Dishes - meat, poultry, fish, vegetarian and other protein product.
• Hot Cooked or Raw Vegetables attractively arranged
• Pastries – wide variety of cakes, pies, puddings etc.
• Desserts – exotic mousse, ice-cream etc.
• Doughs – bread etc.

1. Classes for Children (7-12 years)
2. Classes for Schools, Youth Group and Adults
3. Classes for Individuals with Recognized Training
4. Mystery Basket competition

A major highlight is the Mystery Basket
Competitors select items, create a recipe, prepare the dish and display the finished product to two (2) judges. Emphasis is also placed on food service and there are categories including table setting and napkin fold.

PROFESSIONAL CULINARY ARTS COMPETITION

The Professional Culinary Arts competition staged under the brand name “Jamaica Food Festival” is another vibrant culinary product focused on the work of professional chefs and bartenders.

Each year the JCDC provides an international panel of judges from North America and the wider Caribbean to assess entries for which National culinary awards are made. The categories in the Jamaica Food Festival competition are as follows:

• Hot foods (individual and team)
• Pastry Chef Open
• Fruit Carving
• Ice Carving
• Vegetable Carving
• Showpieces
• Showplatters
• Bartending Competition.

The major awards of this Festival are the Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year and the Dutchpot Award which goes to the hotel whose team garners the most points in the competition.

Jamaica Food Festival 2007