From pork tenderloins to sugar cream pie, Indiana has its fair share of delicious food staples. Now as part of the World Food Championships’ final round, some of the best chefs in the world will get a chance to put their own unique spin on much-loved Hoosier dishes.
From August 8-9, ten chefs will duke it out in the World Food Championship’s Final Table crescendo. After beating out more than 450 other teams in the Dallas Main Event qualifier last November, the ten Final Table competitors will compete in an Indiana-themed, three-challenge, elimination format at the Ivy Tech Culinary Center, with the grand prize winner earning a $100,000 prize. Also of note, the event will be filmed and aired nationally as a special documentary for the Cooking Channel.
“Indianapolis is an exciting and vibrant culinary destination,” said Mike McCloud, president and CEO of the World Food Championships. “Bringing our 10 champions to the Circle City and the 'Culinary Crossroads' for their final step in our culinary program has been extremely rewarding already. So many great food brands and food artisans have opened their arms and doors to our mission of celebrating cooks in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
In the first round, all ten competitors will be tasked with making a pork dish using pork collar sourced by Smoking Goose. The pork dish, inspired by Indy chef and restaurateur Carlos Salazar, will be paired with a Parisian Gnocchi, but the competitor must use Red Gold Tomatoes, an Indiana owned and operated company. Similar to the World Food Championships Main Event, the cooks will have 90 minutes to execute the dish.
Only five of the competitors will make it to the second round, where they will recreate a beloved dish by local Chef Greg Hardesty – Roast Duck Breast with Crispy Duck Spring Roll, Fried Wild Rice, Dried Cranberry Duck Jus. The remaining five will get to taste Chef Hardesty’s dish at his restaurant Studio C prior to the challenge. The assortment of premier duck products will be provided by Maple Leaf Farms, while all other necessary ingredients will be provided in the Sysco Pantry. Only 60 minutes will be provided for cook time in this round.
Team Indiana - from the 2019 World Food Championships in Dallas, Texas.
Only three competitors will survive the second round in order to compete for the World Food Champion title in the final round. In the finale, the cooks will create their own unique version of the famous Indiana sugar cream pie. Due to the delicate and timely process of making this dish, the World Food Championships will allow 90 minutes for this challenge.
The Final Table will include media and some limited seating for public viewing of the competition based on social event protocols at that time. To learn more, be sure to visit the World Food Championships’ website.