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U.S. rice wins every time
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MEXICO CITY, MEXICO -- This week, USA Rice hosted the 15th "Rice Chef of the Year" rice cooking contest at the Colegio Superior de Gastronomia, the first culinary institution in Latin America, with the participation of 21 professional chefs representing restaurants, hotels, banquet halls, and culinary institutions. The winners received generous prizes from the sponsors: La Vasconia, Bon Chef, Vinos Torres, Chocolates Lindt, Herdez, Simplot, and Editorial Mango.
Participating chefs prepared a variety of culinary delights, using rice as the primary ingredient. The panel of judges, composed of top gastronomic personalities, rated the dishes on proper cooking techniques, use of rice, taste, and presentation.
The winning recipe, Rice Delight Dessert, was the creation of Chef Jorge Israel Lopez Ruiz with the Presidente Intercontinental Hotel, and will be an exclusive offering on the hotel's restaurant menu. Chef Lopez Ruiz said, "My inspiration in preparing this dish was to show the great versatility of rice and to demonstrate that this significant ingredient can be used in a wide range of presentations, not solely as a side dish or in a simple way."
Press and bloggers present at the event live tweeted and uploaded photos to social media using the hashtag #usaricemexico, and the "Rice Chef of the Year" contest will be featured on local television.
"The purpose of the 'Rice Chef of the Year' competition is to increase the consumption of rice in Mexico, and boost its use in the food-service industry," said Gaby Carbajal, director of promotions for USA Rice in Mexico. "Every year the chefs surprise us with their creativity, and, above all, with their expertise in using rice as a main ingredient. We have seen a ripple effect from the USA Rice contest as restaurant chefs have begun to experiment with rice, incorporating it in different ways in their restaurant menus."
