Dubai challenge sets out to rethink familiar foods

Illustrative photograph: luqaimat, one of the foods named by the organisers. This is not a competition entry. Photo: Pshahma / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Original image, resized for display.

Can familiar foods keep their appeal with less salt, sugar or fat? A Dubai competition is putting that question to chefs, food creators and scientists, with karak, laban and luqaimat among the foods and drinks organisers want teams to explore.

The Taste of Tomorrow Challenge, a collaboration between Dubai Future Foundation and Kerry Group, has scheduled recipe development for November 9 to 19. A public final is planned for November 20 at Dubai Future Week. The dates describe the announced programme; no completed recipes or competition results have yet been established in the sources reviewed.

Chefs and scientists share the kitchen

According to Emirates News Agency WAM, each team combines a chef leading the recipe, a creator documenting its development and a Kerry scientist providing technical support. The teams have three briefs: Live Longer, Perform Better and Feel Better.

Those themes connect the competition to longevity, sport and wellbeing, but they are not evidence that the finished dishes will deliver medical or performance benefits. The announced aim is to improve nutritional profiles while preserving the flavours people enjoy.

Kerry says development will take place in its kitchens, supported by its scientists and tools for product ideas and recipe formulation. The challenge was announced alongside the opening of the company’s regional Innovation Centre at Expo City Dubai on November 4.

A public tasting comes next

At the final, teams are due to present their dishes and short films of their work to judges. Visitors and media will be invited to taste the food and vote for a favourite. Kerry says awards will recognise the three briefs, a crowd favourite and an overall winner.

The next useful test will be what the teams actually produce: the recipe changes, the nutritional comparisons and how the dishes taste.