Student finalist from 14 Medford School District elementary schools was tasked with cooking healthy Mexican Cuisine to qualify for the prestigious national competition.
“The purpose of this contest is to have a lot of fun—number one for kids, but it’s also to give them some skills and make healthy choices,” said Jeff Ashmun, general manager with Sodexo USA.
The student chefs, made up of 3rd to 5th graders, created their own recipes around the theme. Experienced food service workers assisted each student and their dishes were judged by culinary professionals on presentation and taste.
Emma Castaneda won the competition with her dish ‘Castaneda Mandarin Chicken Burrito.’
“I felt surprised and really amazed that I won,” Castaneda said. “I would like to do it again,” she added.
Her recipe will move forward to the regional competition and will be considered to compete at the national championships, which includes public voting and a special feature on the Future Chefs YouTube channel.
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