UST and Hercor College are National Champions in the Ajinomoto® Umami Culinary Challenge year 6

 

 

 

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) won the Umami Bowl Award (for the 2^nd year) and the Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao Showdown for My Own Umami Creation during the recently concluded Ajinomoto® Umami Culinary Challenge (UCC) 2015. Sharing the spotlight with UST is Hercor College from Roxas City, who won the Best Filipino Umami Dish Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao Showdown. The event attracted thousands of HRM and Nutrition students in 54 schools from NCR, Ilocos, CALABARZON, Central Luzon and Bicol Regions and regional winners from Visayas and Mindanao.

On its 6^th year, UCC organizer, Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC), put together the best culinary teams from Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao in one (1) cooking arena to showcase their masterful culinary creations. UCC remains to be the biggest, intercollegiate, multi-category culinary competition that focuses on the delicious potential of umami, the 5th basic taste. Mr. Taro Fujie, APC President was present during the awarding ceremony. He happily remarked, “I thank all partner Chefs, Medical and Nutrition experts, who loyally support and give credibility to UCC and to all the students, who poured their hearts to deliver their best dishes. Ajinomoto will continually support Aspiring Filipino Chefs and promote cooking and serving delicious and healthy food.”

Apart from the Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao Cooking Showdown, UCC 2015 features three (3) competition categories: Best Filipino Umami Dish, My Own Umami Creation and My Eat Well, Live Well® Plate. The competing teams were judged based on intensity of their dish’s umami taste, culinary technique and creativity, dish preparation and plate presentation. One of the major criteria was Eat Well, Live Well.® Cooking, which referred to culinary nutrition or the integration of culinary skills and nutrition knowledge to create delicious and nourishing umami dish.

Winners received the following prizes: first place winners – gold medals and P10,000, second place winners – silver medals and P8,000 and third place winners – bronze medals P5,000. National Showdown winners received gold medals and P15,000. Major winners also included gifts from UCC 2015 sponsors: La Germania, Solane, Masflex and Fujidenzo.

Umami, the scientifically recognized and proven 5^th basic taste alongside sweet, sour, bitter, and salty, was first identified and isolated by Dr. Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo Imperial University in 1908.

Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) is an affiliate of Tokyo-based Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Established in 1958, APC lives by its promise to provide consumers products that will always give the delicious taste to healthy and nutritious meals as embodied in APC’s slogan Ajinomoto® “Eat Well, Live Well.®” APC’s complete line of quality food and seasoning products are produced by international affiliates and local toll manufacturers using Ajinomoto’s license, quality standards and technological expertise. APC’s products include AJINO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning, Ajinomoto® Brand Ginisa Flavor Seasoning Mix, Ajinomoto® Brand Chicken Powder, PORKSAVOR® All-in-One Seasoning Mix, CRISPY FRY® Breading Mix, CRISPY FRY® Seasoned Crumbs, TASTY BOY® All Purpose Breading Mix, AJI-SHIO® Seasoning Mix, Ajinomoto® Brand Sinigang and FRES-C® Concentrated Powdered Drink Mix

Ajinomoto® Umami Culinary Challenge 2015
Participating Schools

1	ACADEMY OF ASIA SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY AND ARTS	28	MALAYAN COLLEGE LAGUNA
2	ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MARITIME AND STUDIES	29	MANILA TYTANA COLLEGE
3	BENEDICTO COLLEGE	30	MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
4	BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY	31	MARIANO QUINTO ALLARILLA POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
5	CALAYAN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION	32	MARINERS' POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES FOUNDATION
6	CENTRAL LUZON OF COLLEGE AND TECHNOLOGY	33	METROPOLITAN MEDICAL CENTER-COLLEGE OF ARTS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
7	CENTRO ESCOLAR UNIVERSITY- MALOLOS	34	MIRIAM COLLEGE
8	COLEGIO DE SAN JUAN DE LETRAN- LAGUNA	35	OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOR COLLEGE (OLOPSC)
9	COLEGIO DE SAN LORENZO	36	PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MARIKINA
10	COLLEGE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION	37	PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY
11	DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY- DASMARIÑAS	38	PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
12	DE LOS SANTOS STI- COLLEGE	39	PERPETUAL HELP COLLEGE MANILA
13	DOMINICAN COLLEGE (SAN JUAN)	40	PHILIPPINE CULTURAL COLLEGE
14	DR. CARLOS S. LANTING	41	PHINMA ARAULLO UNIVERSITY
15	EMILIO AGUINALDO COLLEGE (MANILA)	42	POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES (SAN JUAN)
16	FACILITIES MANAGEMENT COLLEGE	43	ROGATIONIST COLLEGE
17	FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY	44	SAINT FRANCIS OF ASISSI COLLEGE
18	FIRST ASIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITIES (FAITH)	45	SAN PEDRO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
19	GREEN VALLEY COLLEGE FOUNDATION, INC.	46	SOUTHEAST ASIAN COLLEGE
20	HERCOR COLLEGE	47	ST. DOMINC COLLEGE OF ASIA
21	HOLY CROSS OF DAVAO COLLEGE	48	TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY
22	JOSE RIZAL UNIVERSITY	49	TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
23	LA CONSOLACION COLLEGES- TANAUAN	50	UNIVERSITY OF PERPETUAL HELP SYSTEM DALTA-MOLINO
24	LA CONSOLACION COLLEGES- NOVALICHES	51	UNIVERSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM (ANTIPOLO)
25	LAGUNA COLLEGE	52	UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
26	LYCEUM OF SUBIC BAY	53	UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST (MANILA)
27	LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY (CAVITE)	54	WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY PHILIPPINES