Benghazi – The third day of the “MENA Food Expo” in Benghazi featured the international cooking competition, with teams from Libya and Sudan taking part. The event is designed to highlight participants’ culinary skills and encourage the exchange of expertise in cooking and kitchen management.
Awad Mohammed, executive director of the International Union of Arab Chefs and general coordinator of the expo’s third season, said the union is an academic and educational organization committed to helping chefs reach a professional level and acquire new career skills. He noted that the competition also focuses on food safety and promoting healthy dietary habits, with chefs playing a key role in spreading these messages to the community. According to Mohammed, a chef’s responsibilities go beyond cooking and include kitchen management and organizational skills.
He added that the contest offers an opportunity for participants to develop administrative abilities by learning kitchen management practices and exchanging experience with contestants from different countries. The event also helps improve team working skills and adherence to professional standards in preparing and presenting dishes.
Chef Mahmoud Al-Najjar said Wednesday’s competition involved the Libyan and Sudanese teams, each presenting a main course, dessert, and appetizer as part of the preliminary rounds for the championship title. He explained that competitors aim to showcase their skills and their ability to organize preparation and presentation stages.
Al-Najjar added that the final stage will feature teams from Libya, Sudan, Egypt, and Morocco. Each team will strive to present their best, highlight their national culinary identity, and introduce their dishes and experiences to the judges and the public.
The judging panel includes chefs Awad Mohammed, Mohasen, and Mustafa Al-Alam. Al-Najjar said the judges evaluate entries based on several criteria, including presentation, food quality, cleanliness of the work area, personal hygiene, and adherence to preparation and serving standards.
The competition is part of the MENA Food Expo, which attracts specialists in food, cooking, and related industries. The event creates an environment for competition and knowledge exchange, allowing participants to learn about new cooking and kitchen management methods.
These contests support the participation of chefs and professionals in industry events, giving them the chance to demonstrate their abilities in a setting that combines competition, learning, and networking. The event also allows participants to discover new approaches to dish preparation and presentation according to international competition standards. Organizers emphasize the importance of developing local talent in the culinary sector and connecting academic training with hands-on practice. This helps raise performance levels, improves the skills of those working in kitchens and specialized institutions, and promotes the exchange of experiences and enhanced cooperation among participants from Libya and other Arab countries.