Special flavours

The Taste of Ireland Green Box Competition will pit chefs head to head as they exhibit their culinary skills to develop diverse menus using Irish ingredients in new and innovative ways. This ultimate test of creativity will see entrants being supplied with a box of ingredients from beef and seafood to oils, honey and dairy products — plus herbs, spices and salts — with a list defining the quantity of each ingredient. The chefs will be strictly limited to the quantity of ingredients supplied to them and would have to spin off the most inventive four-course menu from them, using minimal additional ingredients of their own, in ten days. A panel of experts will shortlist 12 culinary teams to showcase their menus during a gala dinner at the Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel on May 24, where one team will be awarded an all-expense-paid trip to Ireland to meet the sponsoring producers of the ingredients.

Uwe Micheel, president of the Emirates Culinary Guild and director of Kitchens at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, said the event would "encourage our chefs to be creative with recipes that are unique. We are always on the lookout for new products in the market and are really looking forward to some great Irish products. The aim is not to recreate traditional Irish dishes but be really creative with the given products and use them in any cuisine."

The competition is an initiative of the Irish embassy and the Irish Business Network with the support of the Emirates Culinary Guild. "It is important that we promote the quality of our food products in the UAE, so the plan is to combine the best food with the best chefs," said Ciaran Madden, Irish ambassador to the UAE. The Irish Business Network's Taste of Ireland spokesperson, Michael Nugent, added: "Irish products available here need to stand out, and so we came up with this way to popularise the ingredients. We expect to see new ways in which the same ingredients can be used. A book of the best recipes from the competition will also be made available to the public."

The gala dinner will be attended by UAE and Irish dignitaries, food industry opinion leaders, sponsors and the general public. Tickets for the public are available for Dh500. Write to Aideen Hopkin at irishbusinessnetowrkdubai@gmail.com.