Story by Tamuka Charakupa
MASHONALAND West Cookout Competition came alive at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) with the initiative being commended for promoting the country’s cultural heritage.
Around 50 contestants, including tertiary students, people with disabilities and male chefs from across Mashonaland West Province battled it out for top honours at the well-attended event this Wednesday.
Eight winners from the four categories set to represent the province at the national competitions to be held in Manicaland on May 25.
“I am so happy to win in the community category. The beauty of this programme is that it is inclusive. I am a widow but today I have won which means I have a chance to become a national champion at the national competitions in Mutare,” Community Category Winner, Mrs Nyarai Matsika said.
“I am a 24-year-old man who is passionate about cooking particularly traditional dishes. I am here participating in a competition which is ordinarily dominated by female cooks. The decision to participate here is to remind my fellow men that we can redefine gender roles and also contribute and showcase our skills while promoting our local traditional dishes,” participant, Tafara Tete said.
“I was raised by my grandparents and grew up eating traditional dishes. Today, I am operating my own kitchen where I am serving traditional dishes,” contestant, Francis Mujiche said.
Following the success of the initiative since its launch in 2019, the government intends to cascade the programme to the constituency level.
“We want to thank the Mother of the Nation Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa for introducing this noble initiative. It has opened doors to many who were feeling undermined/ underappreciated by their local dishes. Going forward we want to cascade this programme down to constituency level so that everyone is afforded an opportunity to participate,” the Director in the Office of the Minister of State for Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr Tirivangani Matare said.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Honourable Tongai Mnangagwa is upbeat in promoting the culinary industry feeds into the country’s domestic tourism agenda.
”Culinary experiences have become a driving force in travel decisions, as food enthusiasts seek authentic and immersive opportunities to taste the flavours of the world. As such, tourists are increasingly seeking for destinations that offer a culinary journey alongside traditional sightseeing.
“Many countries such as Spain, Italy, China and France rely on gastronomy as a major driver of their economies. Ultimately, that is where we aim, to put Zimbabwe on the global map and be the gastronomy powerhouse in Africa. According to UN Tourism (2023) statistics, Tourism revenue generated US$1.4 trillion globally whilst expenditure on Food related activities is estimated to account for 40 percent of the global tourism expenditure,” Honourable Mnangagwa said.
Meanwhile, the First Lady Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa is championing gastronomy tourism across the African continent with a view to unlocking forgotten traditional and cultural practices.
