TEAM BARBADOS seems up to the task of wowing judges and foodies at the annual Taste of the Caribbean culinary event ongoing at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami.
With the guys partaking in their first team event today, it was a first of many for Barbados.
In the arena were all four first-timers to the competition: Damian Leach, Willis Griffith, Javon Cummins and Nicholas Ifill, under the watchful eyes of team manager Henderson Butcher.
This year the team went all out with some twists and turns on what they plated such as leek ash dusted smoked sweet potato croquette, christophene slaw wrapped in a cucumber strip and Bajan pepper sauce in a powder form that had tongues wagging from the heat and the unexpected tasty flavour.
Bartender Ryan Adamson showcased his versatility with a non- alcoholic drink called Sorrel Passion and a superb presentation in the rum category with Hail Mr Harding. The latter was accompanied by a history lesson on the importance of Mr Harding, rum and sugarcane to Barbados.
Barbados was also in the individual cheesecake category with chef Ron Maynard doing battle in a four-hour showdown.
Barbados is looking forward to the Taste of the Islands tomorrow Thursday which is an event where all 13 islands showcase their culture and creativity at their respective booths. Tickets are selling fast for this event. The final day is Friday with competitions to see who will walk away with the Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the year, Bartender of the Year and Junior Chef of the Year awards. These will be awarded along with Team of the Year at an awards dinner on Friday night.
The competing teams are Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St Lucia, St Maarten/St Martin, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos and USVI. (NS)
