Food competition facts for kids
Food and drink competitions are events where different food and drink products are tested to see how good they taste and how high their quality is. The winners usually get an award or a medal. These competitions can focus on specific products, like only wines, beers, or cheeses. Some competitions look at products from a certain area, like a country or a region. Other big competitions test all kinds of foods and drinks that you can buy in stores. Wine is often tested the most, followed by beer and spirits.
Most of the time, judges taste the products without knowing what brand they are. This is called a "blind" tasting. Sometimes, products are also tested in a lab. The judges are usually experts like chefs or people who know a lot about drinks, called sommeliers. They focus on how the product smells, looks, feels in the mouth, and tastes, without being influenced by the packaging or brand name.
The idea of tasting competitions has been around for a long time. One of the oldest awards for drinks is the Brewing Industry International Awards, which started in 1888. For food, the oldest award is Monde Selection, which began in 1961. As more and more different foods and drinks became available, the number of these competitions grew too.
How Competitions Work
Many organizations that give out these awards ask companies to pay a fee to enter their products. For example, Monde Selection says its awards are like the stars given to hotels or restaurants by the Michelin Guide. However, there's a difference: Michelin chooses what to review and pays for it, but companies have to pay to enter their products into Monde Selection. Also, in the Olympics, only one gold, silver, and bronze medal are given for each event. But in these food and drink competitions, there can be many gold, silver, or bronze medals in each category. Other competitions often work in a similar way.
Even though companies pay to enter, the judging is usually done fairly. The judges taste the products "blind," meaning they don't know which brand they are trying. They only focus on how the product tastes, smells, looks, and feels. This helps make sure the awards are given based on quality. Of course, only companies that pay the entry fee can win and use the award on their packaging.
Popular Competitions
Here are some well-known food and drink competitions where companies pay to enter:
- International Wine Contest
- Monde Selection
- New York International Olive Oil Competition
- Superior Taste Award
- World Beer Cup
- A.A. Taste Award
See also
In Spanish: Competición de alimentos para niños
- Wine competition
- Wine tasting
- List of food and drink awards
