WASHINGTON — More than 20 embassies are expected to compete Thursday night in a culinary competition that will take its guests around the world.
Starting at 6 p.m., chefs representing those embassies will sharpen their knives and get cooking for the 2024 Events DC Embassy Chef Challenge at Union Station. Participating chefs have the chance to win a People's Choice Award, which is chosen by guests' votes, and a Judge's Choice Award, which is given out by a pre-selected panel of culinary experts.
Past winners include Barbados, Peru, China, and Morocco.
Tickets are sold out. However, anyone lucky enough to have already snagged a ticket will have the change to sample dishes from all around the world.
Officials with the event say the competition not only encourages culinary diplomacy, but also celebrates the arts of many cultures and highlights some of the world's amazing musicians, dancers and singers.
So, who do you think this year's winner will be?
What:
Who:
Participating countries:
- Barbados
- Bolivia
- China
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Hungary
- Guatemala
- Indonesia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Morocco
- Panama
- Peru
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Thailand
- The Gambia
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
Judges:
- Jarrett Melendez, Alex and GLAAD Award-winning writer for Bon Appétit, Saveur, Epicurious, and Food52, and author of "Chef's Kiss" and "My Pokémon Baking Book," as well as "The Comic Kitchen," an upcoming fully illustrated, comic-style cookbook
- Masako Morishita, Executive Chef at Perry's, Eater DC's 2023 Chef of the Year, and a 2024 James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic
- Andre Rush, Longtime White House Executive Chef, celebrity author, and military & mental health advocate
- Anna Spiegel, a D.C. native and reporter for Axios
- Daniel Thomas, Private Chef to multiple U.S. Presidents, members of Congress and world leaders, and author of "Recipes for a New You!"
Where:
Union Station
When:
Starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 7.
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