The Central Regional Finals of the Cherish Food Chefs Competition (首惜廚師料理食譜組中區分區決賽), organized by the Ministry of Environment, concluded successfully on August 23, 2025, at Chun-I Senior High School in Miaoli County. Guided by the core concept of “Eat the Whole Ingredient, Treasure Every Bite (吃全食、吃格外),” Team Yunlin earned an Excellence Award in recognition of its outstanding culinary skills and compelling interpretation of food conservation principles, adding another notable achievement to the county’s environmental education efforts.
The regional finals brought together top teams that had advanced through preliminary competitions across central Taiwan. Contestants were required to prepare two original dishes incorporating food conservation concepts within a limited time. Team Yunlin demonstrated an exceptional commitment to whole-food utilization (全食物利用), creatively using every part of each ingredient to transform portions often regarded as kitchen waste into flavorful dishes worthy of the dining table.
One entry, Let’s Cherish - A Son’s Little Tantrums (來惜—兒子的胡鬧脾氣), was inspired by parents’ love for their children. Vegetable peels and stems were given new value by being transformed into hamburger patties appealing to young children, using creative cooking to gently ease every moment of childhood frustration. The second dish, Fifth Aunt’s Taste of Happiness (五姑姑的幸福滋味), combined homestyle pork belly with king oyster mushrooms. Through a simple yet heartfelt cooking approach, it presented the happiness found in everyday family meals, demonstrating the chef’s respect for ingredients and creativity. The dish fully reflected the competition’s emphasis on whole-food utilization, bringing the concept of food conservation into practice through cooking.
Team Yunlin’s success was no surprise, having already distinguished itself in the local preliminary competition. On July 19, 2025, the Environmental Protection Bureau, Yunlin County hosted the local preliminaries of the “Savor Every Bite (惜惜好食光)” Cherish Food Chef Competition (惜食料理食譜組), inviting cooking enthusiasts and food conservation advocates from across the community to participate. The top three teams were selected, with first-place winner, Jie-chun Zhang, advancing to represent Yunlin County at the central regional finals. Through creativity and outstanding culinary skills, the team delivered an impressive performance, honoring Yunlin County.
The Environmental Protection Bureau, Yunlin County noted that cooking is both a way of expressing emotion and a means of putting values into practice. Promoting the competition not only helps the public understand how food conservation can begin at the dining table, but also strengthens awareness of the connections between food and agricultural education, energy conservation, carbon reduction, and environmental sustainability. From ingredient selection and preparation to the presentation of each dish, the competition entries reflected respect for the land, natural resources, and culinary culture, demonstrating the county’s ongoing commitment to promoting food conservation education. Looking ahead, the Bureau will continue organizing community cooking classes, environmental kitchen programs, and food conservation workshops to integrate the concept of cherishing food into everyday life and foster sustainable eating habits and responsible resource use.
