Online Space Cooking Challenge winners announced

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The National Space Science Agency (NSSA)’s latest creative educational outing dubbed Culinary Space Challenge was recently held to an excited pack of virtual audience and a distinguished panel of judges that were wowed by the feast.

Over 37 aspiring space chefs aged 7 to 12 sent in their entry, with the top 10 shortlisted participants advancing to the virtual judging by prominent Bahraini Chefs Mahmoud Janahi and Shaikha Hessa Humood Al Khalifa.

Shaikha Hessa is a connoisseur of all things delicious. She is a food blogger (Curiously Hungry) and founder of “At The Table,” a unique Bahrain-based supper club that brings together a community of like-minded people.

Mahmood Janahi is a self-taught chef who is recognised for his baking and cooking skills. He hosts several baking workshops and demos across Bahrain and the GCC. Each finalist’s demo video was shown followed by a 5-minute Q+A session with the judges. The recipes were evaluated based on the criteria of health & wellness, suitability for space and creativity.

The top prize went to Ali Abdulmutaleb Alsalam while Saleh Mohamed Alnoaimi and Asmeh Jassim Alzayani took home the second and third places, respectively. The Top 3 Winners will receive a plaque, an education STEM/Space toy, a certificate of participation and NSSA souvenirs.

Aligned with the NSSA’s mission to spark space curiosity, the competition aimed to promote awareness of the real-world relevance of space careers, demonstrate the role of food scientists in preparing a healthy diet for astronauts in space and encourage children to engage in space science in a fun and interactive ways. The next children’s challenge will be announced soon.

Stay in the loop of upcoming space-inspired competitions and special events by visiting NSSA.gov. bh or connecting via Instagram @nssa_bh or link with NSSA’s STEM partner, Clever Play Education & Training @clever.play