The recipe narrative can earn you up to 10 points and is scored based on the quality of your answer. It gets at the “heart and soul” of your recipe, and is an opportunity to explain why it is meaningful to you, the community you serve, and/or your facility. The narrative might also describe your creative experience in putting flavors and textures together to create something delicious. The following questions can be used to guide your narrative but each question does not need to be addressed.

1. Why did you choose this dish?
2. What does it mean to you?
3. What does it mean to the community you serve?
4. Does the dish reflect your cultural history or the cultural history of your community?
5. Does the dish reflect the current growing season?
6. Does the dish celebrate what farmers in your region are growing?
7. How does it fit into the goals of your organization?
8. Are any ingredients locally sourced? Tell us about the farm or producer.
9. Does the dish contain sustainably produced ingredients? If so, what are these ingredients and how were they produced?
10. Why did you combine the ingredients in the way that you did?
11. What was your inspiration for the dish?
12. Does the entry utilize root-to-stem cooking or other culinary strategies to reduce food waste?

What makes a good narrative?

A good narrative tells a compelling story about your recipe. It gives the judges a sense of your creative process and what inspired you to create the dish. We love to see recipes that highlight the local community, that help eaters make a transition to new foods, and that utilize locally and sustainably produced ingredients.