The first selection round of Tajikistan's Best School Cook 2026 national competition has officially concluded. This year, the competition attracted 82 applications representing the Bokhtar and Kulob areas, Sughd province, the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), and the Districts of Republican Subordination.
Among the participants are 71 women and 11 men, ranging in age from 26 to 65. For 28 contestants, this is not their first time taking part as they have already tested their skills in previous editions of the competition.
Following a thorough review of all applications, the expert panel selected 50 school cooks to advance to the second stage.
Province-level semifinals ahead
On July 16, the semifinalists will participate in an online training session designed to help them prepare for the practical stage of the competition. The province-level semifinals will then begin on July 22.
The semifinals will be held in school kitchens across each participating province as on-site assessment sessions. Contestants will work in their own familiar environments, demonstrating how they handle the tasks they face every day as school cooks.
Within three hours, each participant must prepare a complete school lunch consisting of a first course, a main course, a salad, a drink, and a baked product such as flatbread, bread, or a roll.
Both the semifinals and the final will assess far more than culinary skills. Contestants will also be evaluated on their ability to organize the entire food preparation process, from handling raw ingredients and preparing and cutting products to maintaining proper workflow separation and complying with food safety requirements.
The judging panel will pay close attention to the cleanliness and organization of each workplace, the condition of kitchen equipment and utensils, correct labelling practices, adherence to established procedures, and the presentation and serving of the finished dishes.
The first regional semifinal will be held in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast.
Celebrating professional excellence
Now in its fifth year, the Best School Cook competition has become an important part of Tajikistan's School Feeding Programme. It provides school cooks with an opportunity to strengthen their professional skills, exchange experience with colleagues, and learn modern approaches to preparing safe, nutritious, and high-quality meals for children.
The competition is organized with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and Russia’s Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute (SIFI).
We wish all participants advancing to the second stage confidence, inspiration, and every success. The next round is an opportunity to showcase their skills, learn from one another, and compete for the title of Tajikistan
