Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation is ushering the New Year with a grand culinary competition that will showcase the creativeness, innovativeness, culinary skills and mastery of over 300 aspiring Filipino chefs.

The Ajinomoto 3rd Umami Culinary Challenge (3Rd UCC) : The Battle for the Umami Bowl will be held on January 20, 2012 at the SMX Convention Center. It is an interschool, multi-category culinary competition that focuses on Umami, the 5th Basic Taste. Participants from 29 universities and colleges that offer HRM courses and from 5 prestigious culinary schools will complete in this year’s exciting culinary and non-culinary categories.

An impressive line up of judges from various fields related to food will pick out the best of the best. These renowned culinary luminaries include: Sandy Daza (Inquirer columnist and TV show host), Chef Babes Austria (Executive Chef of Taal Vista Hotel and former Executive Chef of Malacañang Palace), Chef James Antolin (Vice President of Pastry Alliance of the Philippines), Chef Day Salonga and Chef Mon Acosta (Chef Consultants for opening new restaurants), Nina Daza-Puyat (Editor in Chief, Appetite Magazine), Chef Seiji Kamura (Executive Chef and owner of Mogu Japanese Restaurant), Vicky Alejandrino, (Head of Quality Assurance and Commissary for the Pancake House Group), Chef Colin McKay (Executive Chef and owner of Sala Restaurant Group) and Tetta Arroyo (Travel and Food Writer) among others.

Seminars on new trends and techniques will also be held for the benefit of those who are interested in developing their culinary skills.

The Ajinomoto 3^rd Umami Culinary Challenge is a collaboration of organizations which strongly support the development of the Philippine culinary scene, among them are Glutamate Association of the Philippines (GAP), Elba, Whirlpool/Fujidenzo, Masflex, PR Gaz, Meat and Livestock Australia, and Anvil Publishing and media partners GMA 7, Appetite Magazine, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inquirer Libre and PR Moms Network.