The Kikkoman Student Innovation Challenge 2024

Seven talented students fired up their creativity for the chance to win a culinary apprenticeship in Japan.

These days, chefs are finding more creative ways than ever to use traditionally brewed Kikkoman® Soy Sauce in globally inspired dishes. We wanted to see where the next generation of chefs would take that creativity. So, we sponsored a competition in collaboration with the nation’s leading training ground for chefs, the Culinary Institute of America. If the Kikkoman Student Innovation Challenge showed us one thing, it’s that the future of culinary inspiration is in very good hands.

A chef in a white uniform and hat carefully plates pasta dishes in a commercial kitchen, with three other chefs working in the background.

Seven Student Chefs, Endless Inspiration

Kikkoman’s Student Innovation Challenge held on The Culinary Institute of America’s New York campus, located in Hyde Park.
The challenge was simple, but far from easy: show us your innovation, knowledge and creativity using Kikkoman® Soy Sauce (Original, Less-Sodium, or Tamari) as the central seasoning in a globally inspired entrée.

And the stakes were high. One grand-prize winner would be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime culinary adventure: a trip to Japan for a seven-day apprenticeship at the three-Michelin-starred Kikunoi Restaurant in Tokyo, as well culinary and cultural immersion tours of markets, historic sites and more.

With a prize like that, we knew we’d get lots of participants. To identify our finalists, we asked each applicant to submit a 60-second video describing their creation. From those entries, seven outstanding finalists were chosen to bring their dishes to life at a cookoff at the CIA’s Hyde Park, New York campus.

A Feast of Creativity

On March 23, 2024, after a month of perfecting their recipes and techniques with guidance and mentoring from CIA chef-instructors, the finalists gathered in the kitchen for the big event. They would have two hours to prepare every element of their dish, plus 15 minutes for plating and service.

Each student was invited to present their finished dish and the inspiration behind it to a panel of judges that included President and CEO of Kikkoman Sales USA, Inc. (KSU), Mr. Masanao Shimada; KSU Vice President of Marketing Mr. Takashi Hirota; KSU Corporate Chef and CIA graduate Andrew Hunter; and CIA Chef George Shannon.

“We were amazed by the creativity of our student finalists,” said Hirota. “The unexpected ways they incorporated our soy sauce into their dishes was truly inspiring.” Chef Hunter agreed. “These dishes weren’t just delicious,” he said, “they also showed a level of inventiveness and conceptual thinking that blew the judges away. It was a tough call to pick only one winner among so many talented candidates.”

Two chefs in a commercial kitchen; one uses a blowtorch on food in a pan while the other works at a stove in the background.

Third Place Winner

A close-up of a plated beef tartare topped with green garnish and breadcrumbs, served on a white creamy base in a shallow pool of brown sauce.

A person with long dark hair wearing a white chef's coat looks at the camera and smiles in a kitchen setting.

Alan Liang

“Soy Lake”

The Third Place cash prize of $500 was awarded to Alan Liang for his stunning “Soy Lake,” a cold dish featuring a tartare of beef tenderloin seasoned with Kikkoman® Less Sodium Soy Sauce, Kikkoman® Sriracha, and aromatics, presented on a disc of miso-marinated tofu floating on a soy gelée “lake.”

“I know Japan is a very ingredient-forward cuisine. For my dish, I really tried to express each individual ingredient and its flavors,” said Alan.

Second Place Winner

A slice of rack of lamb served medium rare with brown sauce, sautéed vegetables, and a smear of orange puree on a white plate.

A chef wearing a white uniform and hat smiles at the camera in a kitchen setting.

Devin Lane

“Pomegranate and Soy Lamb Chops with Five-Spice Sweet Potatoes”

Second Place, with a prize of $1,000 went to Devin Lane, whose Pomegranate and Soy Lamb Chops with Five-Spice Sweet Potatoes featured a roasted rack of lamb marinated with Kikkoman® Less Sodium Soy Sauce, Kikkoman® Rice Vinegar, and toasted spices, served with a creamy spiced sweet potato puree with crispy chickpeas and pickled radishes.

“I had never worked with lamb before practicing for this competition,” said Devin, “so I wanted to do something new and give myself a challenge.”

Grand Prize Winner

A star-shaped pastry topped with crema, pickled onions, seeds, and microgreens sits in a bowl of reddish broth with green oil droplets.

A woman wearing a white chef’s hat and uniform stands in a professional kitchen, looking at the camera and smiling slightly.

Cristal Torres

“Mayan Eclipse”

And the lucky student who will be heading to Japan? Meet Grand Prize Winner, Cristal Torres, whose Mayan Eclipse impressed the judges with its fusion of Latin and Asian ingredients. The centerpiece of her presentation is a blue corn masa tetela (a fried masa pocket) formed in the shape of a pyramid, prepared in the style of fagottini pasta with a filling of mozzarella cheese and grilled chicken marinated with Kikkoman® Soy Sauce, tamarind, ginger, garlic and other seasonings. The fried tetela is served in a pool of soy-tamarind consommé and garnished with lime crema, pickled onions and a soy-spiked salsa macha.

“I really like cultural fusions in dishes,” said Cristal, “so I thought about the Mayan pyramids, which have a lot of value and tradition in them, and I decided to make a little pyramid with soy sauce flavors inside.”

Learn more about Cristal’s immersive, ten-day culinary apprenticeship at the link below.

See Cristal in Action

We thank all of the students who entered this challenge for their time, dedication and creativity, and extend our deepest congratulations to our three winners!

Cristal will travel to Japan for her apprenticeship, which will include understanding the delicate balance of flavors that define classical Japanese cuisine; the nuances of building umami with ingredients like Kikkoman® Soy Sauce; an immersion in Japanese culinary culture and philosophy; mastering knife skills; preparing a seasonally inspired kaiseki banquet; and more.

Follow her journey on our LinkedIn page this summer!

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