SAN FRANCISCO — The application deadline for the Soy and Tofu Dessert Competition is Saturday, April 27.
The competition is part of the annual Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival, which will be held Saturday, June 1, in San Francisco Japantown’s Peace Plaza. Presented by the Nichi Bei Foundation, the festival will feature vendors, entertainment and an educational forum.
The grand prize winner will receive $300 cash, a festival goody bag, a $20 gift card to Berkeley Bowl, a feature in The Nichi Bei Weekly and the Soy and Tofu Festival program, and the coveted title of “2013 Soy and Tofu Dessert Master.”
Second- and third-place finalists will also receive cash prizes ($200 and $100, respectively) and a festival goody bag, and all semi-finalists will receive a $20 gift card to Berkeley Bowl.
Both the festival and dessert competition will be covered by NBC Bay Area, KTSF, and a variety of pan-Asian media, making it excellent publicity for amateur and professional patisseries alike.
Semifinalists will be judged at an event on Saturday, May 11, at Berkeley Bowl West, and three finalists will be chosen at the festival.
At least one of the top three ingredients must be a soy product (i.e. tofu, soy milk, kinako). Soy products used in the recipes must be available at regular stores. All ingredients and cooking utensils must be supplied by competitors.
For competition rules and an application, visit http://soyandtofufest.org.
Last year’s finalists:
First place — Zunda Mochi Topped with Kinako by Kenji Shimodaira of San Francisco, a clinical research associate
Second place — Calmansi Macaroons by Deanna Gin of San Lorenzo, pastry chef at Artistic Bites
Third place — Maccha Tofuramisu by Justin Howard of San Francisco, sales associate at Moritaya
