The curtain fell on the cooking contest held in Lukou town, Changsha county, Central China's Hunan province on Nov 19. Altogether 110 people from 24 towns of Changsha county, covering both professional chefs and amateurs, took part in the competition.

After a series of selection, 12 Changsha county specialties were selected, including Roasted Whole Lamb from Kaihui town and Braised Black Pork from Shuangjiang town. Meanwhile, the 12 cooks such as Li Youliang and Luo Peixian got 10,000 yuan ($1,634) prize for each.

The participants are from different lines of work, including overseas students, civil servants, driving coaches, as well as professional chefs.

Wang Moquan, a Chinese cooking master, and a national-level catering judge, was invited to the contest. He said that the activity is special, as both professional chefs and amateur cooks can participate in it.

Speaking of the standards of being a famous dish, Wang added that any special cuisines filled with Changsha county flavors will be likely to get the honor, "and it is also based on the concepts of eco-friendly, healthy, green, nutrient and clean," he said.

According to a principal of the national demonstration base of innovativeness for modern agriculture in the county, the 12 specialties will be matched with artistic introductions and cultural connotations, making them representatives of Changsha county cuisines. In addition, the cooking process and material selection of the specialties will be written down to make more people know about Changsha county.

The cooking contest went through three stages. The preliminary round was held in Kaihui town, Changsha county on Nov 14 to 15. The semi-final and final were on Nov 18 and 19 in Lukou town, Changsha county. The judge team is composed of three professional judges and 18 foodies.

The activity was planned and presented by Hunan Xingrui Hongda Culture Media.

Roasted Whole Lamb from Kaihui town