Mountain Mandarin Festival Recipe Contest

Taste the Tradition!

Recipe Contest Rules

Entry forms must be submitted below (or emailed) along with the recipe to recipe@mandarinfestival.com by Saturday Nov. 22, 2025, by 12 noon.
All dishes delivered to the Cooking Stage in the Garden Room @the Grounds from 11:30AM to 12:15pm, Sunday, 11/23/25.
Participants may submit one entry for each category. NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED – allow time for parking and walking to the stage.
 
Each dish must use canned, or fresh (preferred) Placer grown mandarin oranges or juice as a primary ingredient and be original. The judge’s definition of primary is final! (There are no facilities for cooling or heating of food. It must be prepared and ready to serve.)
 
Entries must serve 6 — sample size. All entries become the property of MMF. Entry forms must have the entire recipe (TYPED) attached for the dish entered. These become the property of the Mountain Mandarin Festival. Original recipes are required and may be published on the festival website or other Festival related publications. Any dishes, display items or other materials can be claimed immediately after the Award Presentation.

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JUDGING SCHEDULE & CRITERIA

Judging starts: Sunday, 11/23/25 at 12:30 pm. 
Location: Cooking State in the Garden Room @the Grounds
Awards: will be presented at 3:30 pm Sun. November 23, 2025.

Categories:

  • Mandarin Entrée
  • Mandarin Side Dish
  • Mandarin Salad
  • Mandarin Dessert
  • Mandarin Adult Beverages

Entries will be judged on:

  • Overall presentation (10 points)
  • Creative use of Mandarins (20 points)
  • Flavor (20 points)

Grand Prize will be judged on:

  • Overall Presentation (40 points)
  • Use of Mandarins (40 points)
  • Taste (20 points)

Best of Show – 5 pc. Set of Stainless Steel cookware valued at $2200.00

Contest Prizes

Recipes shall be awarded first to third place.

  • First-place winners shall receive $100.00 in cash.
  • Second Place $75.
  • Third Place $30.
  • Grand Prize value over $2,200 (5pc Set of Stainless Steel Cookware)

Recipe must be typed!! No hand written recipes will be accepted.

Entries in each category receiving the highest overall points will be awarded First Place. Grand Prize will be re-Judged from the winners in each category. Top Score will win.