At a press conference headed by the Director of Tourism Promotion of the Ministry of Tourism of the State of Querétaro (SECTUR), Rodrigo Ibarra Lozano, the fifth edition of the Querétaro Student Gastronomic Contest was presented, which will take place on Saturday, June 21 at the facilities of the Universidad del Valle de México, Querétaro Campus.

Rodrigo Ibarra, highlighted gastronomy as a pillar of tourist attraction in the entity, so it is of vital importance that the next tourism professionals find in the kitchen a lever to promote the culture, history and identity of Querétaro.

"The objective is clear: to promote and preserve the culture, history and traditions of Querétaro's gastronomy, demonstrating why Mexican cuisine was declared in 2010 as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO," he said.

This Student Gastronomic Contest of Querétaro has established itself as a national platform for emerging culinary talent. It is aimed at students from all over the country with the purpose of enhancing the gastronomic and cultural richness of Querétaro, using endemic ingredients and traditional techniques that highlight the culinary identity of the state.

In turn, the organizer of the event, Chef Aarón Chávez extended an open invitation to institutions, media and society in general to join and support this initiative that projects Querétaro as an active benchmark of national gastronomy and culture.

For this edition, he reported, there will be categories such as: the three-course menu (Appetizer: Convent Chile, Main Course Peasant Breast and Dessert: Xoconostle and amaranth), with wine or beer pairing; Chocolate, Mukimono art, and Mixology, among others.

During previous editions, schools from states such as Nayarit, Puebla, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, CDMX, Morelos and the State of Mexico have participated, as well as educational institutions from Querétaro such as Le Cordon Bleu, UVM, Carême Gastronomic Center, UNIQ, CONALEP, Cuauhtémoc University, UNITEC, IGES, Vizcaya University, among others, adding more than 100 competing students.

The event has the support of key institutions such as the Ministry of Tourism of the Municipality of Querétaro, CANIRAC Querétaro, Vatel Club Mexico, Saute Groupe, Conservatory of Gastronomic Culture Querétaro, Académie Culinaire de France, Disciples of Escoffier, as well as companies in the gastronomic sector such as Casa Martínez, Royal Prestige, Majiza, Tseen Gastronomía and Puratos.