Cooking competition for women unfolds in Chongqing

A cooking competition for female chefs aged 35 or older in Chongqing kicked off in Mountain City Alley in the city's Yuzhong district on Friday afternoon.

"It is the first of its kind in the municipality," said Huang Heng, who is in charge of Mountain City Alley. Huang added that the event aims to collect local specialty snacks as well as provide entrepreneurial and job opportunities.

Eleven female chefs were invited to take part in the competition, with several food bloggers, food review social media channels and food lovers serving as the judges.

Wen Jing, a contestant who brought two traditional snacks to the competition — peanut dried bean curd and spiced smoked fish — said the latter dish was won third prize later in the day.

The top five winners earned priority qualification to settle their businesses in a themed snack street in the alley.

Chongqing cuisine is a sub-branch of Sichuan cuisine, one of the eight major Chinese varieties. It is popular both at home and abroad with its unique flavor — such as spicy hot pot and a variety of snacks.