Al Qasba to host 7th annual Al Qasba Food Festival

With a focus on 'Emirati Cuisine Creations', the 2013 edition of the highly popular Al Qasba Food Festival will be promoting Emirati culture and heritage and will see over 100,000 families from Sharjah and across the UAE join in the fun.

The line-up of the festival includes such culinary treats as celebrity cook-offs and family and corporate cooking competitions with very attractive prizes, live cooking shows by iconic Middle Eastern chefs, and cookery workshops on how to prepare authentic Emirati dishes.

There will also be a carving competition that will pit the region's best chefs against each other to create fantastical food carvings with themes ranging from 3D characters to world famous towers.

One of the highlights of this year's festival will undoubtedly be the family cooking competition, which will see family duos compete for crowning kitchen glory. The completion will take place in four rounds, starting with sixteen separate groups vying for a place in round two.

Each round will continue to put the contestants through their paces as they have to prepare a recipe provided by the judging panel. The first prize will be Dhs5,000 with the second prize consisting of a very well appointed kitchen equipment hamper. All aspiring and ambitious cooks are welcome and registration for the competition is open until the 21st of March.

Throughout the festival, visitors will also be able to delight their senses and take in spectacular food displays, daily musical shows and street art performances, and gourmet food exhibitions that will include displays by purveyors of international delicacies and local food talents as well as the Little Chef corner 'market', dedicated to giving young food fanatics a chance to strut their stuff.

Al Qasba prides itself on giving its visitors the opportunity to enjoy culture, entertainment and leisure attractions representing the very best from the Arab world and beyond, as well as being an outstanding family destination with a range of activities and events to keep children and adults occupied. It was recently ranked 8th amongst the top 10 most authentic Arab brands.

Spread over 10,000 hectares, Al Qasba boasts a range of state-of-the-art facilities and tourist attractions, including restaurants, cafes, the 300 seat Al Qasba Theatre, which hosts various Arabic and international films and plays; Multaqa Al Qasba, Al Qasba Business Centre, Kids Fun Zone, Musical Fountain, Etisalat Eye of the Emirates Ferris Wheel, Maraya Art Centre, and much more.