Cooking competition

Cooking competitions were events fueled by art, fashions, and commerce that were most common in big wealthy cities of Faerûn.

Description
Cooking competitions usually occurred during feasts or festivals that coincided with local market days. Winners could expect prizes in some cases. Such competitions were used to promote produce vendors that received orders for whatever ingredients were used. Savory pies and sausages were always the most popular items ordered in bulk by eateries, festhalls, nobles' estates, and fortresses.

Location
The competition winners were considered the most desirable hires and were often targets of bidding wars between nobility and wealthy merchants of Suzail, Waterdeep, Amn, and Sembia. More often than not, these heated biddings led to feuds between nobles.

Depending on local fashions, cooking competitions' popularity ebbed and flowed. Countries such as Cormyr preferred masterfully cooked dishes made out of fresh local ingredients rather than fanciful exotic foods imported from far away.

Activities
Historically, cooking competitions took place when a ruler, a wealthy noble, or a merchant of means sought to replace a cook or hire a new one. These competitions were timed, and the cooks had to prepare a number of dishes using key common ingredients and be judged, in part, by the attending public.

The first judging was performed by a wizard or another type of spellcaster or taster who ensured the dishes were not poisoned. Then, small bites were handed out to the competition's patron, guests, and other attendees.

Occasionally, nobles lent their cooks out to participate in such competitions, and when regents did so, all merchant and noble houses matched their participation in order to improve their social standing and show off.

History
In the late 14 century DR, the Ravens Bluff Town Fair Board member Mitt Lamber was planning annual town fairs and bazaars. The many events included competitions of cooking and baking.