Corn Soup Cook-Off Held to Ring in 2019

By Mahlon Smoke

Akwesasne Business Center. A long-standing New Year's day tradition within Akwesasne is to help usher in a year of good health and prosperity, celebrating a new start by visiting relatives and to having a nice warm bowl of corn soup. The general theme is to share food with family and friends!

It's this tradition that the crew at Akwesasne TV honored this past week by hosting their First Annual Corn Soup Cook-off.

Seven contestants entered their best Corn Soup recipe for local judges and community members to taste, and to ultimately select their favorite as 'Best Corn Soup' in Akwesasne. The judges, a mix of business owners, chefs and food connoisseurs from within the community looked for taste, aroma, consistency, color, and texture.

Judges Val Gray, Louella "Guzzy" Lazore, and Alicia Cook brought their knowledge and expertise of Corn Soup to the table.

Before the event, Regan Jacobs, Executive Producer/Director at Akwesasne TV, says the cook-off was a great way to start the year while honoring Mohawk traditions. "Part of our station's mission is to share our language and culture and create programming that focuses on those elements. This is just our way of honoring those traditions while including the community in something fun".

Jacobs said the competition is just one of several cook-off events that ATV will hold in 2019 that will focus on traditional foods. Jacobs also mentioned that Akwesasne TV has partnered with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for International Year of Indigenous Languages in 2019. She says ATV will continue its mission in indigenous storytelling by aligning content and programs around the Mohawk language and culture. ATV also hopes to highlight what community organizations are doing in terms of language revitalization.

This year, UNESCO aims to raise awareness of the consequences of the endangerment of Indigenous languages across the world.

At 6:30 pm, once judges and 'taste testers' had the opportunity to cast their votes and eat, a winner was chosen!

Lyn Thomas was the winner of this year's cook-off capturing the title along with $175 dollars. "The competition was great", said Thomas after the competition, expressing her excitement about having the opportunity to share her soup and sample others as well.

Nancy Jean Jacobs took second and Wally Ransom grabbed third place.

With the success of this competition, everyone who attended is looking forward to what Akwesasne TV has in store next.