The Championship is open to both professional and amateur cooks, coming from any country in the world, as long as they are of age. The maximum number of participants is 100: 50% from Genoa and Liguria, 25% from Italy and 25% from the rest of the World. They will be accepted in order of enrolment, with the exception of those who won preliminary contests.
THE BEHAVIOUR OF COMPETITORS
During the competition, competitors will have to wear the clothes given to them by the organization: an apron and a Championship hat. Competitors must only use the ingredients and equipment provided.
It is not allowed to use equipment different from a mortar made of marble and a wooden pestle.
It is not allowed to use ingredients different from those provided. Ingredients provided are: fresh PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) Genoese basil, Italian pine nuts, aged Parmesan cheese, Fiore Sardo cheese (Pecorino Sardo), garlic cloves from Vessalico (Imperia), salt, PDO extra-virgin olive oil from the “Ligurian Riviera”.
PROGRAMME
The Genoa Pesto World Championship is an event which has only one prize, to be awarded to the best Genoese Pesto prepared during the competition with mortar, and using the ingredients and the equipment provided by the organization.
Competitors have 40 minutes to prepare their pestos. They are organized in 10 groups of 10 participants, each group is selected by a commission of at least 3 judges. Among them, 10 finalists will be selected by the jury to compete for the final prize.
The 10 finalists in the afternoon prepare their pestos and are selected by the whole group of judges.
THE JURY
The jury is made up of the President of Palatifini Association and at least 30 tasters (restaurant owners, professional tasters, food and wine journalists and expert cooks). The prize will go to the “Pesto” considered to be the most balanced, as regards the original recipe.
The jury is made up of ten commissions of at least three tasters each. Each Commission will have to judge the “Pesto” prepared by a maximum of ten competitors.
The President of the jury has the power of decision in case of a controversy among the judges. The champion of the previous edition belongs to the team.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The best Pesto prepared with mortar during the competition is awarded, judged according to parameters calculated on the basis of an evaluation form, in the possession of each judge. The elements of evaluation are: manual skill, color, finesse, consistency and balance between the ingredients.
PRIZES AND AWARDS
The prize for the World Champion of Pesto is, besides the glory and the world fame, a real pestle made in olive-tree wood with the handle plated in gold, worth about 2,000 Euro.
Ogni singolo partecipante riceve un attestato di partecipazione.
Il premio del Primo Campione del Mondo di Pesto Genovese al Mortaio, oltre alla gloria e alla fama mondiale, è un pestello in legno di olivo con il manico rifasciato d’oro del valore di circa 2.000 euro.