Celebrating food, culture and connection at Lemon Tree Trust’s 2025 Cooking Competitions

This year’s cooking competitions once again brought together hundreds of participants from nine refugee and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The events continue to grow in reach and reputation, celebrating food, culture and community, while showing how gardening and cooking can help people rebuild their lives.

Around 350 participants took part, with 30 entrants in the savoury category and 20 in the sweet category at each location. Participants demonstrated skill and creativity, using home-grown and community-grown ingredients to make a diverse range of dishes that reflected their cultures and personal stories.

Competition highlights

Competitors ranged in age from 12 years up. Among the many impressive entries were dishes from two of the youngest participants: a 12-year-old boy at the Kabartu 1 and 2 camps celebration, who won for his Iraqi Quzi, earning high praise from the judges, and a 12-year-old girl from Domiz 1 camp, who prepared Cherry Kebab.

Iraqi Quzi is one of Iraq’s national dishes of slow-cooked lamb and rice, enriched with roasted nuts, raisins and aromatic spices. While the Cherry Kebab, made with minced lamb simmered in a tangy cherry sauce, is a distinctive dish from Aleppo, Syria. The girl’s dish was beautifully presented and very close to taking a winning score.

Each camp awarded three prizes, with cash awards for first, second and third place, and all winners received signed certificates. Every participant also took home a practical household appliance such as a winter heater, food blender or iron. Appreciation gifts were presented to members of the judging committees, while camp managers received indoor plants and flowers as a token of appreciation for their ongoing support.

At the Gawilan camp celebration, the event included a special dance performance by children from the local childcare centre, who wanted to express their thanks for the organisation’s continued support. Their performance brought smiles to everyone present and small gifts were given to the children in recognition of their effort and enthusiasm.

Aveen, Operations Manager and Domiz 1 resident, shared: “Each year, we see how much enthusiasm there is for our cooking competitions. They bring people together, helping them share traditions, learn from each other and take pride in their skills. What I love most is that through the competitions, and the gardening and cooking activities that support them, we show people happiness and connection, and offer a space for some of the love and attention that we have gradually lost in our daily lives. Year on year, I see how our efforts reach more people who admire what we do and the expertise we share.”

Gardening and cooking are at the heart of what makes these competitions so powerful. Our community gardens in Domiz 1 and Gawilan camps provide fresh produce that participants use in their dishes, creating a practical link between growing and cooking. For many residents, gardening and cooking are more than daily tasks; they are therapeutic activities that support both physical and mental wellbeing. They help people rebuild confidence, restore a sense of normalcy, and reconnect with culture and heritage. In camps where people have faced great loss, these simple, hands-on activities foster a powerful sense of belonging and hope.

Interest in the competitions continues to rise. In Domiz 2 camp, more than 150 people registered as reserves, keen to participate next year, a reflection of the sense of belonging and optimism these events foster.

Thanks to our partners and team

We extend our thanks to Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) and Welat TV for their ongoing support in coordinating venues, judging and media coverage.

Our gratitude also goes to our dedicated gardening teams and camp coordinators, whose commitment ensures these events run smoothly across all participating camps.

Continuing to grow connection through cooking and gardening

As we look to 2026, we plan to continue expanding the competitions and deepening their connection with our gardening programmes, and you can help sustain and grow this work.

Your donation will support our community gardens and future annual garden and cooking competitions, helping people come together, share skills and grow fresh food that nourishes both body and spirit.

Donate now to support the 2026 competitions and community gardening projects.