Here’s what the judges say:

Blooming in the Wild by Ambata Kazi

We asked for a short story, and we not only got a winner, but one that left us wanting to read more. Tahani is a little girl growing up in New Orleans but has never tasted gumbo, until she makes a visit to her grandmother’s, to stay the night, to sample her garden, to cook with her in her kitchen. Though they live just half an hour away, Tahani’s grandmother’s home is different to her own, in faith, in culture, and even in love. Ambata presents us with a Tahani who keeps her joys and expectations bottled, and her steps in check, and through her colourful and candid storytelling, brings out a Tahani who blooms in the wild. With settings plucked lovingly from memory and characters with depth and flavour, we are sure that this is simply a glimpse at a bigger story, one that we cannot wait to read.

Mantequilla by Angel Solorzano

Very confidently written with sounds, smells, sudden scenes and Spanish words blending as they would in a child’s bright mind, Angel’s character bursts onto the pages in the delight of ‘baking’ in the mud in their yard while her mother kneads dough in the kitchen. The snatches of childhood memories are vibrant and the emotions as indulgent as the title. Here’s a story where memories can grow sharp, slicing through a perfect morning like a knife through butter, and how sometimes kneading the wounds carefully back together again is the best way to move forward.

Mama’s Masoor Ki Daal by Narimaan Shafi

Part memoir, part homage and part recipe-poem, Narimaan’s short story is beautifully written and very evocative. Each ingredient for Mama’s daal has a character of its own – it is introduced by name, by personality, and how it likes to be treated. Each step of the recipe brought us deeper into the characters’ kitchen, until we were virtually leaning over the steaming pot, feeling the full magnificence of the cuisine rising up to warm our cheeks. Truly a treat for the senses, and a story that will help you build whole new relationships with your dishes, never ever seeing them the same way again.