A cooking contest will be held in Suzhou of Jiangsu province on April 22, 2014, to list the most representative dishes of Taihu Lake.

All the cooks in the contest are from restaurants in the Taihu Lake scenic area in Wuzhong district. The contest has two parts – using a recipe and free cooking.

The main ingredient in the recipe is carp, but cooks can choose the other ingredients in the dish, such as vegetables from Taihu Lake.

The judging panel is made up of food writers, gourmets, professional cooks and technical experts. They will judge the dishes on flavor, appearance, nutrition and innovation. Ten dishes will be on the list.

Wuzhong district has a long history in food culture. In recent years, water quality and environment at Taihu Lake have been greatly improved. Foods such as fish, shrimp, vegetables and fruit in the area are fresher than before, and the local cooking method is another highlight.

An insider from the industrial association of Taihu Lake said farm flavor dishes featuring fresh ingredients and simple recipes will be highlighted, so cooks don't need to use complicated recipes during the contest.