Contest is a Zuppa way to showcase local larder and put your personality into the pot
Soup is popular throughout the year The Great Perthshire Soup Competition gets under way this week.
Known as ‘Zuppa’ and organised by Perth-based Giraffe Trading – which is responsible for the successful Great Perthshire Picnic – the contest encourages the area’s finest foodies to come up with the recipe for the best winter warmer.
With autumn in full swing, many turn to a bowl of hearty, homemade soup to warm the cockles as the nights become increasingly cold and dark.
Be it a traditional Scotch Broth, a fixall chicken soup or a more exotic dish – such as a spicy Vietnamese Pho – many have a go-to soup comfort blanket they turn to in the winter months.
The beauty of soup is that it allows for aspects of everyone’s personality to be added to the pot, as well as providing a chance to show off cooking skills and utilise favourite ingredients
Not only is Perthshire blessed with beautiful scenery and lovely people, but the Big County also boasts a fantastic larder on its doorstep that can be harvested and/or used to create a memorable family meal.
From beef to beer, game to berries and vegetables to whisky, there is a wealth of tastiness on the doorstep.
Last year, ‘Zuppa’ received a fantastic response with the eventual winner being Charmaine Assenti, who wowed the crowds with her ‘Iasg brot’ – which is Gaelic for fish soup.
Charmaine said of her recipe: “Perth is
Charmaine Assenti
well-known for its salmon-filled waters and people come from far and wide to taste and fish for salmon, so I thought that it should feature in a local soup. “I added potatoes from the area which many people have memories of picking as a child. “Rapeseed oil was also something that I wanted to include because it’s produced and grown locally. “Everyone knows Cullen Skink and this tasty soup recipe is my Perthshire version; hearty and nutritious with super easy to source ingredients, everyone can make this and enjoy.” Eight soups will b e t a k e n through to a final which will take place on November 19 on St John Street in Perth as part of the city’s Winter Festival activities. The public will be given tasters and asked to vote for their favourite soup. The winner will receive a £250 Perth Gift Card. Terms and conditions can be found at www.perthshirezuppa.co.uk