HIH & Partners launched a bespoke campaign centered around Wellness & Ancestral Superfoods with a series of flagship events across 2026. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about the national cooking competition by Luminus & HIH that will be launched on Sustainable Gastronomy Day 18 June, 2026.
The Department of Hospitality & Tourism at Luminus University Technical College (LTUC) and Hospitality in Health (HIH), proudly announce a nationwide cooking competition for professional chefs and culinary students across Jordan, centered around Health Cuisine, Ancestral Superfoods, and Sustainable Gastronomy. By championing these focus areas, LTUC and HIH aim to stimulate participants to push boundaries, elevate creativity, celebrate Jordan’s rich culinary heritage, and embrace forward‑thinking approaches to gastronomy that promote wellness and sustainability.
The key elements of the competition are outlined below, while the full details — including registration forms, recipe templates, plating standards, and eligibility criteria — will be published on 18 June 2026 to mark Sustainable Gastronomy Day.
Key points for Participants
The Jury
to be announced soon
Category A: Health Cuisine
Jury Member 1
Jury Member 2
Jury Member 3
Jury Member 4
Category B: Sustainable Gastronomy
Jury Member 1
Jury Member 2
Jury Member 3
Jury Member 4
Partners
Interested to co-sponsor or contribute to our events in Jordan ? Let’s connect 0798164303
Culinary Inspiration for Participants
A message from 3-Michelin-starred Chef Joan Roca
In 2021, HIH & Partners proudly hosted the prestigious Olive Oil Cooking Competition in Jordan, bringing together elite five-star chefs as part of the seven-week campaign “In Celebration of Olive Oil.” During the award ceremony on World Olive Tree Day, Four Seasons Hotel Amman was crowned as the winner, and W Hotel Amman earned the runner-up position. To elevate the campaign, three-Michelin-starred Chef Joan Roca—ranked No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2013 and 2015—shared an inspiring message with chefs and emerging culinary talents in Jordan. His words emphasized the vital role of local products and farmers in shaping the future of gastronomy, underscoring the deep connection between culinary arts, sustainability, and community.
Ancestral Superfoods & Wellness
With wellness now a core business strategy, how do chefs weave wellbeing into modern menus? How can hotels & restaurants across Asia design Food & Beverage experiences that elevate guest wellbeing with dishes that support heart, brain, and blood health, the microbiome, and immunity, that are also ethically sourced, planet-friendly, and traceable – at scale? Asia Sustainable Travel magazine (AST) invited Food Writer and former Hotelier Nicolas Dingemans to explore this question in a guest article.
He approached it through the lens of Health Cuisine, rediscovering healthy food cultures across six Asian countries, and highlighting seven sustainable Ancestral Superfoods: Kombu in Japan, Bamboo shoots in China, Holy Basil in Thailand, Ulam Raja and Heirloom Beets in Malaysia, Amaranth leaves in India, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Jordan. The article closes with insights from five leading wellness and culinary experts, spanning perspectives from Amman to Singapore. Read the full article here.
4 Core Values of Sustainable Gastronomy by HIH
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Health Cuisine
Health Cuisine
Ingredients and dishes addressing: immune system, gut and heart health, essential amino and fatty acids, allergens, lowering vitamin deficiencies, macro minerals, trace minerals, natural detox. Holistic approaches: Ayurveda, Macrobiotics, Mediterranean food traditions, Traditional Arabic Islamic Medicine (TAIM), Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Environmental Stewardship
Environmental Stewardship
Farmers, fishermen, growers, and shepherds who focus on biodiversity, seasonality, soil health, animal welfare, sustainable fisheries & aquaculture, sustainable agriculture, organic farming, biodynamic farming, permaculture, nature-inclusive farming, GMO-free, antibiotics-free.
Responsible Innovation
Responsible Innovation
Blue economy, circularity, no-waste, traceability, protein transition, food integrity, food tech, future food, urban farming, desert farming, regeneration, water efficiency, renewable energy, and elimination of plastic, microplastics, phthalates, bisphenols, PFAS/forever chemicals.
Socioeconomic Impact
Socioeconomic Impact
Food security, food sovereignty, indigenous food cultures, heritage preservation, rural development, agricultural inclusion, community, gender equality, generational succession, lowering import dependency, short value chains, fair food, Slow Food alignment, SDGs.
Youth Leading by Example
Creating Camel Cuisine | 2025
Three consecutive Mondays in November and December 2025 were dedicated to organizing Ships of the Desert Part II. The theme was “Heritage, Culinary innovation, Education, and Revitalization.” The end result was Camel Cuisine by Luminus.
On two Monday mornings, culinary students from Luminus Technical University College (LTUC) visited a camel farm in Amman with Camelera to connect with the source of their ingredients. On the third Monday, the students prepared a unique lunch menu featuring dishes made with camel milk, cheese, and meat. The event began with a reception at the School of Hospitality and Tourism at LTUC, where guests were welcomed with a camel milk drink, and a selection of four canapés. The four course menu (illustrated below) was served at Le Bistro, LTUC’s student-training restaurant. A true farm-to-fork story of Camel Cuisine in Jordan.
The primary goal is to improve the livelihoods of Bedouin communities by creating demand for local, healthy camel products in Jordan’s hospitality market while raising awareness of Jordan’s rich nomadic heritage. Our approach? Start with youth. Educating and engaging our future General Managers, Executive Chefs, Food and Beverage Directors, and Procurement Managers is essential for driving sustainable transformation.
Modernizing an ancient superfood | 2025
To celebrate the opening of the 10th Khubeizeh Festival in the Jordan Valley, a special farm visit titled Green Valentine was held on February 14, 2025. This visit brought together students, chefs, agricultural experts, and members of the press to highlight the culinary rediscovery of Khubeizeh – also known as Common Mallow, or Malva Neglecta. Regarded as both food and medicine by various ancient cultures, Khubeizeh is a nutrient-rich leafy green packed with vitamins, trace minerals, and protein. The festival inspired students of the School of Hospitality & Tourism at Luminus Technical University College (LTUC) to transform this ancient superfood into a modern menu by creating seven international dishes featuring Kubeizeh.
By visiting local farms and festivals, educators encourage students to go “Back to the Roots” and (re)discover Jordan’s rich biodiversity. LTUC showed an excellent example of environmental stewardship and socioeconomic impact, while applying principles of health cuisine and responsible innovation.
Sustainable Gastronomy Day
We asked four Jordanian chefs to craft four dishes telling the story of our four core values for sustainable gastronomy: Health Cuisine, Environmental Stewardship, Responsible Innovation, and Socio-Economic Impact. The culinary collaboration on 18 June 2023, answered to the United Nations’ approach to cuisine who describes Sustainable Gastronomy as: Cuisine that takes into account where the ingredients are from, how the food is grown, how it gets to our markets and eventually to our plates. All key ingredients on the menu were 100% local and 100% seasonal, sourced from eleven different Jordanian suppliers.
On 21 December 2016, the UN General Assembly adopted its resolution A/RES/71/246 and designated 18 June as an international observance for Sustainable Gastronomy Day. The decision acknowledges gastronomy as a cultural expression related to the natural and cultural diversity of the world. Celebrating seasonal ingredients and producers, preserving wildlife, as well as our culinary traditions is today more relevant than ever. Watch the video and read more here.
Save the Dates!
A snapshot of 2026 events by HIH & Partners. Click here for details.
Global Wellness Day
Celebrate Global Wellness Day with complimentary activities: Yoga at sunset with Deena Jarrar, an Olive Oil tasting masterclass with Amelia Bilbeisi, and a round table talk in nature about Roots with Nicolas Dingemans.
Sustainable Gastronomy Day
Al Fresco dinner pop-up with four chefs, four courses, celebrating the four core values of sustainable gastronomy in the heart of Weibdeh.
Cooking Competition
A unique cooking competition for professional chefs and culinary students centered around Health Cuisine, Ancestral Superfoods, and Sustainable Gastronomy.
Wellness & Ancestral Superfoods Conference
A full-day conference featuring a Wellness Forum with international and local speakers, a Boutique Expo, and a Michelin-starred Health Cuisine dinner with five leading chefs.