Hundreds turned out to taste the delicious tiopu kuru (breadfruit stew) hearty meals prepared with love by our very own home cooks in the Takurua – Taste of the Season Cook Off competition on Saturday at the Punanga Nui Market.

Seven home cooks competed in the Te Mato Manava Turoto/Cook Islands Tourism’s Tiopu Kuru event celebration of cuisine which highlighted local ingredients and their cultural significance.

Quiet and unassuming Takai Tua, from Mauke was stunned to win the grand first prize of $1000 for his humble tasty tiopu kuru.

Tua said he was quite overwhelmed to be a part of such a big event with hundreds of people and that he wasn’t used to speaking in front of such a huge audience.

He said his recipe is simple – the humble kuru, onions, a tin of wonderful palm corned beef, and freshly squeezed coconut cream.

He acknowledges Air Rarotonga and Cook Islands tourism, and the Mauke strong women who attended the event to support him.

Tourism chief executive officer Karla Eggelton said they wanted to showcase the humble kuru in their first ever Takurua series to show that soul food – “food for our soul is what is the heart of a family.”

Eggelton was proud of the efforts from the home cooks for the wonderful showcase of tiopu kuru from the humble homes of Cook Islands families. Tomorrow night, Tuesday February 25, the Takurua series will finish off with the Mystery Taste Tour evening from 5pm – 9.30pm, limited to 90 guests. There will be live entertainment, storytelling and a Takurua feast. Tickets are $90 per person, email takurua@cookislands.travel.