A Crossville culinarian competing in a national competition that could lead to a television appearance and $25,000 in prize money.
Jason Bour said the competition serves as a fundraiser for the James Beard Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving food standards. Bour said the foundation specifically works to increase diversity by supporting women and minority members within the culinary field.
“You know, to be able to have an opportunity to share my experience with somebody like Chef Carla Hall on national TV, I just think it would be a feather in my cap,” Bour said.
Bour said he has been cooking since the age of 10 and began developing his own original recipes and flavor profiles about a decade ago. Bour said he has maintained a first-place standing in the current round by sharing photos of his dishes and engaging with the community to solicit daily votes.
“Experimenting with different herbs, spices, flavors, what pairs well with something else,” Bour said. “When you create something and you have people just watching them enjoy what you make is just an awesome feeling.”
Bour said he recently completed a specific challenge sponsored by King’s Hawaiian that required him to develop dishes using Pacific Rim ingredients. Bour said he ended up creating three different recipes for that portion of the contest.
“I’m very picky in my kitchen,” Bour said. “I work very hard on my recipes and to be able to get that recognition, for instance, would mean a lot to me.”
Bour said he is considering using the $25,000 prize to either invest in a professional food truck or purchase a large-scale 80-inch to 108-inch Lang Smoker. Bour said his current 48-inch smoker is not large enough to accommodate the volume of meat required for sanctioned barbecue competitions. Bour said the prize money would fall short of the funds necessary to start his own food truck.
Bour said the competition includes “double vote days” where donations can rapidly shift the leaderboard rankings. Bour said if he advances to the quarterfinals, he will have the opportunity to submit a recipe to be judged for a chance to have his work featured at the James Beard Foundation gala in New York.
“I think that’d be cool to watch other, you know, high level chefs eating my food,” Bour said.
The current round of voting concludes this Thursday.
