The Zest Quest Asia Summer Challenge will, like the regular competition, geared towards raising the profile and knowledge of Asian cuisine among student chefs in Britain, and is open to individuals working on their own, with or without the help of a tutor.
Open to UK-based full-time students aged 16-21, those wishing to take part are encouraged to post a photo of themselves with the Asian-inspired dish they created on Facebook or Instagram, along with the name of their college or university; a description of the recipe; a brief history of why they chose the dish; and any pitfalls they experienced along the way.
Entrants should then tag @ZestQuestAsia and use the hashtag #ZestQuestAsiaSummerChallenge when posting their dishes and explanation on social media.
The winners will be picked by a panel that includes Cyrus and Pervin, as well as chef Murray Chapman, who founded hospitality-focused, non-profit initiative Passion to Inspire.
First prize will be a meal for up-to four people, prepared by Cyrus.
"The Zest Quest Asia Summer Challenge is an invitation to students to devote a bit of their time, curiosity and imagination to come up with an interesting and delicious Asian dish," says Cyrus.
"The Coronavirus may have shaken our world, but what hasn’t altered is our resilient and creative spirit.
"Many of us chefs and those who love cooking have used our time during lockdown to rediscover the joys of cooking at home.
"I hope as many as students as possible will see this as an ideal period to learn and create new recipes and dishes inspired by the tastes and flavours of Asia."
The competition is now open, and entries close on 30 July 2020.
