Kansas cook-off challenges participants to use wild ingredients

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Kansans far and wide are being invited to participate in an upcoming cook-off featuring their choice of ingredients sourced straight from the Sunflower State.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is getting ready to host another round of its new annual tradition later this fall: Wild Foods Cook-Off. The event allows Kansans to throw down with foods they gathered using locally sourced resources with winners getting recognition, and bragging rights, for their ingenuity.

Amy Bousman, KDWP engagement coordinator, is organizing this year’s competition. She said this will be the second year for the Wild Foods Cook-Off after it launched in 2024. The inaugural event received a lot of attention with more than 300 participants and many more guests.

“Well two years ago was the kickoff event, the first of its kind for the state,” Bousman said. “There were 300 people who showed up. We ran out of table space to put all the dishes on.”

Bousman said this year’s event is gathering steam as well with many people showing their interest in it through social media. She said it is great to see so such a high amount of attention being given to the event so far out from its November date.

“We’ve had a Facebook page up for just five days now,” Bousman said. “I wanted to start promoting now so we could start getting hunters and foragers to start preserving their food. There are already 184 people that have shown interest five days after it was posted.”

Participants in the cook-off are encouraged to create their own dish that primarily features ingredients that come from Kansas. This ranges from mushrooms, fish, deer, turkey, dandelions and even invasive species. People competing in the cook-off can submit dishes for the following categories:

• Wild game – deer, rabbit, squirrel, upland game birds, migratory birds, etc.
• Wild fish – walleye, bass, crappie, wipers, etc.
• Wild plants – purslane, chickweed, wild chives, nettles, etc.
• Wild mushrooms – morels, chicken of the woods, oysters, hen of the woods, etc.
• Wild sweets – fruits, berries, desserts, etc.
• Wild invasive/nuisance species – garlic mustard, Asian carp, autumn olive, white perch, etc.

Judges in the competition will consist of expert forages who will award prizes for the winners in each category along with one special “community favorite” prize. Participants must create dishes that are big enough for all the judges to taste-test them along with other community attendees.

Bousman said the dishes entered into the cook-off can come in any form the contestant chooses with those that show off the wild ingredient being given greater emphasis by the judges. She said that past standout dishes she enjoyed seeing included a venison pastrami, squirrel New Brunswick stew and recipes featuring indigenous milkweed recipes.

“So long as they really emphasize the main ingredient being that wild component,” Bousman said. “We do ask that contestants provide an ingredient list for those who have food limitations or allergies can enjoy it without risking a reaction.”

Bousman encourages everyone who wants to participate to sign up now and start thinking about what dishes they want to present ahead of time. People can use freezing, canning and dehydrating methods to preserve wild ingredients for use in the contest.

“Go with what you know,” Bousman said. “Use this as an opportunity to do a test kitchen run with an innovative new idea with a wild ingredient or go with what you know, go with what is proven. You can go with a fan favorite or try something brand new.”

Bousman said that those who want to observe and try some of the wild foods can swing by as well but should try to get in early if possible or else risk missing out on some unique dishes.

“I’m a sucker for anything that utilizes an invasive species and we do actually give extra points to those that use an invasive species,” Bousman said.

The KDWP will be accepting participants until Oct. 25, 2025 with the competition being held on Nov. 2, 2025 at the Baker University Wetlands Discovery Center at 1365 North 1250 Road in Lawrence. You can learn more about the event or sign up by using this link.

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