According to one of the organizers, Amanbol Babakulov, the jury aimed for objectivity in distributing prizes; however, the quality of the presented samples of sümölök left much to be desired. He noted: “This was the first large-scale cooking of sümölök in the Chuy region, and unfortunately, there were very few authentic versions of the dish. Many participants added raisins, sugar, and other ingredients, including jam. Therefore, we decided to revise the prize amounts and slightly reduce them for the top places in order to recognize a greater number of participants in the 1st and 2nd place categories.”
The results of the festival are as follows:
- Grand Prix – 20,000 soms, Chuy Boarding School.
- Encouragement payments: each participant received 8,000 soms, and those who presented versions closest to the original of sümölök were awarded additional prizes.
Elinura Kuluyeva, one of the organizers, emphasized the importance of adhering to the traditional technology recognized at the international level. “When sümölök was included in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage, we meant a recipe without additives. It consists only of flour, oil, salt, and sprouted wheat (ugut). The uniqueness of sümölök lies in the fact that from simple ingredients, a product as sweet as chocolate is obtained. Unfortunately, many participants, following internet recommendations about ‘seven ingredients,’ added unnecessary components, which does not meet the standards,” she noted.
The organizers pointed out that the model to follow at the festival was the sümölök prepared by a group of medical workers from the Chuy region, which fully complied with traditional recipes. This dish was not sold but was given to the festival guests completely free of charge.
In addition to the culinary competition, the festival featured 11 cauldrons, as well as contests for the best kitchen decoration in a yurt, competitions in the butchering of a sheep's head (koydun bashyn bölüü), an exhibition of folk crafts, and sporting events.
This festival is carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, with the aim of turning sümölök into a national brand of Kyrgyzstan and preserving traditions.
