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And while cooking on the fiyaa haawth may be a dying practice - the flavour it produces cannot be duplicated. We found out what makes it special when we visited this weekend:

Jules Vasquez reporting
The grounds at the Willows Bank community center was the scene for the Fiyaah Haawht festival.

And while there were all kinds of attractions - The day was about the fiya haawt - that fire fed tradition and it's soot stained pots. The main event was the cook off between Double Head and Willow's bank - three teams of cooks - who had to make a Fiyaah Haawth Feast and bake a dessert - right on the open fire - fuelled by oak embers.

This Willow's bank team was making an okra rich cowfoot soup.

Jules Vasquez
"What is the secret to you soup that will make you win?"

Eleanor Sutherland, Willow's Bank
"I don't want to tell my secret right now - the secret is in the tasting."

And while no secrets were being shared, the preparing was happening right there in the open. And there's no secret about what makes the fiyaah haawt food tasty:

Rosine Myvett, Defending champ - Double Head
"Do you see this smoke coming from there - it gets in the pot to give it taste."

Marjorie Broadster, Defending champ - Double Head
"I think it's the ingredient that you out in - you have to put in the ingredient to make it get the taste."

Jules Vasquez
"What is it about fiyaah haawt cooking that makes it nicer?"

Eleanor Sutherland, Willow's Bank
"I think maybe the smoke because I don't know if it does any different on the stove than the fiyaah haawt. I guess it's the smoke because the smoke gives it a nice blend I think."

And indeed, while you may love the smoky flavour - keeping the fire going is another. The endlessly billowing smoke is another thing altogether and cooks often have this look on their faces from burning eyes:

Jules Vasquez
"For the cook, it's not always nice to deal with all that smoke."

Marjorie Broadster, Defending champ - Double Head
"You have to deal with the smoke yes but people love that fiyaah haawt dinner."

Eleanor Sutherland, Willow's Bank
"You have some people that have problem especially with the eyes and lungs because of cooking on the fiyaah haawt, so after a while you will find that people will leave the fiyaah haawt alone and go to the stove because it's much healthier for them because as for me I haven't done this in many moons!"

But she was back at it this year, going up against the defending champions and a team of newcomers - three teachers who weren't ashamed to say they weren't quite sure what they are doing

Tanya Joseph, Willow's Bank
"We are doing pig feet soup and white rice and trifle for desert."

Jules Vasquez
"How long have you been cooking on fiyaah haawt and are you well practice at it?"

Tanya Joseph, Willow's Bank
"I am not a cook, worse on fiyaah haawt neither of us. We are just in it for the sport."

Jules Vasquez
"You all are baking as well right?"

Tanya Joseph, Willow's Bank
"Yes we are baking a coconut trifle for desert."

Jules Vasquez
"And you have baked that on the fiyaah haawt?"

Tanya Joseph, Willow's Bank
"I have never baked anything on fiyaah haawt before in my life."

And in the end, those good spirits paid off, as their pig feet soup and trifle was the winning dish of the day.

That winning team of first timers got three hundred dollar for their Pig's Feet soup.