By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

Knives are being sharpened and recipes tweaked as 12 Caribbean nations’ culinary teams prepare for a food (and beverage) fight in the 2016 installment of Taste of the Caribbean.

Scheduled for June 6 to 10 at Miami’s Hyatt Regency, the culinary and mixology competition draws chefs and bartenders from all over the Caribbean in a quest to win honors that include Caribbean Chef of the Year, Caribbean Pastry Chef of the Year, Caribbean Bartender of the Year and Caribbean Junior Chef of the Year. This year all eyes will be on the Bahamian contingent, who will be defending their wins in the chef, pastry chef, and bartender of the year categories, as well as their title of Caribbean Culinary Team of the Year in 2015.

During the competition, chefs and bartenders will also meet with peers from around the industry to discuss industry to discuss trends and attend a series of professional development sessions.

Taste of the Caribbean is staged by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.