(Buffalo, NY) – Campus Dining and Shops (CDS) at the University at Buffalo (UB) is excited to announce that Chef Kaprishia Covington has been selected to compete in the NACUFS Culinary Challenge. Chef Covington will be competing in the Northeast Regional Competition taking place March 5, 2026 at Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts.

The Culinary Challenge recognizes the exceptional culinary expertise within collegiate dining. The Challenge is a live competition at the regional level, with regional winners advancing to the National Conference, where they will compete before a live audience. The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) recognizes the skills necessary for chefs to bring together within their creations – a combination of organization, talent, technique, taste, and style.

The individual competitors will face off against the clock to prepare their original recipe featuring the mandatory protein. For 2026, each competitor will be provided with two 3–5-pound skin-on gutted whole catfish and fresh okra to be used as the mandatory protein and ingredients. The protein must be prepared using two different cooking methods. They must use both to build a nutritionally balanced plate including starch, vegetables, and sauce that will impress even the most discerning judge.

Chef Covington will be preparing a dish called Southeast Coasts; catfish and okra stuffed napa cabbage with curry sauce, along with a seared five-spice catfish over a crispy rice cake, topped with a pickled salad and served with sautéed vegetables.

A graduate of Johnson and Wales University, Chef Covington’s dish was inspired by her Southern roots and an affinity for Asian cooking. She describes it as a “cosmic gumbo of Southeast and East Asian meets Southern U.S. flavors, ingredients, and cooking techniques.”

With over 20 years of cooking experience, this will be her first ever solo cooking competition. She has participated and won a silver medal at this past July’s American Culinary Federation (ACF) Collegiate Team Competition.

The winner from each of NACUFS’ six regions will compete at the NACUFS National Conference taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana from July 15-18, 2026.