On Saturday morning, June 17, judging took place for two Kalona Days baking contests: the pie baking contest, and new this year, the kids’ cookie baking contest.  Elis Vizcarrondo took third place for his Strawberry Mango Pie, and Elijah Vizcarrondo won first for his Honey Hunt Cookies.

You may have met the elder Vizcarrondo; he serves up Spanish-Caribbean street food, including empanadas, at the Kalona Farmers Market that locals rave about.  He says he encourages his children to join in when he makes food at his home kitchen, so that may be where the younger Vizcarrondo acquired some of his skill.

For his pie, Elis says, “I wanted to try something with mango because mango is something that is really big in my culture.  I looked it up and saw strawberry mango.  It was either that or peach mango, and I decided strawberry was the way to go.”

After receiving his award, he made a surprising admission: “I haven’t even tasted it, so I don’t even know what it tastes like.”

Now that he has won the coveted wooden spoon, he says he’ll make another pie so he can find out how the prize-winning pie tastes.

Media-shy Elijah found inspiration for his top-placing cookies in a Berenstain Bears book.  He practiced baking one batch before deciding to make them again for the contest.  

The Wellman-based Vizcarrondo family will certainly be one to watch at future baking contests.