What is the ruling on a "best dish" competition in which mothers prepare dishes, teachers taste and evaluate them, and then in-kind prizes are distributed to the best three dishes?

Competitions in which prizes are paid from the participants' own money are not permissible, because they fall under prohibited gambling ( Maysir). However, if the prize comes from an external source (such as a teacher, a Qur'an memorization society, or a donor), then there is no objection to it. The competition aims to encourage feeding people and increase harmony among students, provided that one is careful not to corrupt the intention and turn it into boasting and showing off. This is because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, "forbade eating the food of two competitors," and this was disliked due to the presence of hypocrisy (riya'), boasting, and unlawfully consuming wealth.