A JAPANESE-inspired chicken and rice bowl costing just $2.27 a serve to make has become a sellout sensation at Camira State School.
Its winning combination of taste, nutrition and affordability has now earned recognition in Queensland’s Recipe of the Year competition.
The Karaage Chicken and Rice Bowl was introduced by the school’s tuckshop team this year as a Thursday special, replacing burgers with a healthier option that has quickly become one of the most popular meals among students and staff.
The dish’s success has now extended beyond the school gates, with the Camira creation recognised through the Recipe of the Year competition, which celebrates tuckshop meals that combine deliciousness and nutrition with the affordability and practicality needed in a busy school environment.
Behind the popular dish is tuckshop convenor Dana, who first became involved at Camira State School as a volunteer in 2023 when her child started Prep.
She became actively involved with the school P&C and fundraising before taking on the permanent tuckshop convenor role in 2024.
Her Karaage Chicken and Rice Bowl has since demonstrated exactly what the competition is designed to celebrate, a meal students genuinely want to eat that can also be produced affordably and efficiently.
Queensland Association of School Tuckshops executive officer Keryn O’Neill said successful tuckshop recipes had to meet challenges that went well beyond simply tasting good.
“A great tuckshop recipe needs to do more than taste good; it needs to be nutritious, affordable and practical for a busy school environment, and Dana’s Karaage Chicken bowl does exactly this,” Ms O’Neill said.
“Food is a powerful way to reflect the diversity of our school communities, and recipes like Dana’s show how different flavours can come together in really exciting ways.
“If we want children to make healthy choices, we need to give them healthy food that they actually want to choose.”
The competition attracted a record 44 Queensland schools this year, representing a solid 30 per cent increase on last year.
For Camira State School, however, perhaps the strongest endorsement comes each Thursday when its newest menu favourite sells out.
