KATOA, Benton System - In a shocking twist that left traditional chefs scratching their heads, the inaugural Trans-Galactic Culinary Championship hosted on Katoa concluded with Frentic Industries claiming victory after serving geometrically-precise meat shapes paired with their signature “Smart Zinfandel” to a panel of scientific judges.

Judges debate of the prize-winning food, but not on how it tastes. Weird. ¹

The controversial decision came after a three-hour deliberation during which the judging panel, composed entirely of research scientists, spent more time discussing the theoretical implications of meat tessellation patterns than actually eating the food.

“The hexagonal arrangement of the protein matrices, when viewed through the lens of quantum gastronomy, clearly demonstrates a superior understanding of space-time flavor dynamics,” explained Dr. Helix Neutron, head judge and theoretical food physicist, while completely ignoring his now-cold plate of precisely-cubed MEA.

Traditional favorites from Promitor’s renowned culinary scene were passed over, including a dish from three-time Insitor Cooperative champion Chef Marina Umami, who presented a “mere” farm-to-table feast showcasing actual cooking techniques. “I don’t understand,” Umami said, staring at her unused spice rack. “They didn’t even heat the meat. They just cut it into platonic solids.”

Frentic Industries’ winning combination featured their Quality Meat Meal [MEA], precision-cut into various geometric shapes using AI-optimized algorithms, paired with their Smart Zinfandel [WIN]. The wine, advertised as “the thinking person’s drink,” reportedly helped convince judges of the meal’s brilliance through what some critics are calling “quantum entanglement of taste buds and cognitive enhancement.”

“The Smart Zinfandel’s AI-crafted bouquet clearly influences the meat’s fourth-dimensional flavor profile,” slurred one judge while attempting to solve complex equations on a wine-stained napkin. “Also, I’ve just proven that spaghetti can theoretically be straight if you observe it from the right quantum state.”

The decision has sparked debate across the galaxy, with culinary traditionalists crying foul. Notable absent competitor EatTacos88, reached via quantum comm-link at his self-imposed exile following the legendary Taco Tuesday Incident, simply responded: “At least when I slaughtered pioneers in front of my food truck, people could taste the difference.”

CIM officials defended hosting the competition on Katoa, despite the planet’s notorious reputation for being culinarily challenged. “We believe our complete lack of food culture made us the perfect neutral ground for such a prestigious event,” stated one CIM representative while eating a standard-issue nutrient cube.

Frentic Industries’ CEO, known simply as Frentic, accepted the award by presenting a detailed PowerPoint presentation on the hypercubic nature of their meat preparation process. The presentation was immediately peer-reviewed and accepted for publication in “Theoretical Taste: A Journal of Quantum Cuisine.”

When asked about plans for next year’s competition, organizers hinted at possible venue changes, with rumors suggesting The Insitor Cooperative’s Promitor might host—provided they can upgrade their restaurants to include quantum spectrometers and AI wine sommeliers.