Sarah-Anne Donnelly asked:


The Best of the Best



IKA 2008 will be the biggest assemblage of culinary professionals ever: 40 national teams, 90 Regional Teams, 11 military teams and 2000 chefs and confectioners will be competing for medals and the Olympic Champion Title at the Culinary Olympics 2008 in Erfurt, Germany from October 19 – 23, 2008. Competitors will be demonstrating their top culinary performance in twenty categories that encompass every area of haute cuisine and patissier.

Every four years, thousands of the world`s top chefs and confectioners compete in the International Culinary Olympics held in Germany. Officially called the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA) for the past 100 years, the event is known as the culinary “Olympics” because competition tests chefs in much the same way the sports Olympics do. The event began as a local cooking contest in 1896 at the Frankfurt fairgrounds which remained the location of all the competitions until 1996 when the competition moved to Berlin, and now the gastronomic paradise of Erfurt.

International competition sharpens individual culinary skills, demonstrates a country`s cuisine to the world and allows chefs to see how they compare with foreign counterparts. Team members share camaraderie, train together and learn from each other. More important than individual accomplishment is the ultimate mission: to update and improve the cuisine in the teams` country, region or organization.

The purpose of the competition is the assessment of chefs` and pastry chefs` abilities and performances. The public is thus offered a practical demonstration of the latest developments in culinary art, while the next generation of young cooks will be stimulated to further efforts. A well educated consumer is vital for the success of the restaurant sector and imperative to any country who survives on Epicurean tourism.

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