Bocuse d’Or is one of the most prestigious gastronomic competitions in the world and sees participation from across the globe PHOTO © Bocuse d’Or

Bocuse d’Or Sri Lanka President Rohan Fernandopulle

• Country selection for Asia Pacific qualifications to be selected on 23 July

Referred to as the culinary equivalent of the Olympics, Bocuse d’Or has been honouring chefs and the trade and perpetuating the timeless spirit of French chef Paul Bocuse’s cuisine for 35 years. The competition is one of the most prestigious gastronomic competitions in the world, and participation is undoubtedly a goal for chefs around the globe.

The next Bocuse d’Or competition will be held in 2025, and Sri Lanka is beginning its journey towards this culinary competition by picking its selection for the 2024 Asia-Pacific Qualification on 23 July at the William Angliss Institute at the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT). A total of 28 teams will be participating in the intense cook-off and the Bocuse d’Or Sri Lanka team addressed the media earlier this week to share more information about the competition.

Bocuse d’Or Sri Lanka President Rohan Fernandopulle began by sharing a famous saying related to the hospitality industry: “You eat from your eyes first”. “When you put a plate in front of a guest, it should look fresh, beautiful and appetising,” he said, adding that at Bocuse d’Or, chefs add glamour to make a plate look fresh, beautiful and mouth-watering.

He explained that the rigour, glamour and magnitude of the competition were similar to that of a rugby or soccer world cup. “That’s the status of this competition. This is the most reputed and largest live cooking competition in the world. You have to be the best of the best to get into this competition when you go to the next level.”

Speaking about the cook-off on 23 July, Fernandopulle said one has to be the best of the best in Sri Lanka in order to get into the next level of the competition. “The gold medallist goes to the Asia-Pacific level. This is the most difficult hurdle, as it covers New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka and so on. The first four countries – or if you are fortunate enough, a fifth country – will get elevated to the world finals in Leon in 2025. This is not easy at all.”

Fernandopulle added that the competition was a tremendous opportunity to promote culinary tourism or food tourism.

Meanwhile, Bocuse d’Or Sri Lanka Event Coordinator Alan Palmer shared that this year, 28 teams will be participating in the local competition, which will start at 5.30 a.m. and end at 11 p.m., with each team preparing two main-course dishes.

“We’ve never had so many (teams). Last time, it was 18-19 teams, so there has been a huge increase and huge interest,” Palmer said, adding that because of the numbers, this year, the contestants will be separated into four groups.

About the competition

French Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jean-François Pactet also addressed the gathering, saying he was honoured to be present at the event given that Bocuse was a French chef and also due to the importance placed on food and cooking by the people of France.

“Bocuse d’Or is the best cooking competition in the world and Sri Lanka is participating for the seventh time. I would like to highlight how impressive that is, and I think this is because you have great chefs here,” Pactet shared.

He also highlighted that the food industry is about getting the best products and using them with hard work, skill, creativity and innovation, but that this alone isn’t enough at the Bocuse d’Or competition.

“With the Bocuse d’Or and other such difficult competitions, it goes beyond creativity, skills and hard work. The goal is to bring out the emotions of the guest, and that is probably the most difficult thing to do. These emotions can be very different. It can be the memory of a dish from childhood or the discovery of a taste with the combination of texture,” Pactet said.

Bocuse d'Or highlights elements like technique and creation, commitment, and human values. In 2005, the competition introduced preselection events with the national rounds then the continental qualifying events, which include the Bocuse d’Or Europe, Bocuse d’Or Americas, Bocuse d’Or Asia-Pacific and Bocuse d’Or Africa. The continental contests determine the 24 countries that will make it to the Bocuse d’Or Grand Final.

Bocuse d’Or involves 70 national and four continental events over two years, gathering a community of chefs, and whose culmination invariably takes place in the heart of Sirha Lyon.

PHOTOS Lalith Perera