International Exhibition of Culinary Art
Encyclopedia
The International Exhibition of Culinary Art (in German
: Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung or IKA) termed the Culinary Olympics, is a quadrennial chef
competition, and the biggest culinary
exhibition in the world. Last held in 2008, the event has in recent years been arranged in Erfurt
, Germany
.
Though the Bocuse d'Or
of France is frequently referred to as the culinary equivalent of the Olympic Games
, it is biannual and not separated by an olympiad, i.e. a period of four years.
's ban of all international societies during World War II
. Every event took place in Frankfurt until 1996 when it was moved to Berlin
. Since 2000 it has been staged at Erfurt.
The 2008 event involved 54 nations with 1,600 participating chefs, with Norway coming in first place, Germany placing second and Switzerland in third. Commenting on the winning team, Canadian team manager Jane Ruddick claimed that Norway's win was due to the nation's financial support, stating, "Norway spends a tremendous amount of money developing the chefs to participate in these competitions. They take them out of their jobs to train them. Our chefs are doing it on their own time. It's not an equal playing field from that point of view."
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung or IKA) termed the Culinary Olympics, is a quadrennial chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
competition, and the biggest culinary
Culinary art
Culinary art is the art of preparing and cooking foods. The word "culinary" is defined as something related to, or connected with, cooking. A culinarion is a person working in the culinary arts. A culinarian working in restaurants is commonly known as a cook or a chef. Culinary artists are...
exhibition in the world. Last held in 2008, the event has in recent years been arranged in Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Though the Bocuse d'Or
Bocuse d'Or
The Bocuse d'Or is a biennial world chef championship. Named for the chef Paul Bocuse, the event takes place during two days near the end of January in Lyon, France at the SIRHA International Hotel, Catering and Food Trade Exhibition, and is one of the world's most prestigious cooking...
of France is frequently referred to as the culinary equivalent of the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, it is biannual and not separated by an olympiad, i.e. a period of four years.
History
Conceived by a group of German chefs in 1896 with an aim to promote German cuisine to the world while receiving impulses from other cooking cultures, the first competition was arranged in 1900 in Frankfurt with four nations participating. Initially named the International Verband Koche Deutschland, it became subject to HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's ban of all international societies during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Every event took place in Frankfurt until 1996 when it was moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Since 2000 it has been staged at Erfurt.
The 2008 event involved 54 nations with 1,600 participating chefs, with Norway coming in first place, Germany placing second and Switzerland in third. Commenting on the winning team, Canadian team manager Jane Ruddick claimed that Norway's win was due to the nation's financial support, stating, "Norway spends a tremendous amount of money developing the chefs to participate in these competitions. They take them out of their jobs to train them. Our chefs are doing it on their own time. It's not an equal playing field from that point of view."
Competition disciplines
Involving large chef teams, the nations compete in a number of categories, most with subcategories:- National - Senior: Competition Category "Restaurant of Nations", Competition Category A "Culinary Art", Competition Category B "Culinary Art" and Competition Category "Pâtisserie"
- National - Junior: Competition Category "Hot Kitchen and Culinary Studio", Competition Category A "Cold Platter", Competition Category B "Culinary Art" and Competition Category C "Pâtisserie"
- Military: Competition Category R "Restaurant of Nations" and Competition Category B "Cooking"
- Community Catering
- Regional: Category A "Culinary Art" and Category B "Culinary Art"
- Individual: Category A "Culinary Art", Category B "Culinary Art", Category C "Pâtisserie", Category D - "Culinary Artistry - Cold Kitchen, Showpiece" and Category D- "Culinary Artistry -Pâtisserie, Showpiece"