Young Chef Olympiad 2023: Sanjeev Kapoor in search of a unique family dish

Sanjeev Kapoor is looking for a culturally unique flavour profile at the 9th edition of the Global Young Chef Olympiad, a global culinary event with top-tier judges from across the world judging dishes made by participants from 60 countries

Vasudha Zora NT

Bengaluru: The 9th edition of the International Young Chef Olympiad was flagged off on Tuesday at a global offline/online press meet here.

The Olympiad will be held in five Indian cities including Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Goa. The opening event will take place in Delhi on 29 January followed by Grand Final on 4 February in Kolkata. Round-1 of the competition will take place the five cities.

The 10 selected candidates will fight for the Grand finale. Participants from 11 to 20 positions will battle for the Plate Trophy. The remaining will take part in the Dr Suborno Bose Challenge, to be held in Kolkata on 2 February. Renowned chefs from across the world will be judging participating chefs on the basis of tasting, technicality, hygiene, recipe, time management, and culinary skills.

Asked about his expectation of flavor profiles from the participants, Padma Shri awardee and celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor said, “I am looking for a recipe that tells a story of their families, something that is unique to their space and is something that is a common diet. I would also like to see a sleek, end-to-end use of techniques. Besides that, we will be judging them on the basis of hygiene, taste, plating, time management, and most importantly their recipe.” The mascot for the 2023 YCO competition is the Tiger Chef, he works as a supporting medium, igniting the chefs with inspiring and innovative ideas.

Director International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), Bangalore Campus & Co-Director Indismart Learning Pvt Limited Sanchari Chowdhury said, “Sustainability is the theme of YCO 2023, keeping in mind the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. YCO aims to educate the young student chefs in not just ecological sustainability but also economic, social, and cultural sustainability.”

She added that by doing so the focus remains on the usage of millets, maximum utilization of resources, and reducing wastage alongside providing and researching sustainable food provision for the entire planet.