A culinary competition with participants from across the globe began in Delhi on Sunday.
Students pursuing culinary courses in 55 countries will take part in the 9th International Young Chef Olympiad (YCO).
The theme of YCO 2023 is “Sustainability”, and the organisers expect future chefs to take back sustainable practices from the competition with them.
“In a post-Covid world, the hospitality and tourism industry is dependent on sustainable practices and the young chefs of the future should know about sustainability more than anyone else,” said Suborno Bose, chief mentor of IIHM and chairman of the Young Chef Olympiad.
The IIHM Young Chef Olympiad 2023 is a joint initiative of the International Hospitality Council, UK, and the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM).
“YCO is not just a competition but also a platform to educate the young chefs about sustainable practices...,” said Bose.
They will also be educated on social sustainability where they would be taught to source raw materials from local markets within a radius of 15km, said Bose.
“The local community will be supported. They need not import raw materials from foreign markets always.”
The inauguration ceremony took place in Delhi. The preliminary rounds will take place in Delhi, Pune, Goa, Hyderabad and Bangalore on Monday and Tuesday.
On February 1, participants will take part in an event on the IIHM Global campus in Kolkata where each one will prepare a national dish.
The final round and the closing ceremony will be in the city on February 3 and 4, respectively.