International Competition for Young Chefs in Budapest Requires Immense Creativity

A smoked sturgeon-based dish composition at the Hungarian Bocuse d’Or team’s debut press conference in Budapest in March 2024. On October 4, the International Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition will be held in Budapest, a world competiti

By: hungarytoday.hu

Oct 03 2024
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International Competition for

A smoked sturgeon-based dish composition at the Hungarian Bocuse d’Or team’s debut press conference in Budapest in March 2024.

On October 4, the International Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition will be held in Budapest, a world competition for young chefs where 20 international chefs under the age of 27 will compete. Patrik Nyikos will represent Hungary at the prestigious event, Turizmus.com reports.

The annual event, organized by the world organization Chaine des Rotisseurs, is unique in that the contestants do not prepare a carefully rehearsed menu, but create their own menu using the contents of a “surprise basket” (black box) of ingredients from the host country, that is only presented at the start of the competition.

In 4 hours, they must prepare a menu of 3 courses in 4 portions.

The 12-member international jury is made up of a selection of renowned experts in the field. In the kitchen, a panel of 3 judges monitors and analyses the skill of the competitors, the technology used, hygiene, economy of materials and orderliness of the work. The 9-member tasting jury evaluates the visual appearance, the flavors and the use of the prescribed ingredients. This year, the Hungarian Áron Barka, Hotel Continental Chef de Cuisine, will be among the kitchen judges, and Zoltán Hamvas, President of the Hungarian Bocuse d’Or Academy, will take part as a tasting judge.

The Hungarian competitor Patrik Nyikos, despite his young age, boasts some very good results.

In October 2021 he came first in the Hungarian Bocuse d’Or final with Bence Dalnoki as his commes. In March 2022 he came second in the European Bocuse d’Or final, and in January 2023 he and Bence Dalnoki came third in the Bocuse d’Or Lyon final.

Fact

Hungary has already organized the competition once in 2015, at which Ádám Mede came third. The Hungarian black box consisted of sturgeon, foie gras, venison, butter pumpkin, caviar, king mushrooms, plums and Valrhona white chocolate. Two years ago in Mexico, the “surprise basket” contained beef fillet and side dishes, crab, oysters, cauliflower, avocado, pineapple, chili and white chocolate. Richárd Csillag took 4th place in this competition, as did Márk Kis-Berkes last year in Istanbul.