Turkey to compete in Bocuse d’Or for first time

ISTANBUL

The European Selection of the Bocuse d’Or, the prestigious international chefs’ competition, will start tomorrow in Stockholm. Twenty chefs from all over Europe will compete against each other on May 7 and 8, as part of the GastroNord Trade Fair in Stockholmsmaesse.

Turkey is competing for the first time in this highly esteemed competition, which is often referred to as the Oscars of Chefs. Turkish contestant Gürcan Gülmez, of the Four Seasons Hotel in Sultanahmet, will toil in the kitchen for exactly 5.35 hours. He hopes to be among the 12 selected for the grand final, which will take place in Lyon, France, in 2015.

Gülmez, previous winner of the Turkish national selection, has been going through intensive training with the support of Metro Cash & Carry; his coach, Rudolf van Nunen of The Marmara Hotel, and chef Mehmet Gürs of Mikla restaurant. An exact replica of the cooking box in the competition venue was built at the Metro Gross Market store in Kağıthane, Istanbul.

Dealing with unfamiliar ingredients

The challenge of the Turkish chef is greater as he has to deal with ingredients that he is completely unfamiliar with, such as Swedish piglet for the meat course and saithe (also known as coalfish) for the fish course. The final plates will be judged on their taste, cooking skills, presentation, originality and their understanding of the products.