Cooking for Gold!

They say that you are never too old to learn and that is so true! (The trouble is remembering it all!) Last week while we were watching 'Masterchef South Africa', I learned that we have an Olympic Culinary Team. Not only that, we have both a Junior and a Senior team and last year (2012), our Seniors did us proud. They competed internationally in the oldest and most prestigious culinary competition in the world, the “Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung” termed the IKA Culinary Olympics, hosted in Erfurt, Germany from the 6 October to the 17 October.

The Senior Team (Pic thanks to saca.co.za)

As I mentioned, our team did exceptionally well, bringing 1 gold medal, 1 silver medal, 7 bronze medals and 2 Diplomas home with them. I am very impressed with that tally, they are giving our Cricket Team something to think about, that's for sure!

Peter Gyorgyicsek's Gold Medal winning 'Sugar Showpiece' 

This year, the Senior Culinary Team trials took place on the 27 July. The chosen team consisting of  twelve members, will go on to compete in Basel, Switzerland between the 23 and the 27 November, when over 80 000 visitors are expected! The Junior Team, made up of seven members, will be travelling to Seoul, South Korea, to take part in the Young Chefs Challenge between the 6 and the 9 November. Interestingly, the categories are the 'Hot Kitchen' and the 'Cold Table', a little like the kitchen here at home!! Except that would be 'Cold Plates' and 'Hot Cook'.

Anyway, I digress again!

Thanks to SA Chefs Association

Don't you love their coat of arms? It depicts the classic tools of the chef's trade, a spoon and a whisk, and has a chef's hat or toque and flames. (I would have flames too, but for a different reason! And a bottle of wine would feature with crossed wine glasses.) The badge also has our National Flower, the King Protea.The  slogan of the Culinary Team  is “Masakhane” which is a Zulu/Xhosa phrase meaning, “let’s build each other up” or “stand together” and personifies their work ethic in the kitchen and the camaraderie amongst the squad.

South Africa first first sent a team overseas to compete at the Culinary Olympics in 1980. For the first time ever in 2000 the Culinary Team South Africa comprised wholly of South African born and trained team members and past participants have been renowned chefs such as Bill Gallaher, Bruce Burns, Andrew Atkinson and Garth Stroebel to name a few. The menus are carefully chosen to reflect South African ingredients and skills and I spent a fruitful half hour researching the recipes and being very happy that I was not involved!

Currently, SA is rated 10th in the world. Out of at least 32 countries!

That's very impressive. More impressive is the fact that for someone who hates cooking, I have done several foodie posts in a row!