Cooking Olympics Adds Vegan Requirement

Last week, prestigious global cooking competition Bocuse d’Or announced it would add a “100-percent vegetal (vegan)” themed dish to its contest requirements for 2017. “In keeping with its passionate and attentive quest to reflect modern cooking in line with its times,” the organization stated, “Bocuse d’Or places the emphasis on vegetal.” Throughout the year, young chefs around the world compete in over 60 national cooking contests before being selected as finalists for the main event held in Lyon, France in January. This year, finalists from 24 countries have one month to develop a main dish that utilizes a selected 146 products from supplier Metro Market, and two items of local importance native to the country they represent. All ingredients must be either vegetables, fruit, seeds, cereals, seeds, or legumes, and the organization emphasizes that contestants cannot use meat, butter, cream, cheese, or any other animal-derived products in their creations. Dishes will be prepared before a live audience and tasted by a panel of 14 judges during the 30th annual competition. Three finalists will be awarded a bronze, silver, and gold Bocuse trophy.