CHENNAI: A three-member Indian chefs team bagged the bronze medal at the first Euro-Asian Festival of Cookery Art, in Russia, recently.
This was for the first time an Indian team participated in an international culinary contest Indian Federation of Culinary Associations General Secretary P Soundararajan told reporters here on Thursday.
Boosted by the medal, he said, "We want to participate in the 2008 Culinary Olympics" to be held in Germany. During the last Culinary Olympics, there was participation from 80 countries, he said.
Referring to the Russian contest, chef Rajesh Radhrakrishnan, executive souschef of the Park Hotel here and chef Ashish Gupta of Claridge Hotel in New Delhi, who were two of the participants, said they had the "experience" of contesting with "thorough professionals" from Germany and Turkey, who won the gold and silver medals respectively, they said.
On the cuisine prepared that earned them a bronze, they said the first round comprised "ethnic cuisine" for which they prepared a parotta-kabab item, a prawn preparation and gajar halwa, which gave them a berth in the finals.
Radhakrishnan said in the finals they prepared French cuisine using rice and tomatoes, chicken and mushroom sausages.
He said the competition was very stiff because in Europe there are professional teams, sponsored by companies, whose job is only to participate in such contests.
On whether the federation intended to form such professional teams, Soundararajan said, "We want to take that road, but slowly".
The federation has received many requests for Indian team participation in competitions.
The three had won medals in local competitions and were chosen to represent the country, he added.
