Bringing home the medals
My October 15 Food column heralded the team of Kiwi chefs lining up at the Culinary Olympics. Fifty-nine countries took part, with New Zealand represented for the first time in 28 years. As our small team marched into the opening ceremony with the New Zealand flag and accompanied by the wonderful Dalvanius song Poi E, I was among the spectators and my heart swelled with pride.
Entered in the International Teams event, the Kiwis were required to produce an intricate “cold table” display of culinary and pastry art. They also had to cook a threecourse dinner for 120 people.
Impressively, the New Zealand chefs won two bronze medals for their cold table work and a silver for their three-course dinner.
The team showcased the best of our homegrown food, much of which referred to the regions, in ways not matched by other teams. The display and food gained much attention from other teams and the media, which landed the Kiwi chefs on German television and secured many fans in the culinary community.