THE JURY HAS DECIDED...

These are the words with which, over a period of four days, the award ceremony at the Culinary Olympics 2008 in Erfurt began each day. "The jury has decided ..." heralded the moment when joy broke out and dismay set in, when hopes rose that an Olympic title .might still be won and trepidation began about the next decision. "The jury has decided...", just a few words maybe, but the culmination of massive hard work by the participants and the 76 members of the jury from all over the world..
   The jury certainly did not make their decisions lightly. At this point, I would like to sincerely thank all the jury members for their extraordinary efforts. The most difficult aspect of this formidable task is being able to concentrate on every single detail and every single competitive point of all the participants on every one of these truly fantastic four days, I would like to thank everyone that we completed our assigned task in harmony. The jury of the 2008 Culinary Olympics deserves its own gold medal.

   The task began long before the Culinary Olympics actually took place, when the guidelines and rules for the various competitions and categories were determined. The Association of Chefs in Germany (Verband der K?che Deutschlands e.V.) ensured that all the participating teams were provided with the same competitive conditions. The extent of the technical equipment needed this year to fulfil this pre-requisite was entirely unprecedented, and would never have been possible without the generous support of the sponsors from all sectors of the catering equipment industry.
   The jury took up their positions every morning at 7 a ,m., and watched closely how the hot and cold platters were being made. After all, there was more at stake then just appearance and how the food tasted. Points were awarded for fantastic team work, impressive cleanliness and hygiene whilst working- strong mis-en-place, incredibly modern methods of preparation, perfect timing of all the activities and operations and these points were often exactly what ripped the balance in favour of a medal.

   My colleagues on the jury, from all over the world, had to look at exactly what was taking place, remain objective about what they saw and test each and every result. The chairman of each of the jury teams then had the task of encouraging the team to come to a unanimous decision. When the opinions diverged widely there was much discussion, even arguing, followed by verification and finally agreement. Every jury member knows what it means to take part in such a competition. Not only are the days of the actual competition stressful for all the participants, but also the months of dedicated training that predate it, the enormous amount of time and huge personal commitment involved. This phenomenal energy must be respected, and this we did by being extremely carefully, conscientious and absolutely neutral in the evaluation of the efforts.

   The Culinary Olympics were amazing, there were so many surprises, fascinating compositions and intriguing interpretations: finger food in the cold. food sector that is impressively realistic yet still having practical relevance, incredible ideas for vegetarian food. elements from the realms of molecular cuisine executed in perfect craftsmanship,, exquisitely colourful starters and artistic desserts. A tremendous and wonderful challenge for the day-to-day work of the chefs.

   Whether or not the Olympic medal was attained or if it remains a goal, all the participants of these Culinary Olympics in Erfurt are winners of their profession. A "Mecca of Culinary Art" such as this would never have been possible without their efforts. They nave amazed, fascinated and inspired the audience.

   The Culinary Olympics 2008 proved once again just what these culinary artists from all over the world are capable of creating in just a few hours; it was a spectacular and thrilling high-power performance.

   Evaluating these achievements as a jury may have been task to be fulfilled, but honouring these achievements was an immense privilege.

作者簡介

Matthaes Verlag GmbH

　　This edition, # 8 in the Kochkunst in Bildern series, presents the entries from the 2008 International Culinary Olympics held in Germany. Full color photographs of the finished entries are shown together with a description of the platter and identification of the chef and country represented. Text is presented in two languages simultaneously: English   German . Kochkunst in Bildern 8 is a collector's volume of indispensable references on first-rate international culinary standards that any with an interest in culinary art will want to have. More than 1000 chefs from around the world take part in the international culinary art exhibition IKA 2008 in Erfurt, Germany. Illustrated Culinary Art 8 records this unique event, which is characterized by both tradition and innovation. This book and accompanying CD show the highlights of the IKA, including brief descriptions of the menus, dishes and showpieces. More than 1000 chefs throughout the world are in the starting blocks at the International Chefs' Olympiad during the Hotel and Catering Trade Fair in Erfurt in October, 2008. In the categories national team, youth national team, group, patisserie, military forces and large scale catering, participants fight for medals, setting new trends and giving top performances.

　　每四年舉辦一次的奧林匹亞廚藝競賽（Int’l Chefs’ Olympiad – IKA 2008）已於2008年10月於德國Erfurt開幕.此次大賽一如預期匯集全球各地1,000位以上頂級師傅組成的隊伍參賽。而其紀念專輯已於2008年12月齣版!

　　Kochkunst in Bildern No. 8 仍承襲往年齣版風格，以二國語言 (英文/德文)全彩圖片將參賽隊伍及其代錶作品記錄保存，附贈之CD並將開幕典禮、廚藝活動、到頒奬典禮一一獵取，美不勝收，精采可期! 歡迎訂購!

Foreword
Members of the world Association of Chefs Societies
The Juries
The National Culinary Teams and their menus
The Junior National Culinary Teams and their dishes
The National Culinary Teams Military and their menus
GV Award
Category A - show platters, festive cold diplay platters and hors-d’oeuvre
Category B – vegetarian platters, menus, maincourses
Category C - P?tisserie
Category D - showpieces
Sponsors