The Azerbaijani culinary team, formed by the State Tourism Agency, showcased remarkable skill and dedication at the "IKA – Culinary Olympics" in Stuttgart, Germany. Their exceptional performance earned them 2 bronze medals and 6 diplomas in the individual Pastry Arts category, along with a prestigious team diploma in "Consumer Catering." Supported by the Azerbaijan National Culinary Center and the Azerbaijan Culinary Specialists Association (ACSA), the team demonstrated their prowess in one of the world's most prestigious culinary competitions.
The team's menu, reflecting the rich natural biodiversity and culinary traditions of Azerbaijan, included ingredients from the "Slow Food" gastronomy model, highlighting local products such as saffron, tomatoes, and pomegranates. Their achievements at the "IKA – Culinary Olympics" not only underscored their culinary excellence but also served to promote Azerbaijan's rich gastronomic heritage and its potential as a destination for gastronomic tourism on the global stage.
At the event, culinary teams from around the world competed in such categories as “National”, “Young National”, “Catering” and “Regional”.
As part of the event, a booth showcasing Azerbaijan's gastronomy was set up in the pavilion owned by the World Chefs Association ("Worldchefs"). At this booth, visitors, including gastronomy experts, were informed about our country's gastrotourism potential while being offered opportunities to sample Azerbaijani national cuisine and products.
The two menus submitted to the competition featured products included in the international model of gastronomic tourism "Slow Food," such as Caucasian chestnuts and baltali rice, which are examples of Azerbaijan's specific biodiversity, as well as saffron, tomatoes, cumin and included in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage UNESCO - pomegranate.
It's worth noting that in the previous competition held in 2020, with the participation of 1800 contestants from 67 countries contributing over 8,000 different recipes, the event welcomed more than 100,000 visitors from around the world. Participation in such a large-scale international event will contribute to the development of our country's culinary arts and national cuisine, as well as provide an opportunity to introduce them to a broad audience.
