Rolling in Budapest Cultural information in English … Hear everything first hand

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A little summary of the past three days adventure in the culinary world. The HUNGEXPO held the SIRHA Exhibition out on 20 thousand square meters. A total of 300 exhibitors participated and nearly sixty lectures and conferences were held. This was perfect in timing to arrange the SIRHA, previously to the forthcoming international event of the Bocuse d’Or, to be held in every two years in Lyon – France. Other parts of the world also have pre-competition for chefs, such as in Istanbul, Shanghai and Geneva as well.

The Hungarian team in terms of preparation is extremely important to have a professional partner(s) in supporting to have the training period of the European Final of fish raw materials. The METRO  Co. Ltd., supplied the Sea-Food to the Bocuse d’Or competition from  France three products, the Belon oysters. From Scotland the Bouchot shell, and from Japan’s deep Sea arrived the coal-fish in a high pressure traveling 9,000 kms. from Japan to Budapest.

Last fall, at the Tradition and Evolution  has been selected the six candidates, who on March,12., enter  the “chefs-in-kitchen-world” with the ingredient materials provided by the Metro Co. Ltd. The Hungarian Bocuse d’Or finals each year tries to surprise and cook off the jury and this time they surely did. The preparation and training have begun several months ago. The last run was at the Metro Court Academy with Serge Vieira – French chef, the Bocuse d’Or winner in 2005, who  spent a couple of days training the competitors, and most probably the lads had to experience blood, sweat and tears. For the  Hungarian team in terms of preparation is extremely important to have a professional partner in supporting in also having during the  training period and at the European Final  fresh fish raw materials. The grand partner in this case was the Metro Co. Ltd.

Although the Hungarian gastronomy experienced chefs can prepare fish in many ways, but a particular challenge for them was not really Hungarian cuisine made which was  cooking ​ oysters, cod and muscles. However, seeing the eye-catching bowls, does not seem to have caught them on the job .

Bocuse d’Or chefs is an unofficial Olympics Game, but in this sence a Olympics of Chefs, whereas the same job goes for all the participants.

The winner of the Hungarian Bocuse d’Or was recognised by professional chefs received the award statue along with a cash prize given by the METRO Co. Ltd.

Many visitors made it to the Bocuse d’ Or day’s competition to be a part in  following the chef’s cooking day and  last but not least to find out who will be the winner to  represent Hungary by attending at the European Bocuse d’Or competition to be held this year in May at Stockholm.

The Bocuse d’Or is undoubtedly the world’s most prestigious chef competition. In 1987. Mr. Paul Bocuse  had a dream and when he woke-up   he turned his dream into reality by selecting 24 chefs from 24 countries to measure their imagination in creating spectacular culinary dishes. That wasn’t all, i.e.  … not enough to be the best, but must also ensure compliance with the strict rules, as preparing the dishes in the given time, with the amount of predetermined ingredients and having two dishes made: a meat and a fish, within the length of time of five and a half hours.

The competition hold his name: „Bocuse d’Or” and is arranged once every two years in Lyon – France.

The Hungarian Bocuse d’Or Academy was founded in 2009, being responsible for (in addition to domestic and international representation) the Hungarian gastronomy, also organization and management and preparation of selecting students to the Hungarian competition in Europe, Stockholm, and to the Lyon final.

The six selected young man in the finals cook  and gave the peak of the Hungarian gastronomy. Here are the first three winner chefs: Award winner Gábor Molnár’s. He is currently working in Hungary, but  is the chef at the Munich Geisel’s Vinothek.  His dish won the award as „The Best Fish” : Confit of cod, mussels tartar, fish avocado cream. Grilled oyster ravioli and jelly brown butter – sabayon. Organic field crops on the plate: yarrow, nettle, chickweed, violets, wild garlic stems, Eiskraut. Filled blood sausage, apple puree jelly. Fried bacon, herded potato cream hog. Foot-knuckle ravioli, salad seasoning. Beetroot. Other elements on the plate: pork leg chips, pickled melon, green herb oil. Rank the Second was  Daniel O’Shea, in „Best of serving” winning a special prize. He is an Irish-Hungarian man, chef at the  Alabárdos restaurant’s Budapest, Daniel’s dish looked as a still life painted on canvas. Well done! His dish was: Black cod with algae, fresh garden herbs and forest. Nettles Veloutee shell, black shell, black pudding cigar. Apple and onion in shell, oysters. Hufton pig, Mangalitsa bacon, leg, shank stuffed pasta. Blood ginger, tofu, Beetroot, cranberry, plum. Rank the Third: Árpád Győrffy, chef at the Café Pierrotin Budapest. His dish was: Black cod, oysters and zucchini. Marinated vegetables (asparagus, cucumber, shallots, carved radish) different textures. Green mussel stew with asparagus, citrus fruits, shellfish espuma. Pork Frikando bear with onion, thyme, truffle mousselinnel. Blood pudding beetroot and apple green, nail and knuckle stew. Braised cabbage apple compote. Cognac jelly.

At the Olympics of Chef’s, the Hungarian Tamás Széll achieved to finish the contest in the tenth place at the previous Bocuse d’ Or in Lyon.

Let’s have high hopes for the Hungarian Gábor Molnár to get even closer to the first place!

The chef’s dishes in the competition can be seen in the slide show.

Update and snaps by Aggie Reiter