Every two years, the Bocuse d’Or takes place in Lyon, France, pitting country against country in a global chef competition. Each country’s national team is made up of a head chef, two chefs de partie, and a commis (who must be under 22 years old by the time of the finals). In the competition, they have five and ½ hours to prepare and present “plate” and “platter” interpretations of pre-assigned local ingredients.
Just like the World Cup, the Bocuse teams perform at the highest level in the world. These chefs come from the most esteemed restaurants in their home countries – putting their careers on hold for two years, as they relentlessly refine recipes, perfect techniques, and work out their kitchen choreography. By the time they reach Lyon, these teams perform as finely-tuned machines. Ultimately, 24 teams will compete for gold, silver, and bronze statues of revered chef and event founder, Chef Paul Bocuse.
The Bocuse d’Or is perhaps the biggest culinary event you’ve never heard of – or at least I couldn’t believe I had never heard of it when I first became aware of it a few years ago. That was on assignment for one of our culinary clients, Hestan, when we worked alongside Chef Philip Tessier – the first U.S. chef to climb the Bocuse winners’ podium. Tessier led Team USA to silver in 2015. He then coached Chef Matthew Peters to gold in 2017. Tessier’s book – Chasing Bocuse, is a beautiful account of Team USA’s story (and dishes). Every chef nerd should own a copy.
Behind the scenes, America’s most noteworthy chefs have been working to raise awareness of Bocuse d’Or and the success of Team USA. The Ment’or Foundation was formed by Chefs Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, and Jérôme Bocuse (son of Paul) to inspire the next generation of great American chefs.
I have also been lucky enough to work with Chef Keller a few times. Every discussion at some point turns to the importance of mentoring (ahem) and sharing the love inherent in the art of cooking. That attitude defined the experience at Bocuse d’Or New Orleans. It was jubilant, not cut throat. Even though the stakes were high and the clock was ticking, the chefs were just happy to be there, experiencing one another’s craft.
Bocuse NOLA
Along the two-year road to Lyon are four continental qualifiers: Bocuse d’Or Europe, Bocuse d’Or Asia-Pacific, Bocuse d’Or Africa, and Bocuse d’Or Americas. Collectively, 60 national teams will vie for 24 slots in Lyon.
This year marked the first time in Bocuse d’Or’s 35-year history that a continental event was held in the USA – and it was in New Orleans. Of course, Team Ramey had to go wave the flag. My colleague Josh Schooler and I weren’t quite sure what to expect. But I certainly never imagined that many chef whites and towering hats in one space. There were probably more chefs than spectators in the room. But the fans, friends, and family were INTO IT, boisterously chanting and cheering, as their chefs prepped and plated.
Wild Boars & Alligators
As with the finals in Lyon, each continental qualifier focuses on local ingredients. Since we were in New Orleans, the key ingredients were shrimp, oysters, and crab for the plate entry. For the platter, the teams were tasked with transforming wild boar, alligator sausage, and grits into a magnificently ornate presentation. Every detail counts. The judging criteria includes: presentation, technical skill, cooking sophistication, creativity, and beauty.
Nine national teams competed across two days at the Americas qualifier: Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, USA, and Venezuela.
Once the bell rang for each team, they quickly began chopping, searing, and reducing. It was a little hard to follow the exact menus with so much happening at once. But there was no shortage of rillettes. These teams were all gunning for Lyon, after all. There were smoked oyster tacos, wild boar chops, mousses, and foams. Every dish was impossibly delicate and beautiful (especially considering they were working with alligator).
Team USA was led by Chef Stefani De Palma, most recently of Addison in San Diego. Although the pressure was immense, Team USA worked seamlessly and joyously together. In fact, they threw their hands up with minutes to spare on their platter.
The Winners
Team USA’s cool confidence was warranted, as they took home the gold. Canada placed second (earning high praise for incorporating “all the parts” into a wild boar sausage), and Mexico earned bronze. Chile and Colombia also scored well enough to compete in Lyon.
As Chef Jérôme Bocuse noted after presenting the winners, “Congratulations! Now back to work.” These teams have six months to prepare for the Bocuse d’Or finals in January 2025.
Chef Spotting
For those into this sort of thing, it was thrilling to see the culinary talent assembled in the New Orleans Convention Center. In addition to the chefs competing on the line, many of the most revered chefs in the world had gathered to cheer their countries and judge the dishes. A spirit of jovial camaraderie filled the space, with chefs excitedly greeting each other, swapping stories, and snapping selfies together. It also made me feel a little bit better about myself to note that most of the chefs at the judges’ table snapped photos of the plates before tasting. Some of the culinary heavyweights in the room included: Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Jérôme Bocuse, Matthew Peters, Alex Chen, Timothy Hollingsworth, and Carlos Gaytán.
New Orleans chefs also played a big role in making the event happen. Many of them even opened their restaurant kitchens to the national teams for final run-throughs. NOLA was represented by Alon Shaya, Nina Compton, Susan Spicer, Emeril Lagasse, EJ Lagasse, and Frank Brigtsen. We also spotted Chef Mason Hereford merrily delivering a stack of his signature Turkey & The Wolf bologna sandwiches to the chef’s lounge.
Little wonder that Bocuse d’Or quickly announced they will be returning to New Orleans. It is indeed one of America’s greatest food cities, and the greatest chefs in the world seemed to love every minute of it.
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