The IKA/Culinary Olympics, the Culinary Team of Finland’s main target, take place in Stuttgart, Germany, on 16–19 February 2020. Finland competes in the national teams category alongside 31 other countries. Its competition menu emphasises Finnish ingredients and sustainability.
The Culinary Team of Finland is taking part in the national teams competition, where 32 countries compete in Chef’s Table and Hot Kitchen. The combined scores determine the overall result, which will be decided on Wednesday 19 February.
Alongside Finland, the national teams competition includes Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Hungary, the USA, the United Arab Emirates and Wales.
Finnish and Nordic flavours on the competition menu
In planning its competition menus, the Culinary Team of Finland has focused on a strong overall concept and Finnish and Nordic flavours and ingredients.
“We are using the best possible ingredients, emphasising Finnish origins and sustainability as well as novelty. To succeed, we need to make an unforgettable impression on the judges and stand out from the other competitors,” explains Team Manager Kristian Vuojärvi.
In Chef’s Table, teams prepare a six-course menu for 12 people, including hot and cold finger food, a main course, a vegan dish, a dessert and petits fours.
In Hot Kitchen, the team prepares a three-course menu for 110 people. Finland’s menu features Norwegian halibut as the starter, Finnish rabbit as the main course and Finnish currants for dessert.
Rule changes aim for more responsible competition
The Culinary Olympics rules have been updated to meet modern expectations. The traditional Culinary Art & Pastry Art show table has been removed and replaced with the new Chef’s Table event, where teams prepare and serve a six-course menu for 12 people.
The change reflects the World Association of Chefs’ Societies’ policy of reducing food waste and increasing transparency. The extensive preparation previously required for the cold display is no longer needed, as Chef’s Table takes place entirely in front of the judges and guests.
“The change is positive because it promotes responsibility and resembles restaurant work, which is close to our hearts as a team,” explains national team captain Samuel Mikander.
The national team has trained intensively
Preparing for the IKA/Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart has meant an intensive training schedule over the past year. During the autumn, the team generally trained every other week from Sunday to Tuesday, with weekly sessions from October 2019 onwards. All training took place alongside their regular day jobs.
“We have put everything into preparation and devoted all our free time to the team,” Vuojärvi says.
The competition menus improved step by step during the autumn, and challenges along the way were resolved. The team held practice dinners around Finland and trained at its Leijonanranta campus. These sessions provided valuable experience and customer feedback to help bring the menu up to competition standard.
Finland’s strength is its expertise
According to Mikander and Vuojärvi, Finland’s strength is its solid expertise: all team members are experienced professionals, and most also have competition experience.
“In competition, our greatest assets are Finnish grit and determination. We are aiming to win overall, but anything can happen, so the excitement will certainly last right through to the final moments,” Mikander says.
Thorough preparation is driven by a clear goal. “We are aiming for gold in both events,” Vuojärvi says.
Suomen Kaasuenergia has supported the national culinary team since 2018
In 2018, Suomen Kaasuenergia signed a partnership agreement with the Culinary Team of Finland for two years. Partners such as Suomen Kaasuenergia enable the team to take part in competitions, including the 2018 World Cup in Luxembourg and the current IKA Culinary Olympics 2020.
“Excellent food is always a good thing. We want to support the Culinary Team of Finland and promote gas for both cooking and heating,” Suomen Kaasuenergia CEO Mika Paloranta says.
Follow the competition on social media
Follow the competition and team news on the Culinary Team of Finland website www.ctof.fi, on Facebook @culinaryteamfinland and on Instagram @kokkimaajoukkue using the hashtags #ctof and #kokkimaajoukkue.
Photo: Eva Tordera Nuño
Team photo: Katja Tuomainen (left), Kristian Vuojärvi (Team Manager), Emeliina Papinniemi, Eija Kuningas, Joona Lehto, Niall Larjala, Samuel Mikander (Captain), Kari Julin, Mikko Pakola, Matias Haapsaari and Simo Pietarinen.