| The Best of the Best | | | | competition moved to Berlin, and now the |
| IKA 2008 will be the biggest assemblage of | | | | gastronomic paradise of Erfurt. |
| culinary professionals ever: 40 national teams, 90 | | | | International competition sharpens individual |
| Regional Teams, 11 military teams and 2000 chefs | | | | culinary skills, demonstrates a country`s cuisine to |
| and confectioners will be competing for medals | | | | the world and allows chefs to see how they |
| and the Olympic Champion Title at the Culinary | | | | compare with foreign counterparts. Team |
| Olympics 2008 in Erfurt, Germany from October | | | | members share camaraderie, train together and |
| 19 - 23, 2008. Competitors will be demonstrating | | | | learn from each other. More important than |
| their top culinary performance in twenty | | | | individual accomplishment is the ultimate mission: |
| categories that encompass every area of haute | | | | to update and improve the cuisine in the teams` |
| cuisine and patissier. | | | | country, region or organization. |
| Every four years, thousands of the world`s top | | | | The purpose of the competition is the |
| chefs and confectioners compete in the | | | | assessment of chefs` and pastry chefs` abilities |
| International Culinary Olympics held in Germany. | | | | and performances. The public is thus offered a |
| Officially called the Internationale Kochkunst | | | | practical demonstration of the latest |
| Ausstellung (IKA) for the past 100 years, the | | | | developments in culinary art, while the next |
| event is known as the culinary "Olympics" | | | | generation of young cooks will be stimulated to |
| because competition tests chefs in much the | | | | further efforts. A well educated consumer is vital |
| same way the sports Olympics do. The event | | | | for the success of the restaurant sector and |
| began as a local cooking contest in 1896 at the | | | | imperative to any country who survives on |
| Frankfurt fairgrounds which remained the location | | | | Epicurean tourism. |
| of all the competitions until 1996 when the | | | | |