Taking big steps towards the IKA/Culinary Olympics 2024. Photo: IKA/Culinary Olympics
The countdown to the 26th IKA/Culinary Olympics is on. In February 2024, the grounds of Messe Stuttgart will once again become a Mecca for the international culinary elite.
Frankfurt am Main, September 2023 – In just a few months, the Olympic flame for the culinary arts will be lit in Stuttgart, opening the 26th IKA/Culinary Olympics. From 2 to 7 February 2024, the cooking spectacle of superlatives will once again take place parallel to the Intergastra trade fair. For almost 125 years, the German Chefs Association (VKD) has invited chefs from all over the world to Germany for the IKA, where they compete for medals in teams or as individual exhibitors. In 2020, some 1,800 participants from 67 nations competed against each other in fair competition, cooked around 8,000 menus and wowed the nearly 100,000 visitors with the taste and visual appeal of their creations. “We are delighted to host the international culinary world again in 2024 and to celebrate emotional and culinary highlights together,” says VKD President Daniel Schade. “As the organizer of the IKA, the German Chefs Association gives talents a stage and the opportunity to show their potential. The participants keep creating new trends on the plates and the atmosphere of the cooking spectacle will be remembered by teams and guests for a long time.”
World Tour for the Taste
In February, colleagues from the catering industry and IKA fans can watch the teams cooking in the glass competition kitchens. Those who want to experience the Culinary Olympics with all their senses can taste their way around the world in the Restaurant of Nations. “Whether it’s a three-course menu, lunch or an exclusive dinner with a direct view into the cooking boxes, the competitions promise new taste experiences and a unique opportunity for guests to become part of the cooking-Olympic event,” says Daniel Schade. Teams in the National, Junior National and Community Catering categories will bring regional food trends from their countries to Stuttgart and take guests in the exhibition halls on a world tour of flavor. Menu tickets will be available online from the beginning of October. The Regional Teams and Individual Exhibitors will also provide visual highlights, presenting “culinary art for the eye” with their creative showpieces. For all those who cannot be in Stuttgart in person, the livestream “IKA TV” brings home the Olympic atmosphere.
While the fans on site and in front of the screens are cheering along, it’s getting serious for the teams in the competition kitchens. They are cooking for points, medals and the Olympic IKA title. Who will win the race in the end will be announced on 7 February 2024, at the final award ceremony. Until then, preparations are in full swing at the organizer, the sponsors and the participants.
AT A GLANCE | IKA 2024
26th IKA/Culinary Olympics
February 2 to 7, 2024
Messe Stuttgart, GermanyThe German Chefs Association (VKD) is the organizer of the IKA/Culinary Olympics and hosts the competition. Messe Stuttgart is the organizer of the fair Intergastra and handles all matters of organization and infrastructure as part of the event. The Dehoga Baden-Wuerttemberg supports the organization of the training kitchens and accommodation of the competitors.
Cooking talents with a special passion for competition will meet at the IKA. The great culinary showdown is divided into these categories:
- National Teams
- Junior National Teams
- Regional Teams
- Community Catering Teams
- Individual Exhibitors and Live Carvers
Pictures may be reproduced free of charge specifying the respective image source “IKA/Culinary Olympics”.
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