The next Bocuse d’Or is enlisted; Although Ecuador did not qualify, it raised the country’s name with chef José Cevallos in the regional semifinal

The next edition of the world cooking competition called Bocuse d’Or it will take place in January 2023. The meeting, which occurs twice a year, will take place in lyons the days January 22 and 23 and has been called the Grand Finale, or the grand finale. During 2022, a series of regional competitions have been developed to select the teams that will travel to France for the prestigious title.

At the moment, 20 teams have been confirmed for the ‘grand finale’: by Europe Denmark qualified in first place, followed by Hungary, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Belgium; Asia and the Pacific they will be represented by Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and South Korea.

The delegates of Africa will be chosen in September Dakhlaa city in Western Sahara.

On behalf of the Americas Iran USA, Canada, Chili, Colombia Y Mexico. The semifinal of the American continent took place in the Chilean capital on July 14 and 15.

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Ecuador’s participation in Bocuse d’Or

In the continent-wide contest, Ecuador It had a pleasant participation, in fact it obtained the sixth place, just below Mexico. The intervention was in charge of the chef Jose Cevallos, sous-chef of Green Gold Guayaquil.

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Cevallos led the Ecuadorian team alongside the experts Milena Peña, as commissioner; Nestor Toapanta, instructor and who reached the final in the last edition of the competition, in 2021; Y Santiago Grandedelegate president of the country.

The culinary specialty of Cevallos is the innovation, he explains in an interview with this newspaper. The gastronomic proposal that he worked on in Chile was based on four distinctive ingredients for his compatriots: cocoa, banana, cassava, and naranjilla. “We focused on these ingredients to create the proposal for the competition where we made a vegan dish to showcase our ingredients.”

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Chef Jose Cevallos

José Cevallos has a track record in competitions, which has allowed him to position himself where he is today, he says. “My work in Oro Verde has been for 19 years, where I have been trained in different departments, such as being in charge of the Le Gourmet restaurant for 10 years, one of the most important restaurants in Guayaquil. We had the great opportunity to develop several projects, such as the Gastronomic Experiences based on one of the most representative ingredients such as cocoa, with dishes with that fruit”.

Also, he says, the love for cooking that was instilled in him since he was a child has helped him. “I come from a family that has always been related to this trade (gastronomy). My grandmother was an excellent cook and since I was little, she instilled in me a love for cooking”.

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For this reason, he advises all those who want to open a niche in the world of haute cuisine to cook with humility. “Without it, the objectives cannot be achieved; second, discipline is what gets you to the top, and then you have the opportunity to surround yourself with many high-level chefs and prestigious celebrities.”

Without a doubt, Cevallos was proud to have represented the country in this facet of the international competition. “As a chef, it is a platform that gives you an unforgettable experience, in a kitchen that is different from what you are used to and teaches you a lot of discipline.”