Chefs in the spotlight: At IKA, the profession and craft are showcased internationally. Photos: IKA/Culinary Olympics, Digitale Massarbeit, Grundrausch, Team Mexiko, Team Ukraine, private
As the largest international culinary event, the IKA/Culinary Olympics celebrates the craft of cooking. Participants are united by pride and a special passion for their profession.
Text Aina Keller
The closer the 26th IKA gets, the harder hundreds of chefs around the world prepare for the competition in Stuttgart. Teams and individual exhibitors are now concentrating on technical details and creative ideas. The goal is to stand out from the rest and present the best possible culinary art. From 2 to 7 February 2024, the culinary profession will be having a big appearance, with players from all over the world coming to Germany. The Culinary Olympics will again take place in parallel to the Intergastra trade fair on the grounds of Messe Stuttgart. By participating in the IKA, they contribute to the positive image of an industry – and write their own personal success story on the way.
Challenge accepted 
Every four years, the teams at the IKA impressively show energy and strength and what can be accomplished. “ The IKA/Culinary Olympics to me is a lifelong dream that I have been chasing and working towards. It means that a small town farm boy like myself can achieve anything with the never give up mind set,” says Dan Holtgrave, team captain of the USA National Culinary Team, for example. “I’m so proud to be a part of U.S. culinary history and to be surrounded by such great chefs on the team.”
Team spirit and common goals are key when it comes to achieving good results. “I was looking for people who were as excited and obsessed with cooking and food as I am,” says 21-year-old Luca Marie Böttner of the Junior National Team Germany. “I was looking for people, who were competitive enough to never be satisfied, who I could learn from and grow with. This is where I found them.”
For many team chefs, especially members of a junior team, the IKA in February will be an Olympic debut – a very exciting one. It
will be the first time they’ve ever been there for the opening ceremony, enjoying special fan moments in front of the kitchen and getting goose bumps when the medals are handed out. Illia Vasvutinski is captain of the Ukrainian Junior National Team and knows exactly how that feels: “Participating in the IKA 2020 was a miracle for me and my team. It was the first time that Ukraine participated in such a big competition,” says the teamcaptain. “The Culinary Olympics is a place where your life changes completely. No storytelling, nor photos or videos can even come close to capturing the extent and emotions.”
Craft and Competition
Yet the IKA/Culinary Olympics is not limited to presenting countries and culinary traditions. Above all, the cooking spectacle in Stuttgart is a stage for the chef’s profession itself. “Cooking in the national team shows the skills and creativity required in our profession,” says Laura Loosli, pastry chef of the Swiss Junior National Team, describing the special role of team and competition. “It’s a demonstration of the culinary craft and highlights the many opportunities that are available to chefs with this profession.” There’s no question that a National Culinary Team’s activities can help positively change the perception of the culinary profession – not only in their own country, but across borders. “The National Culinary Team puts young chefs in the spotlight, giving them the place and opportunity to share their ideas and inspire the change they want to see in this industry,” says Luca Marie Böttner from Germany. “And most importantly, I hope that the team gets young people excited about food and cooking and makes them proud to pursue a career in this beautiful profession.”
Ambition meets Commitment
Those who choose this career path show a high personal commitment and need to follow through – that’s what the profession and the competition have in common. “Competing in the IKA is not for everyone, it’s a difficult task with very high demands,” says Alejandro Salas of the Junior National Team Mexico. “But the best thing a chef can learn from such a competition is to become a confident, consistent and responsible chef. A professional who knows how to work in a team and who is very critical of his own work.” His team colleague Pablo Galván shares this point of view: “A competition like this is a very big challenge and a mixture of
emotions. I live this responsibilitywith great enthusiasm,” adds the head pastry chef in the Junior National Team Mexico. ”I know that this experience is going to help me a lot in my professional life, and I know that it’s not every day to get the opportunity to represent your country and show myself what I’m capable of.”
Learning new things, getting better and pushing your own career: With that motivation, it’s now off to the competition in a few months. “The national team keeps our profession held at that higher level”, says US-teamcaptain Dan Holtgrave. “With the focus of never lowering our standards all the while influencing and building those around you to work harder and having the understanding that failure is a part of the process.”
