Team Minoan – Crete will participate in the global cooking competition IKA/CULINARY OLYMPICS held in Stuttgart, Germany, on February 2-7, 2024. Their mission is to promote Cretan gastronomy and traditional Greek products on a global platform.
Team Minoan – Crete comprises notable chefs from various parts of Crete, headed by Executive Chef Georgios Damianakis (εώργιο Δαμιανάκη) and Executive Chefs Antonis Koklas (Αντώνης Κόκλας), Emilios Aslanis (Αιμίλιος Ασλάνης), Giorgos Papoutsidakis (Γιώργος Παπουτσιδάκης), Giorgos Kouklakis (Γιώργος Κουκλάκης), Manos Alexakis (Μάνος Αλεξάκης), Vassilis Goulidakis (Βασίλης Γουλιδάκης), and Pastry & Chocolate Designer Manolis Hatzidakis (Μανόλης Χατζηδάκης).
These chefs are dedicated to exploring new flavours and aspiring to showcase the island’s cuisine at the IKA/CULINARY OLYMPICS 2024 in Stuttgart, Germany. The show’s menu will feature a modern take on Minoan cuisine, using Eliama Daily Value EVOOs in the cooking process.
This marks the first participation of a team from Crete in this event. In 2020, the Culinary Team Greece participated in the IKA / Culinary Olympics held on February 14-19 in Stuttgart, winning the bronze medal in Community Catering. The Culinary Team Greece will compete in the Community Catering Teams/Military Teams this year.
Thousands of professional chefs from all over the world come together for the IKA/Culinary Olympics, the only cooking competition where so many chefs compete against each other to showcase their skills: it is expected that around 2,000 chefs will participate this year. It is also worth noting that it is the first time that a team from Crete will participate in an event of this scale and importance, making it an excellent opportunity to promote Cretan gastronomy, traditions, and the time-cherished cuisine of the island on a global scale.
The team will compete in the traditional cooking category and Culinary and Pastry Art, presenting a menu based on Minoan cuisine with a modern twist, featuring dishes and utensils from the Minoan culture that thrived on the island from 3000 BC to 1500 BC.
The team is joined by the highly acclaimed Cretan chef Lefteris Soultatos (Λευτέρης Σουλτάτος), an ambassador for Greek gastronomy and the renowned chef and president of the Club of Chefs of Crete, Tasos Papadakis (Τάσος Παπαδάκης), along with the multi-awarded decoupage artist Vicky Bariami (Βίκυ Μπαριάμη), serving as the group’s secretary.