Kitchens don’t often feel like crossroads of the world, but at the 12th International Young Chef Olympiad (YCO) by Indian Institute of Hotel Management in Hyderabad, they do. Accents change mid-sentence, techniques travel across borders, and recipes carry stories far older than the chefs cooking them. What starts out as a competition slowly turns into a conversation — between countries, mentors and traditions — where every plate holds a sense of home and the pull of somewhere new.
The Hyderabad regional round of the YCO has brought together young culinary talents from Europe and Africa, each navigating a demanding format that calls for both precision and storytelling. While scores and rankings matter, the larger test lies in how chefs interpret their culinary heritage, adapt to unfamiliar baskets, and hold their nerve under pressure.
As part of the regional food festival, 10 participants presented traditional dishes from their home countries to an audience of over 200 invited guests. Hoteliers, chefs, government officials and others gathered not just to watch, but to listen — to flavours, techniques and the cultures behind them.
The Hyderabad round featured participants from France, Scotland, Belarus, Greece, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Nigeria, Ireland and Switzerland. Each contestant prepared a main course and a dessert rooted in national tradition, while working within a common ingredient framework.
Representing France, Maelyss Helene Parrot of Pierre Cointreau School presented Mhekti a la Provençale as her main course, followed by West Indies delicacies for dessert. Belarus was represented by Tsimafei Krepchuk of Baranovichi Technological College, who served a fish roll with vegetables and risotto, finishing with a vegan mango dessert. From Namibia University of Science and Technology, Alimotsamai Kheteng prepared pan-fried fish with spinach and pepper sauce, paired with a mango dessert.
South Africa’s Malebo Mohlatlego Meela from Limpopo Chef Academy cooked poached bhetki with sweet potato and lime juice, along with a chocolate lava cake finished with mango gel. Scotland’s Louie Howatson Forsyth of City of Glasgow College presented pan-fried bhetki with mushroom and tarragon sauce, followed by tropical chocolate ganache. Representing Switzerland, Ananya Madaan of BHMS Business and Hotel Management School served pan-seared bhetki with saffron rice, zucchini and paprika, paired with a vegan mango coffee mille-feuille. Botswana’s Boemo Setso Raphokojane from Botswa Culinary Institute cooked bhetki with grape salsa and harissa butter, finishing with almond sablé and banana caramel.
The dishes were judged by a panel of culinary experts, with the Hyderabad round forming part of a wider journey across five cities — Hyderabad, Kolkata, Goa, Bengaluru and Pune. The competition will culminate in the grand finale in Kolkata on February 6.
For mentors, the Olympiad means far more than competition alone. François Jean Georges Moulin, a mentor from Bierre Contreau School in the French countryside, sees YCO as a space where young chefs learn the importance of international connection alongside technique. Cooking in India, he believes, offers an education that extends well beyond the kitchen — challenging assumptions, expanding palates and teaching adaptability. That philosophy shaped the French team’s approach, particularly during the dessert round, where the absence of familiar ingredients like cream, milk and eggs forced a complete rethink.
Adaptation was central to the Belarusian experience as well. Mentor Anastasiya Kalupanovich from Baranovichi Technological College of Belkoopsoyuz speaks of reworking a traditional fermented cabbage soup — originally made with pork — by replacing it with tuna and carefully adjusting the dish to suit the Indian context, while keeping its essence intact.
Among the contestants, Ananya Madaan occupies a unique middle ground. Student of Matthias Meyer, a lecturer at BHIMS, she is an Indian by birth and Swiss by training, she represents Switzerland — the country where she moved at 17 to study culinary arts. Cooking in India brings an added emotional layer, blending professional discipline with a sense of personal return.