French / Ger / Eng / Nat
Cooking their way to glory -- chefs from around the globe have gathered in Berlin to compete in the Culinary Olympics.
The competition consists of a week of cook-offs to determine which country can come up with the most delicious dishes.
And at the end of the week, the champion goes away with a gold.
More than one-thousand cooks from 32 nations have been skewering scallops, poaching salmon and stuffing suckling pig this week in their quest to capture gold at the international Culinary Olympics.
Medals are awarded in various categories, including cold and warm food preparation and regional specialties.
The competition includes the traditional artists of dining delights -- the French and Italian, but competitors from other nations says they plan to give the pros a run for the gold.
The American team says it hopes to win by being faithful to its own cuisine.
It will not try to compete with the French creating classic pastries and sauces.
Instead, the team says it's preparing "New World cuisine".
The Americans hope to bring home the gold by serving up braised bison tenderloins and sweet potato pie.
But the French aren't too worried.
SOUNDBITE: French
"There is not only France. Every nation, every country has got its own conception of its cuisine, of its roots. Every nation, every country has got its own cuisine, and it is always excellent."
SUPER CAPTION: Auguste Guyet, President d'honneur avec Paul Bocuse-des maitre cuisinier de France
The judges will face quite a feast testing the cuisine of different countries.
The Germans hope to bring home the bacon with their offer of roast pork tenderloin with onion soup.
And the Austrians hope to give them a run for the money by preparing forest mushroom soup and venison fillets.
They certainly impressed the crowds.
SOUNDBITE: German
"I found it interesting to watch the international cooks, for example the Japanese and Korean ones. It is really exciting."
SUPER CAPTION: VOXPOP
The competition even includes some unlikely events like a contest for Armed Forces cuisine.
No sign of chipped beef and gravy here.
An American military cook says he's planning a main course of mahi-mahi with a macadamia crust.
The Culinary Olympics were previously held every 4 years in
Frankfurt.
Organizers decided to move the competition to the German capital after the fall of the wall and reunification in 1990.
