20th Olympiad culinary in Erfurt. New methods of serving, unusual design of dishes, fashionable ways of decorating

Passing the gallery

Text: Anna Hatckevich

A photo: Viktor Smirnov

Magazine: N1 (46) 2001

For the first time in Erfurt, the birthplace of the Thuringian fried sausage and meatballs, the Twentieth Culinary Olympiad was held from 22 to 25 October. This event is held every five years, starting in 1900. Therefore, the present has become both an anniversary and a premiere. The premiere is about the venue, Erfurt, and the date is 2000 - the centenary of the existence of the international Union of chefs. The exhibition of culinary art as a barometer defines new trends in this not indifferent area for literally every one of us. “The love of good food unites people,” with this conviction, over a thousand representatives of the art of cooking gathered to please our eyes and taste. Speaking of vision: in addition to a flurry of taste sensations, such events are, above all, a show that surrounds the viewer with visual impressions. This includes new ways of serving, unusual design of dishes, fashionable ways of decorating, and the ability of participants to present themselves and their food beautifully ... For four days the territory of the Erfurt Fair has become the world's largest international restaurant where visitors could get 1001 impulses for own creativity and appreciate the cooking art of participants from 31 countries. At the start of the competition, about a dozen tables were set up in the exhibition complex, each of which was decorated according to its own theme. This was one of the elements directly related to visual impressions, causing surprise and smile. It is already difficult to surprise us with a variety of delicious food, although there are “professional” gourmets who sense a subtle range of taste sensations. Most of us are closer to such simple concepts as tasty or tasteless. But for the beautiful and most importantly - an unusually decorated table, you can eat banal chips with pleasure, looking at your favorite monitor, or feeling yourself in a familiar car seat. Subject design was designed for a very diverse range of "eaters": classical music lovers and bikers, programmers and experts in theatrical art ... But still the main thing on the table, if you are, of course, hungry - the presence of food. And as it turned out, this area is also subject to fashion. Yes, yes, do not be surprised, this season, for example, "fashionable" there are dishes that have volume. The art of the cook is now compared not with painting and graphics, but with sculpture. And if earlier, the goodies, laid out on a plate, looked holistic only when viewed from above, now they should make an impression from all sides, so to speak, in three-dimensional space. And the concept of going to a restaurant has become completely different - this is, first of all, going for aesthetic pleasures, as a result, the portions are getting smaller, the plate is getting bigger, and the remaining space is used exclusively for the ornament of sauces and the placement of various edible "decor" color spots and textures. Eat a nice and enjoy your meal!