After the first day of competition at the 2008 IKA Culinary Olympics, Denmark stands in the lead, with an impressive three gold medals.
The Danish team swept the Cold Display portion of the Olympics, taking home top honors for every category in contention: a gold for their display platter and six hors d’oeuvres; a gold for their three-course menu and four distinct entrees; and a gold in patisserie, with one full dessert platter and four additional desserts. (Their stunning Chocolate Mousse, with strawberry sorbet and pâté de fruit, is pictured above.) Meanwhile, the Danish youth team won the only gold awarded in that division yesterday, in recognition for their own cold display.
Clearly, this establishes Denmark as the team to beat, looking ahead to the rest of the competition; no team could go forward with a better starting position. While the youth medal does not factor into the national team’s results, it certainly does no harm for Danish morale. That said, other teams did beautiful work as well—from a sugar-paste basset hound to a bread-sculpture mushroom garden.
The Olympics are far from over - the day’s results have yet to be fully announced. Hot food scores will not be announced until the end of the competition, leaving all teams in suspense. The American team has yet to hit the kitchen, heading to the Cold Display next, and the Restaurant of Nations to follow. The United States could very well come through with a strong performance of their own—which we’ll be reporting, as results come in.