An Azerbaijani chef, alumnus of the Culinary Arts Academy of Azerbaijan (CÁSÁ) Emil Zeynalzade has become the winner of the 9th International Young Chef Olympiad (YCO), the world`s biggest Culinary Olympiad organized by International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) in Kolkata, India.
At a spectacular closing ceremony and awards night Zeynalzade walked away with the top prize—the coveted Gold Trophy and a cash prize of US $5.000.
Patiphon Lertsurakitti of Thailand won a silver and a cash prize of US $3.000, followed by Naureen Shaikh from India who won a bronze and a cash prize of US $2.000.
YCO is a one-of-a-kind event wherein countries from across the globe come together on a single platform and participate to compete for the most prestigious title of YCO Winner. The 9th edition of YCO brought together world`s most talented young chefs from 53 countries. The top 10 finalists were Azerbaijan, England, France, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and the USA.
Emil Zeynalzade is also a member of the national chefs team, established by the Azerbaijan`s State Tourism Agency in accordance with international standards.