AZERBAIJAN`S EMIL ZEYNALZADE AWARDED BEST YOUNG CHEF IN THE WORLD

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.