Today, Joan Roca, together with an international jury panel, announced the European Young Chef 2016. The winner, Stamatios Misomikes from the South Aegean region, Greece, impressed the jury with his dish Salas, the Joy of a Birth.
A Celebration of Regional Flavours
Stamatios aimed to create an explosion of flavours, combining ingredients from across his region to celebrate its culinary traditions. His dish included 19 ingredients from three South Aegean islands, presented with an infusion of 19 different spices. Through this, he showcased the diversity and depth of his region’s cuisine.
Reflections from Joan Roca and the Jury
Joan Roca highlighted the importance of a competition that gathers 10 European regions, each with distinct culinary traditions. He noted that selecting the winner was challenging due to the exceptionally high level of technical skill among participants. Moreover, he emphasized the power of storytelling, explaining that each dish’s narrative enriches its taste and meaning. Finally, he congratulated all participants for their creativity and dedication.
Promoting Regional Food Cultures
This international competition aims to promote the value of local food products and cultures. It brought together 10 talented young chefs from regional contests, showcasing the impressive quality and innovation of Europe’s next generation of chefs. Together, they demonstrated that traditional recipes can evolve while preserving their authenticity.
The finalists attending the competition came from 10 regions:
- Catalonia, European Region of Gastronomy 2016
- East Lombardy, European Region of Gastronomy 2017
- Riga-Gauja, European Region of Gastronomy 2017
- Aarhus-Central Denmark Region, European Region of Gastronomy 2017
- North Brabant, European Region of Gastronomy 2018
- Galway-West of Ireland, European Region of Gastronomy 2018
- Sibiu, European Region of Gastronomy 2019
- South Aegean, European Region of Gastronomy 2019
- Kuopio, European Region of Gastronomy 2020 (candidate)
- Slovenia, European Region of Gastronomy 2020 (candidate)
About the Event
The European Young Chef Award is promoted by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). The 2016 edition was hosted by the Escola Universitària d’Hoteleria i Turisme de Sant Pol de Mar (EUHTStPOL).
Held within the framework of Catalonia, European Region of Gastronomy 2016, the event also marked the 50th anniversary of EUHTStPOL — celebrating culinary excellence, creativity, and regional diversity.
The aims of the Award are to:
Promote innovations in traditional cuisine
Local food cultures are an important source of innovation. Traditions developed over centuries form the vital ‘DNA’ of food cultures and regional gastronomy, as well as local knowledge is therefore an important potential source of innovative products and experiences.
Highlight sustainable food cultures
Sustainable local, regional and global food systems are important for all our futures. The European Young Chef Award therefore, aims to stimulate debate about sustainable food and gastronomy practices, production and consumption.
Create future ambassadors for local food products
Local food products are often unique to the territory from which they come. Likewise, regional culture creates distinctions that underline the added-value of local products. By giving visibility to emerging chefs who support local products, it is hoped to contribute to a more sustainable and better quality of food experiences.
The competition is followed by a Round Table event where celebrity chefs, Joan Roca and Carme Ruscalleda, will talk about their role in mentoring young chefs.
For more information contact: info@igcat.org
