International gastronomic festival opens this week

Five hundred chefs from Italy, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Azerbaijan, Russia, Serbia-Montenegro, Kazakhstan and Malta are to take part in a gastronomic festival this week titled Le Festival International de la Gastronomie a Malte.

This was announced last week by Tony Theuma, president of the Malta Culinary Association and of Euro-Toques International (Malta), the organisers. Mr Theuma passed away last week, hours after addressing the press conference. held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Sliema.

There are no fewer than 73 categories in which competitors can take part, split up into both seniors and juniors. There are 45 competitions in the Cold Kitchen category; 22 in the Hot Kitchen category; and five team competitions.

A number of special prizes will also be awarded, including: Malta Golden Chef of the Year; Malta Golden Patissier of the Year; Junior Chef of the Year; European Community Chef of the Year; Air Malta Flight Meals Competition; and the Team Cold Buffet.

The gastronomic festival, being held between Friday and November 23 at the New Dolmen Hotel, Qawra, will be opened by Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech.

Mr Theuma stressed the importance of the festival as an incentive and to serve as an advertisement for local tourism. He appealed to the authorities not only to support these festivals morally but also financially so that they could be a success.

Mr Theuma also launched a book, European Cookery - Tradition and Innovation, with recipes and information on the 25 member countries of the European Union. The contribution from Malta was written by Joe Flask and the recipes drawn up by Mr Theuma and Martin Camilleri, a member of the Cookery and Food Association's executive committee.

The festival is open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Entrance is free.