BOCUSE D’OR AMERICAS 2026: THE PLATTER AND PLATE THEMES REVEALED!

New Orleans & Company, Sirha Food and LRA Showcase are proud to announce that the Americas selections for Bocuse d'Or and Pastry World Cup are back in New Orleans, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, following a historic and highly successful debut in New Orleans in 2024.

LOUISIANA, A CROSSROADS OF CULTURES AND TASTES
Louisiana, nourished by French, Creole and Cajun influences, offers a unique, warm and spicy gastronomic variety, which seduces far beyond its borders. Renowned for its seafood, its emblematic dishes such as okra, caramelized pecan praline, or jambalaya - a mixture of rice, meat, seafood and vegetables - and its attachment to traditions, the region radiates a recognized gastronomic mastery. With more than 3,000 restaurants, including several Michelin-starred, a vibrant culinary scene and numerous gourmet festivals, Louisiana is a destination of choice for food lovers. Its attractiveness goes beyond the plate: each year, more than 20 million visitors discover the richness of its heritage, its special energy and its unique atmosphere.

The American qualifying phases will be held at the LRA Showcase, a major professional event for the restaurant and agri-food industry in America. Held at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the event will bring together chefs, restaurateurs, suppliers and industry experts, with 150 exhibitors, giving American cuisine greater visibility. By being part of this unmissable trade show, which welcomes 6,000 professional visitors, the continental selections underline the anchoring of the competitions in a dynamic ecosystem, conducive to innovation, exchanges and the celebration of gastronomic know-how.

THE AMERICAS SELECTIONS: A DECISIVE STEP TOWARDS THE GRAND FINALS
The Americas selection of the Pastry World Cup will bring together 8 teams from all over the American continent (Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, the United States). Each team, made up of 3 specialists (a sugar expert, a chocolatier and an ice cream specialist), will have to demonstrate technicality, audacity and mastery to convince the jury. At the end of this demanding day, only the four best teams will qualify for the Grand Final.

Regarding the Bocuse d'Or Americas, 8 teams, from 8 different countries (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, the United States), each composed of a chef, a commis, a coach and a jury will defend their vision of gastronomy in order to obtain a place for the Grand Final of the Bocuse d'Or 2027. Commitment, rigour and teamwork will be essential to enter the Top 5 of the ranking

BREAKING NEWS!

The platter and plate themes for the Bocuse d’Or Americas 2026 – the competition’s signature challenges – have just been unveiled.

>What challenges will the candidates have to face?

For the platter theme, candidates must prepare, for 14 people, halibut fillet, which must be served with a first garnish made from shrimps and tomatoes, followed by a second garnish featuring corn that reflects the culinary identity of the country represented, both in the choice of corn and the techniques used. The dish will be served with a sauce Choron into which the chefs must incorporate spices from their country of origin.

For the plate theme, they will have to prepare a dish for 14 people, featuring a bone-in ribeye of beef, accompanied by beef brisket, sweet potato and coffee beans from the country being represented. Candidates must serve their plate with a sauce, for which they are free to choose their own techniques, cooking methods and approach, provided that it is prepared entirely on site.

Through these two theme, candidates will be asked to showcase their culinary identity by combining technical mastery, precision of execution and the expression of flavours on the plate, whilst paying tribute to their nation’s gastronomic heritage.

> What will the jury’s selection criteria be?

  • Supplied by the official partner SYSCO, the halibut fillet must be used and cooked in its entirety to produce two identical pieces, presented on the platter before each being cut into 7 equal portions, whilst the bone-in ribeye of beef will be prepared and cooked whole on the bone. At exactly 4 hours and 35 minutes into the competition, the candidates will present their bone-in ribeye of beef to the members of the culinary jury, who will assess its cooking and presentation, before the plate theme is announced at 4 hours and 55 minutes into the competition. The platter theme, meanwhile, will be presented at the end of the 5 hours and 30 minutes of competition. The candidates will then have 8 minutes to plate up at the carving table, before serving the dishes to the jury members.
  • All products must be prepared and highlighted with the same level of importance, whilst retaining a clear identity, both visually and in terms of taste.

In keeping with previous editions of the competition, these tests will place equal emphasis on technical precision and on the teams’ ability to showcase their culinary identity. It is an invitation to convey, with precision and sincerity, the gastronomic richness of their country through a contemporary and personal interpretation of the set themes.

As for the candidates, the final weeks of training are now underway!

SPOTLIGHT ON WORLD GASTRONOMY Through the international competitions Bocuse d'Or and Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, Sirha Food highlights and crosses the different gastronomic and pastry cultures from all over the world. Each edition is an opportunity to discover the new generations of chefs who are committed to enhancing their culinary heritage through their passion, commitment and technicality. Since their creation - in 1987 and 1989 respectively - the Bocuse d'Or and the Pastry World Cup have continued to inspire and actively contribute to the effervescence and dynamics that drive the entire profession around the world.

Accreditation is now open!

Applications for accreditation for the Americas selection of the Pastry World Cup and the Bocuse d’Or 2026 are now open. To apply for accreditation, click here.

As the Americas selections are taking place at the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) trade exhibition, each participant must have a valid LRA badge in addition to their competition badge. For accredited media representatives, the trade exhibition access badge will be sent directly by email.

Monet Agency for the Pastry World Cup and the Bocuse d'Or
cmpatisserie@monet-rp.com
bocusedor@monet-rp.com
+33 4 78 37 34 64