Givaudan's Chefs' Council 2008 - Uncovering the Flavours of the Future

19/05/08 In an unparalleled gathering focused on culinary flavour innovation, Givaudan’s global Chefs’ Council meets at Alícia in Mon St. Benet in Sant Fruitos de Bages, near Barcelona, Spain on May 14-16 2008 to share insights from the world of fine dining and uncover ‘what’s next’ on the menu of international gastronomic trends.
 
The Chefs’ Council – a rotating panel of the foremost talent in the culinary world – has been formed by Givaudan to work side-by-side with the company’s own extensive team of chefs, flavourists and food scientists to explore and advance new and exciting culinary thinking.
 
Mauricio Graber, President of Givaudan’s Flavours Division, explains:  “The idea behind the Chefs’ Council is that, in a dynamic and creative exchange of ideas, we integrate the best thinking from leading culinary experts around the world to arrive at new, successful flavour combinations that will influence future dining trends.  Ultimately, we are interested in what consumers will want to experience around their own dining tables and the food and beverages they will choose to buy - and this is strongly influenced by the evolving world of international gastronomy.”
 
The 2008 event is the second international conference of the Givaudan Chefs’ Council.  The first took place in 2006 in Napa Valley, California, and resulted in a variety of novel, surprising culinary combinations which captured the imagination of the audience. From modern interpretations of global culinary traditions, or contemporary classics, to culinary originality found at the intersection of art and science, innovative dishes such as wasabi-laced ice cream and curry-injected shrimp were standard fare at the event.  Additionally, a range of chicken dishes inspired by new ingredient combinations were also created to help Givaudan customers source unique, consumer-winning flavours to differentiate their food products in a competitive marketplace.
 
The 2008 Chefs’ Council is expected to push the boundaries of culinary exploration still further with collaborative chef teams drawn from the US, Singapore, Peru, Brazil and Spain.  Each team, composed of leading restaurant and Givaudan chefs working together, will develop their ideas for FlavourVision, Givaudan’s future trends platform. The audience, drawn from Givaudan’s in-house team of industry-leading flavourists and food experts, will play the role of sensory panellists, sampling and helping to define and categorise the various innovative flavour combinations that are created. Givaudan will then share its long-term visions for flavours directly with its customers and partner with them to shape the future of food design from a holistic sensory perspective.
 
Among the celebrity chefs participating in the event are the double Michelin-starred Roca brothers, owners of the El Celler de Can Roca, a third-generation Catalonian restaurant dating back to 1929.  From further afield, Alex Stupak from New York brings his cutting edge techniques with desserts to bear in interpreting new sources of sensory innovation, whilst Thomas Chai, who has represented Singapore in many international gourmet events, brings his passion for eastern styles of cooking to the event.  From Latin America, Alex Atala, the top ranked Brazilian master chef will be creating new savoury flavour combinations and Flavio Solorzano from Peru contributes his deep knowledge of newly popular Peruvian cuisine which increasingly places him on the international stage.
 
Gilles Andrier, Chief Executive Officer of Givaudan, said: “Givaudan’s mission is to lead sensory innovation in the flavour and fragrance industries.  Chefs’ Council provides a global platform for us to explore, create and capture the very latest trends in fine dining recipes, flavour combinations and consumer preferences for the benefit of our customers world-wide.”
 
Givaudan’s Chefs Council brings together the finest in culinary thinking and flavour expertise to share gold standard flavours and uncover “what’s next” in flavours and flavour applications.
• Culinary Perspectives: Insights from elite chefs for TasteEssentials feature ingredients and FlavourVision flavour trends.
• Collaboration: Exchange of flavour knowledge, concept ideas and cooking techniques between restaurant chefs and Givaudan.
• Creativity & Innovation: Experience and inspire creation of new flavour profiles, flavour blends and tastes.