The U.S. FINALLY Wins The World’s Most Prestigious Cooking Competition

Photo: Fine Dining Lovers

When you think of global culinary powerhouses, very specific cuisines and countries often come to mind. France, Spain, Japan, Italy, and other countries with deep and regal food traditions are the hallmarks of fine dining.

The United States may not have as deep of a culinary imprint, but we just proved that we can be just as classy and creative as everyone else when it comes to food.

For the first time ever, Team USA captured the gold medal at the Bocuse d’Or 2017 competition. This prestigious annual competition, sponsored by San Pellegrino and reported on by Fine Dining Lovers, featured teams of four chefs from 24 different countries around the world. The teams were judged on two dishes — a chicken and crayfish platter and a 100% vegan dish. Judges included notable Michelin-starred chefs like Joel Robuchon and Thomas Keller.

Photo: Fine Dining Lovers

Team USA, led by Mathew Peters from Per Se Restaurant in New York, won the competition after capturing top honors for both their meat platter and their vegan dish. For the meal platter, the chefs came up with a chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms, foie gras, and crayfish. The vegan dish was an homage to California, with California green asparagus and a toasted almond custard starring on the dish.

Norway came in second place, with Iceland taking third.

For the United States, this was a massive victory as it was the first gold medal ever captured by the country in the 30 years that Bocuse d’Or has been put on. It affirms that the United States has a place in the world’s top cuisines, and that its chefs are at the same caliber as the top chefs from across the world.

This victory is a testament to how far U.S. cuisine has come, and to how bright the future is for the country’s stance in fine dining. Rock on, Team USA. You’ve made us all proud.