Vietnamese female chef continues to win international culinary competition in Italy

Previously, Ms. Hue was known as the first Vietnamese person to win second place in the prestigious MasterChef Italia 2023 competition.

Win

That's how RaiNews , the news site of the Italian National Television (RAI), described Ms. Hue's victory at the international culinary competition QOCO 2024 (held at Villa Carafa, Andria) for chefs working in many famous restaurants (with Michelin stars) from all over the world.

Ms. Hue was the only Asian contestant to participate in the contest and win, as reported by Italian National Television.

With a dish made from vegetables and fruits called "Basta due fili", Ms. Hue, the only young Asian female chef at the competition, surpassed 9 chefs selected by the European Young Restaurant Association (Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europ, JRE) to be named in the highest position on March 24.

The competition has a total of 10 chefs from many places such as Italy, France, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Austria, Slovenia, Germany, Switzerland...

According to the Organizing Committee, QOCO is an international culinary competition held in 1999, taking place in Andria (where there are the most olive trees in Europe). The competition is for talented young chefs from many countries around the world, who have the best understanding of the quality of extra virgin olive oil and that is shown through the dishes they make.

Ms. Hue had experiences with many other colleagues at the competition.

"It wouldn't be me without Vietnam in my cooking…"

In an exclusive interview with Thanh Nien , Ms. Dinh Thi Hue said that when she received the invitation from the Organizing Committee, she was very hesitant because she was very busy with her work at the famous Trattoria Trippa restaurant in Milan. However, with the consent of the restaurant's head chef, Mr. Diego Rossi, she came to Andria to compete with a relaxed spirit, seeing this as an opportunity for her to learn, explore and have new culinary experiences.

Knowing her competitors, Ms. Hue said she was really surprised, because they were all good chefs with many years of experience compared to her.

Vegetarian dishes help Vietnamese girls win

Given the task of making a dish that elevates local olive oil, Ms. Hue decided to cook a vegetarian dish called Basta due fili , a reference to the flow of olive oil on the plate.

The main ingredients she uses are: mashed purple potatoes, a little roasted peanuts, mustard seeds, vinegar, salt and pepper. On top, it is decorated like a colorful flower garden with pickled radish, red radish, boiled split onions, onions boiled in red wine, purple onions boiled with vinegar, sugar... The dish also has the presence of 2 ingredients that are typical of Vietnam: rice paper and a mixture of coconut milk mixed with salt, green onions and cornstarch. On top of this mixture, are drops of pure olive oil.

For the entire dish, Ms. Hue mainly boiled the ingredients and used only one type of olive oil to highlight the "main character", as required by the assignment. The dish seems simple, but every detail is carefully cared for and meticulously researched, bringing a purely plant-based culinary experience, as described by Ms. Hue:

Each spoon will have a different flavor, like a game between sour, spicy, salty, sweet, pungent, raw - cooked, hot - cold, hard - soft, the balance between simple and complex, but the lingering aftertaste is still prominent with olive oil...

Chef Dinh Thi Hue, lives and works in Italy

Ms. Hue is meticulous in her dishes.

She has a special memory of the person who brought her food to the judges when he praised the dish "Basta due fili" saying: colorful, harmonious like a garden and gave him a pleasant feeling.

“In my dishes, there will always be some Vietnamese ingredients. It wouldn't be me without that. There has to be a little bit of Vietnam in my dishes, otherwise, I can't stand it and this dish is no exception," the female chef shared.

Unexpected victory

The moment she knew she was the winner, the Vietnamese female chef could not hide her surprise. She said that for her, cooking is not a competition, a matter of winning or losing. It is a place for her and everyone to freely pursue their love and passion, and to express their personality in their dishes.

The experiences at the competition will be special memories in the culinary journey of the talented female chef.

However, this achievement is also a great joy, a motivation for Hue to continue pursuing his culinary dream in Italy.

After winning the runner-up position in MasterChef Italia 2023, Ms. Hue is still persistently pursuing her passion and love for cuisine. She describes cuisine as a pure love, where she finds happiness and the meaning of her life.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/nu-dau-bep-viet-nam-tiep-tuc-chien-thang-cuoc-thi-am-thuc-quoc-te-o-y-185240326201515724.htm