Morocco won the 2024 Bocuse d’Or Africa culinary competition on Thursday in Marrakech, qualifying them for the prestigious Sirha Lyon World Pastry Cup in 2025.
The team led by the Moroccan gastronomy sensation, Chef Moha Fedal, in addition to young talents Yassine Bogdad, Youssef Lamghani, and Ahmed Ben Semlali, emerged victorious after a grueling five hours and 35 minutes of competition, completing two culinary challenges.
In the first challenge, “platter,” teams are tasked with creating a meat-based dish presented on a grand platter. This typically involves showcasing complex culinary techniques and plating skills. Each platter is prepared for 14 servings and is judged on taste, presentation, and technique.
The second challenge, “plate,” involves creating an individual plate, centered around carrots, including an appetizer, a main course featuring three scallops, and dessert. This dish is judged on taste, creativity, and modern culinary trends.
During both challenges, the Moroccan team showed “a lot of finesse,” last year’s Bocus d’Or winner and president of this year’s international Jury, Davy Tissot, said to Morocco’s Press Agency(MAP). “The Moroccan team rose to the challenge,” he added.
Moving forward, the Moroccan team is set to face Mauritius and Egypt next year in Sirha Lyon, the second and third place finishers in the competition.
Morocco’s triumph in this year’s Bocuse d’Or will not only elevate the already prestigious status of the Kingdom’s culinary tradition, but it will also play a vital role in strengthening African cooperation through exchanges that transcend borders, MAP noted.