The finalists and organizers of the 2017 Global Gourmet Culinary Competition pose for a picture in Beijing, Sept 22, 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2017 Global Gourmet Chef par Excellence Culinary Competition will take place at Le Cordon Bleu Shanghai on Oct 19.

Co-hosted by China's leading food distribution company, Sinodis, and the authoritative bilingual publication, Global Gourmet, the event aims to select outstanding chefs and enhance communication among different culinary cultures.

Over the past four years, this annual competition has expanded its entries of chefs from across China to other parts of the world, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Maldives, and all the way to Amsterdam and the Middle East.

This year will witnesses the fifth "Chef par Excellence Culinary Competition". Among over 350 global entries, 60 chefs, mostly from global hotels and restaurant brands, will be recognized as "Outstanding Chefs".

On Friday, a press conference at Sinodis Beijing Chef Studio, revealed the list of 20 finalists. During the 4-hour final match next month, chefs will make three dishes using only mandatory ingredients. Some of those ingredients still remain secret until one day before the competition.

The food will be evaluated on site by a prestigious jury panel, including 3-Michelin-star chef Umberto Bombana and 2-Michelin-star chef Dong Zhenxiang.

The awards for five final champions are all-expenses paid visits to top culinary schools in Italy, France, Spain, New Zealand or Japan.

Richard Xu, publisher of the Global Gourmet magazine, introduces the 2017 Global Gourmet Culinary Competition during the press conference held in Beijing, Sept 22, 2017.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Richard Xu, publisher of the Global Gourmet magazine, emphasizes the excelsior spirit of the event.

"Chef par Excellence drives the mission of culinary integrity, artistry, and creativity to the next level of excellence by recognizing and motivating chefs in their pursuit of excellence in the craft and profession, and being on par with the world's best," he said.

"Sinodis and Global Gourmet have one common mission," Werner Schuppisser, CEO of Sinodis, said. "We partner together in providing the platform for the new generation of chefs in China to standout and be counted among the most outstanding chefs in the world."

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