After a two-day marathon of cooking and judging that pitted chefs from 24 countries against each other, the chef from Norway won the Bocuse d’Or, the cooking competition known as the Olympics of Food.

Geir Skeie, the 28-year-old chef at Mathuset Solvold in Sandefjord, Norway, will go home with a trophy of a golden effigy of Mr. Bocuse in his chef’s outfit and 20,000 euros, about $26,000.

Each chef was tasked to prepare a meat dish comprising Aberdeen Angus beef and a fish dish with Norwegian fresh cod, king scallops and wild prawns as core ingredients within 5 1/2 hours.

“Philippe Mille – the 34-year-old Frenchman who is the sous-chef at the three-star Paris restaurant Le Meurice – was a strong candidate, and many expected him to win, but his fish dish came out a minute late, which cost the French team 12 points in the scoring.”

The judging follows a complex system. Twenty-four judges from 24 countries serve on either a meat or a fish jury.

The highest and lowest scores given to each chef are disregarded and the rest are tallied to determine scores.

The quality of the food determines two-thirds of the score, 40 points; presentation counts for 20 points.

If there is a tie, another 20 points will be awarded based on factors like organization, teamwork, cleanliness and a lack of waste.

Via Basil Katz – NYtimes. Photos : Daylife / LAtimesblogs.