As an industry, I believe it is vital to create positive working environments. If you love what you do, you’ll work hard to protect it — and we must preserve our industry in order to preserve our planet. My dish represents these values as I’ve enjoyed preparing each and every element. Each ingredient was chosen based on locality and biodiversity. Locally-sourced ingredients often taste better, have a higher nutritional value and require minimal packaging. I want to outline the positive impact locality has on our communities, our health, our environment and our economy. The choices behind this dish (ingredients that are organic, foraged and within walking distance) contribute to preserving the Isle of Man's UNESCO status as a biosphere reserve.

Chefs and restaurants can affect this world greatly by ‘going local’ and supporting sustainable initiatives. I want to contribute balance to the world and hope to make a difference by cooking delicious, vegetable-driven food in a sustainable manner.
My dish is a way of showcasing what you can do with humble vegetables and how delicious they can be. It also represents me: who I´ve become as a person and chef, and what I believe in. One part is inspired by the street food I grew up loving in the Philippines — the carrot is grilled just like ihaw-ihaw (grilled skewers) — but the dish is Nordic, with vegetables sourced from a sustainable local farmer. The leak is cooked in the old Nordic way, via an open fire, while the tart filled with röra (a Swedish slaw).

My dish captures a sense of awareness for unity. Through a build-up of native ingredients, each component will represent cultural practices derived from regions in the Philippines that are often ignored and undermined. I want to put my whole country’s culture on a plate. This culinary analogy reflects my message that if all parts of a dish can come together to create harmony, then we as people can overcome our differences.
Each ingredient is abundantly seen in my country, but very often misused. So, I’d like to restore our ancestors’ practices to inspire locals not to forget our history and Filipino traditions. I applied techniques that extend from the north to the south of the country in a collaborative manner — not to express sophistication, but appreciation for a cultural legacy.

The inspiration for my dish emerges from my strong belief that people around the world come together through the sharing of food. The dish is based on the fusion between my Mexican roots and my experience as a newcomer to Canada. As an immigrant, I see how cultures can work together to create food that allows people to find common ground.
Always staying open to new ideas and opportunities, living in Canada has opened my eyes to new cultures, and this dish combines the idea of multiculturalism with my personal story. Mexican, French, Canadian, Chinese techniques and ingredients are some of the highlights.

My country is dealing with a big agricultural problem — we´re losing our native seeds. Sadly, only 1% of Mexicans can eat a real and healthy tortilla. So, together with Xokol, I’m working to showcase Mexico’s many native corn varieties. I would like all Mexicans to have the opportunity to eat a good tortilla, and cultivate milpa.
My dish starts with a search of my identity. I would like to express the importance of indigenous culture, as well as the wisdom of our elders. My dish reflects the value of Mexico’s natural wealth. The base of our food culture is corn and it's something we are losing. My dish is a rediscovery of the techniques and ingredients of Mexico.

I like to transform produce that most people wouldn’t consider ‘noble’ into haute cuisine. I wanted to highlight the humble vegetable in my dish — asparagus and ground ivy — by using the ingredients in their entirety. Less noble produce, like sardines and ivy, are utilised in as many ways as possible (oil, jelly, fumet, decor, juice, etc.) to reduce waste and enhance their natural taste.
With my signature dish I want to express my origins: my French heritage is represented by the asparagus, and my Portuguese heritage with the sardines and olive oil. With this dish, I wanted to express my heritage with produce that I love — and prove that we can make amazing dishes with absolutely any produce.

Great stories often start around the table. Mine started at a family dinner. My dish represents my vision as a chef: an individual whose duty it is to highlight the produce and the know-how of the supplier while transmitting his/her story non-verbally.
I want to express myself by cooking a dish that mixes tradition and evolution. My dish isn’t based on noble products and therefore I'm trying to demonstrate that the knowledge and technical skills of a chef are primordial in making a great dish. I chose to cook the suckling cockerel in different ways, the skin crispy and the leg confit. As a garnish I made a potato cake and, to add a bit of freshness, I use a puntarelle (chicory) salad before finishing the dish with a fermented corn and egg yolk sauce.

Looking ahead, I would like to have my own sustainable restaurant — both at an energy consumption level, as well as a produce and recycling level. The kitchen that I’d like to create will treat produce with the utmost respect, but add a creative touch.
With this dish I would like to convey my maximum respect to the produce by utilising all the parts of the quail to create different elaborations of the sequence. I also pay tribute to Spain’s Penedès region by using our best product, wine. My intention behind this dish is to represent my homeland by reinterpreting the classic Spanish dish of pickled quail.

Every cook has what he thinks is the best dish, but I don't think it's absolute. Every country in every region has its own taste. I hope that in China I can use advanced Western cooking methods to integrate Chinese ingredients and make dishes that are appealing to Chinese diners.
Soybean is of special significance to Chinese people, just like corn to Mexicans. Chinese soybeans are changing rapidly. My dish represents how Western cooking techniques can be harnessed to make Chinese food. This is just the beginning. For China, there are too many ingredients to be discovered, and there are many possibilities to be found.

For me, gastronomy is a language. With my dish I would like to tell a story about my country and its culture, and about my approach to produce and cooking.
In this dish I’ve combined two elements that are of great importance for Russia: the sea, represented with rapa whelk, and the forest, represented by mushrooms. I grew the mushrooms myself, and in order to give them a unique lemon aroma and taste that goes so well with rapa whelk, I fertilised the soil with lemon peel. This dish perfectly illustrates my belief that a chef can influence produce — not only while cooking, but also during the growth phase.

When I was a small boy, my parents taught me how to fish, how to forage for wild mushrooms, and how to grown vegetables and fruit in the garden. I always loved to go out with them and be in the nature. Someone once said: Mother Nature is the true artist, allow her to shine. So, I want to represent Mother Nature in all her glory.
As a fly fisherman, I’ve travelled across Hungary and the region to catch the greatest fresh water fish in the world: trout. On my dish, I use ingredients that can be found next to the river to highlight the importance of preserving wild rivers.

At any culinary school, you are taught that classic French cuisine is the foundation of the industry. I’d like to be among the chefs who help shape our industry as it evolves, without losing the knowledge and appreciation of classic French cuisine.
I wanted to take a dish that is classical and big and make it my own. I wanted to showcase how far I’ve come in my career and what a modern young chef can do, all while staying true to my roots. I am now part of a new cuisine that will shape the future of the industry. The dish describes me as a chef and how I feel about this industry. Simplicity is me.

I’d like to contribute a voice to the importance of food education, preserving local food cultures and promoting local art. My dish represents the unconventional knowledge that was passed down to me from farmers, hawkers and pottery makers — all artisans who keep Singapore’s cultural traditions alive. My dish, therefore, is the bridge between the old and new, local and global.
I want to showcase and highlight the hawker culture that is dying slowly in Singapore. I grew up eating the best roast duck by the roadside in Malaysia and Singapore. This food culture is important as it represents Singapore, and Asia. This is my homage to all our artisans.

In my career as chef I would like to see the creation of a sustainable and equal environment where, regardless of sex, race or creed, you are afforded equal treatment and opportunities.

My dish represents this beliefs by bringing together two main ingredients from different cultures — both of equal importance for the balance, flavour and texture of the end result.

This dish signifies that, with the right intention to create a more dynamic and sustainable environment, we can understand and appreciate how other cultures work. I want to bring multiple cultures together on a single plate while expressing my roots and the knowledge and technique I’ve acquired during my career abroad. Through my dish I hope to express diversity and connection.

This dish is part of a long-term project known as ‘Food over Conflict’, which represents the hardworking saffron growers in Kashmir, India who are currently struggling due to political conflict.

A very important component of my dish is a locally-sourced saffron reduction from Nelson, which is blended with the saffron from Kashmir. The use of native berries and flowers represents the sustainable plant cultures that grow organically across New Zealand… this is also emblematic of my childhood as I grew up next to the Sundarbans, a sprawling mangrove forest. The Sundarbans is on the verge of disaster and must be cared for in order to conserve its precious bio-diversity.

I would like to raise awareness about the importance of our planet’s natural resources. We must respect seasonal ingredients and avoid the abuse of consumption.

My dish has minimal waste, and uses as much of the product as possible while preserving flavour, elegance and finesse. Although my cultural roots are different, I prefer to show my abilities through local produce and seek to represent the natural habitat of the blue lobster. I think vegetables are very important and that's why the artichoke has the same importance in my dish as the lobster.

As an aspiring chef who seeks to grow every day, I would like to contribute awareness and appreciation to Canadian and Filipino cuisine.

As a Filipino immigrant growing up in the urban melting pot of Toronto, Canada, this dish reflects who I am as a cook. It combines the early childhood food inspirations from my family with the technique and skills I've learned from some of my most important chef mentors.

I want this dish to represent my personal journey — from childhood, through my progression and journey as a young cook, to the chef I am today, while highlighting Canadian ingredients.

I believe that contemporary cuisine is not in line with the cuisine of the people. The exotic is not a guarantee of quality. Instead, we need to re-evaluate our ingredients and look for techniques and flavours that have become ""common"" — this is where our creativity as chefs really comes to light.

My dish is a tribute to corn, but also to ingredients that are often undervalued. It is a reminder that any ingredient is worthy of any table. The Popol Vuh (the sacred text of the Kʼicheʼ people) describes the creation of man as: ""His yellow flesh was made of yellow corn ..."" so this dish is a representation of the maternal kitchen, a kitchen that cares, that protects; it is a small homage to corn, a noble cuisine of the people. The plate is a woman covered in a rebozo, showing the warmth of a mother, and on top is a tamale, an icon of Mexico.

The kitchen has evolved so much in recent years and we must recognise those chefs who carry forward our culinary traditions. I’m young and would like to be a part of the future of gastronomy. My plate represents these beliefs because it is made with determination and desire.

With this dish, I would like to display the harmony I have when I cook. I'm Roman and I care deeply about my origins, so I've been inspired by Ancient Rome where pigeon was a popular dish, often served with dates and peaches. The use of garum was also widespread in Ancient Rome. I’ve presented these elements in my own way, while staying true to the natural, raw ingredients. Good food, imbued with memories.

I love the gastronomy of the Canary Islands and would like to bring traditional dishes into the ‘new age’ with an Italian touch. I’d like to elevate the culinary traditions of the Canary Islands so that they might be recognised as one of the tastiest in the world, and a reference for the best fine dining restaurants throughout Spain.

Through this dish I want to celebrate the importance the local produce like cochino negro (black pig) or dishes like rancho canario (Canarian stew), which many people in Spain aren’t aware of. So, I decided to use typical Canarian produce, like potato or mojo verde, and show that it is possible to elevate simple ingredients to fine dining.

In my dish, I want to concentrate on several ingredients that are popular in various regions of Russia. One of the tasks I set for myself in this dish was to highlight the taste of every ingredient and couple them with root vegetables to pay homage to classic Russian cuisine.

Using various cooking techniques, I made something totally new and trendy. This dish reflects the way I see modern Russian cuisine. It took me around half a year to find the right produce for my dish among a rich variety of seafood in Russia. I draw inspiration from my childhood memories: a taste of Kamchatka shrimp and Omul, which surpassed every expectation; exceptionally aromatic Black Sea mussels; and the unforgettable flavour of cod liver. These products compelled me to create this dish. The hardest part was to combine seafood with root vegetables that have been always widely used in Russia.

Since arriving in Asia, I changed my mind about gastronomy. The treatment of fresh food in Asia is inspiring. My dish was conceived in the micro business organic production of the simple family. My contribution would be totally in show the beautiful work of these people in conjunction with my ideas about gastronomy.

My dish, and style of cuisine, represents the multicultural gastronomy that exists in Asia. It also represents the union of my land with the culture of Asia. My dish expresses different cultures and what can be created using fresh, colourful and organic ingredients. The smoke and charcoal represent the evolution of humanity, from the earliest times these ingredients were used to enhance flavour and represent the evolution of the creativity. This dish was created with the intention to represent the ancient history of Hong Kong gastronomy, its nature and ancestors.

I want to show the world India’s food culture and produce for all its diversity, through simple, comforting food that is bold, yet rooted in tradition. I want Indians from all 29 states to feel proud of our food in a global forum.

My dish uses native ingredients taken for granted in my home state of Rajasthan, and unexplored outside of it. The different elements represent the culinary heritage of the state — from royal Rajputs, to simple pastoralist Maldharis, and so much in between.

The dish uses resilient ingredients that are cultivated or foraged from the arid desert of Rajasthan. The elements of the dish take inspiration from communities and cuisines that are integral parts of the culinary heritage of the state. This dish is a celebration of a traditional food culture that, in a harsh geographical context, has allowed people to sustain and thrive for centuries.

As a former hockey player, I was taught discipline and to strive for perfection. I've transferred my sporting experience to the kitchen, where each dish is thoughtful and refined in every detail. I focus on unlikely combinations and play with taste, so the dish I prepared is vegetarian. In my kitchen, I like to give a new dimension to products that are forgotten or rarely used.
I've made a dish of vegetables, but with techniques commonly used for meat — like fishy Jerusalem artichoke, laurel parsnip puree and marinated samphire.

From a very young age, I was taught to embrace different cultures and the native ingredients of my homeland South Africa. My dish is a representation of the countless hours spent with my father, a chef, who taught me how to respect ingredients, the land and, most of all, the people around me. This dish is not only a way of remembering him, but continuing our dream for this beautiful Rainbow Nation.
While growing up my father and I took up a lot of hobbies together, gardening being one of them, so this dish represents some of the many ingredients that grew in our garden. This dish always brings a smile to my face, as it reminds me of the valuable lessons he taught me. It reminds me to be proud of my heritage and to never forget where I come from.

My dish is based around some incredible ducks from Burrawong Gaian in Australia’s Central Coast. When creating dishes, I always try to attach them to a memory and use simplicity and technique to tell a story. In this case, the dish is inspired by some hungry ducks who, during my early years as a chef, hopped over the garden fence and helped themselves to our new rhubarb.

I would like to reduce the waste we have in the industry by teaching people how to cook the whole animal, and by using more sustainable products. I’d also like to promote the importance of seasonality, both for the quality and sustainability of the ingredient.
With this dish I would like to express what I've learnt in my experience at Blue Hill at Stone Barns with techniques learnt at The Ledbury. At both restaurants there is a wide use of sustainable ingredients, so I would like to express my version of it. My dish shows the use of the entire animal, with seasonal ingredients and Italian influences. That's me on a plate.

I think we have to return to the basics — products that are healthy, locally sourced and most importantly seasonal. We must never forget that we are what we eat!
The vegetables I used for my dish are produced by a local farmer whose field is less than 15 minutes from my restaurant. I usually go there to pick vegetables and herbs, and it’s what I did for this dish. I wanted to cook a squab because pigeons are numerous in the field and do a lot of damage to green pea cultures.

Growing up, my family lived on a rice and crawfish farm in South Louisiana. I was exposed to so many wonderful things, such as farming, hunting, fishing. I learnt to appreciate sustainability from a young age and am proud of my Cajun heritage, which I’d like to share with the world. I understand the flavours of my culture and have the experience and knowledge to put my own interpretation on classic dishes.
In South Louisiana, crawfish is traditionally enjoyed with friends and family on newspaper. I want everyone to be able to experience the traditions of Cajun cuisine in a new, refined way. The crawfish is from my family’s own pond — and I’d like to continue to source local ingredients.

I’d like to showcase the unique traditions of each of Spain’s regions so they are not forgotten. On my plate, I pay tribute to transhumance, the traditional way of raising sheep that involves the seasonal movement of livestock. This allows the earth to regenerate, ensuring the grass is in the best condition and, in turn, the animal is also at its best.
By highlighting tradition, I’d also like to respect the produce and raise awareness about the importance of sustainable farming and cooking. In this dish I use 100% of the animal and represent the story of transhumance, from the very first feed at the farm, to the sheep’s journey to a mountain summit to feed on coastal grass.

I believe it is important to reflect on our roots and history — to use our customs and traditions as a reference point for the evolution of contemporary culinary art. I like to learn about different nationalities and experiment with new cooking methods, then apply these new experiences with my past to create new flavour combinations.
Honey has a very ancient history. In fact, the presence of plants that produce nectar and pollen has been documented as far back as 150 to 100 million years ago. The first bees appeared some 50 to 25 million years ago, along with the first primates. A million years later, man appeared.
Honey is important because it is territory, it is raw, it is healthy and natural, essential, sweet and pure. The bee, in turn, is the symbol of the planet. Respect for the product is the foundation of my vision.

Mexico’s history is rich in tradition, culture and flavour — we must preserve our roots and share our culture with the world. I’d like to demonstrate how we can merge tradition and modernity by offering a mouthful of our land on the plate.
My dish, therefore, represents a Mexican field, where all the magic begins. It highlights the basic diet of our indigenous people in three parts: the joy of comforting the soul with the harvest, the joy of childhood, and the harvest of the day with the hunt. Mexican soil is represented by mole to celebrate the Aztec blessing of fruit. We made mole to celebrate our food and, above all, the feeding of a people.

My dish represents my desire to give people great food — regardless of whether it’s simple food or fine dining. I love to see the smile of people who try my dishes. This dish represents the chef I am today while showcasing Polish cuisine and products to the global world of gastronomy.
For this dish l use new techniques like confit in bees wax because it gives fish a naturally sweet flavour and the flesh remains tender. Polish ingredients like bison grass, larch, elderflower, millet and wild herbs are also used. This is a modern take on a childhood favourite. l combine flavours and simple ingredients to create an original yet sophisticated dish.

I would like to see culinary culture rising in Finland. My dream is open a restaurant and, while I don’t yet know whether it will be fine dining or casual, one thing is for sure: it will showcase Nordic cuisine.
I like to use all elements of the main ingredient. So, in this dish I used cod loin, belly, skin and bones. And each part works together to complete the dish with different textures. The loin is seasoned with grilled butter, and I add some delicious, juicy oysters to make the flavour profile more powerful. Smooth cauliflower is a friend of all the seafood, while the smoked cod belly is paired with the world’s best potatoes which come from Lapland.

I’ve worked as a chef for 12 years in Hong Kong. I haven’t been able to travel abroad due to family reasons, so finding my own style has been a challenge. But I believe we should try to use more local products to cook.
The concept of my dish is inspired by Hong Kong home cooking, and most of the ingredients used can be found at the local wet market, like golden thread bream, celtuce and kudzu root. I believe these humble ingredients can shine in fine dining too, not just at home.
The structure of this dish is “three dishes, one soup, with a bowl of rice that you can refill” — that’s an old adage that means you are having a full meal and you can enjoy your day with your family.

Over the years, Lebanon has witnessed different influences and cultures whether the ‎result of war, colonisation or immigration. I think gastronomy today is following ‎brands/ trends and neglecting cultures. To me, fire is the starting point and ‎the main identity of my dish. The flavours of fire, the taste of wood, the erotic scene ‎where fire is in direct contact with ingredients are all essential in my cooking.‎
Adam's garden reflects a sharp identity with unique and almost forgotten products and ingredients. The flavours bring to mind the Levant region — Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine — while the monochromatic plating adds a dramatic touch to my dish.

I want the world to notice Malaysia's culture and tradition. The dish uses a lot of rare ingredients from Malaysia to create local flavour profile. The concept is inspired by the local dining scene, while the use of foraged ingredients is a mark of respect to the land of Malaysia, and the hard work of farmers and fishermen.
The nose to tail concept, as well as drying up the trimmings to make a tea, demonstrates how we can reduce food waste. The use of native ingredients like kulim nut (wild jungle garlic) and pepper leaves show the world what the rainforest can offer to us, while fermented elements like garum, kosho and kombucha show that ""time"" is also an important element in cooking.

I would like to contribute food that captures my true character by using local, sustainable products. I cook local food with classic cooking methods, and seek to eliminate the wastage that often comes hand-in-hand with modern cooking. I’d like to support local farmers and producers and inspire young chefs to explore their creativity.

With my dish, I showcase vegetables as a form of edible art by combining classic techniques with modern influences. I focus on vegetables from the same family because I am fascinated with the beautiful variation of each vegetable, and the different flavours and textures that can be created.

As a cook and a gastronomist, I’d like to teach future generations how to choose the right ingredients that lead delicious meals. I chose free-range chickens and irregularly-shaped carrots grown by small local farmers rather than mass-produced ingredients — even if they’re not as pretty.

With my dish, I’ve expressed the arrival of Spring with ingredients from the Normandy region of France, which is very similar to Hokkaido, Japan where I was born and raised. The lamb is smoked with wood from apple trees, while a sauce made from lamb bones is combined with wild garlic flower buds and camembert cheese. The decorative apple blossoms represent apple trees that begin to grow with the arrival of Spring.

Reducing food waste is crucial to combating climate change, and we must fix our food system from the ground up.

My dish encapsulates my beliefs regarding whole animal butchery, fermenting and preserving ingredients to capture them at their peak while respecting natural flavours, sourcing local ingredients, and minimising waste.

I created a dish that reflects me, as well as the ingredients that thrive in Canada. I incorporate techniques of the past to create dishes that evoke nostalgia and respect for the effort put into the meal. This representation of Canada also incorporates my heritage and childhood memories of family preserves, updated with the knowledge I now have as a professional chef.