International Chefs Day – A Day to Give Thanks and Share Blessings

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As of 2005, we now have one day per year where we can “meet and greet” our fellow chefs. Called International Chefs Day, this very special day was first launched on the 20th of October 2005, and this day was given to chefs all over the world to celebrate their profession as well as give honor to their dedication in bringing good food to the table. But what is the International Chefs Day exactly? Who started it and why? More importantly, what can you expect during this day?

As stated above, the International Chefs Day is one day in a year where chefs from all over the globe join in to celebrate their chosen career as well as share their blessings not only with their colleagues but with the whole world as well.

This special day was first started by the World Association of Cooks Societies or WACS. The association has a member of more than eight million chefs coming from all over the globe, and they launched the International Chefs Day mainly to promote their profession. Aside from this, the International Chefs Day also aims to raise funds that will go to and benefit culinary communities all over the world.

So, what are the events and activities that you can participate at during the International Chefs Day? For one, the countries will hold culinary competitions, and aside from this, there will also be charity events participated not only by the chefs but also by a number of charity organizations as well government officials and the country’s tourism board. Not only can this help boost the local economy via the tourists and guests that it brings, but it is the most perfect way of creating a very massive awareness for the culinary profession.

The last years, we have seen very successful launchings of the International Chefs Day across the globe, and here are some of the events hosted by members of the WACS across the world to commemorate this very special day.

One of the countries that participated in the initial worldwide launching of the International Chefs Day in 2005 is Hong Kong, and its Hong Kong Chef Association or the HKCA hosted a charity luncheon buffet participated by some of the countries top chefs. They cooked up delicious menus for their guests and visitors, the proceeds of which went to the Ho Chi Association. The recipient is a school that teaches handicapped individuals. Aside from the charity luncheon buffet, there were also a number of interesting activities, one of which is making a name in the World Guinness Book Records by creating the globe’s biggest galantine at a whopping 12 meters. This was done in conjunction with the Australian Culinary Federation, and again, the proceeds of this activity went directly to charity.

In 2007, the Czech Republic’s Czech Association of Chefs and Pastry Chefs have celebrated the International Chefs Day by highlighting the local cuisine and dishes of their country. They have partnered with the Agency Czech Tourism to not only promote their local dishes but to also promote tourism. Aside from this, the organizers of the International Chefs Day in Czech Republic also aimed to promote worldwide awareness of global starvation problems through charity events. The recipient of the said activity went to the Endowment Fund of Livia and Vaclav Klaus.

In Toronto, Canada, the Escoffer Society of Toronto hosted a culinary event for the International Chefs Day 2009 wherein guests and visitors as well as the chefs, of course, can visit booths set up by the participating chefs and organizations. There, they can get a sample of some of the best culinary treats. The menus mostly make use of the local ingredients to highlight their local produce and products, and each treat can range anywhere from a couple of dollars to three dollars. The proceeds of the event went directly to Second Harvest where it reached and helped thousands of men and women, and most especially children.

These are just some of the events the different countries held to celebrate the International Chefs Day, but the events have done what they originally set out to do – to celebrate the culinary profession, to raise funds that will help charity, and to promote awareness of the common worldwide problems, one of which is global starvation. This is the culinary world’s way of giving back to the community that has given them so much.

This year, the theme for the International Chefs Day is “Go Green with Chefs.” It cannot be denied that there is an increasing problem of pollution in the world, and through this year’s International Chefs Day, the association aims to promote increased awareness of this reality and provide some help on how to decrease the problem.

There is still a good month to go before October 20, and we all have ample time to come up with creative ideas on how to do justice to this year’s theme, so gather your team and bounce ideas around. You are bound to get a good one on how you can help the environment through your chosen career. Aside from this, this should also serve as a very good time for you to review just how “clean and green” you are in your kitchen. Of course, there is the usual and ever popular use of organic produce for the kitchen as well as the avoidance of using endangered species such as the Chilean sea bass. There is also the segregation of garbage to recyclable and non-recyclable wastes and the proper disposal of garbage and wastes. However, this should not be limited to these alone, but you also have to take a look at what your kitchen has.

Local bottled water versus transported bottled water? Local bottle water not only cost less but they are also of the same quality, whereas bottle water that needed to be transported to get to your kitchen will need gas and fuel for transportation purposes. Not only are they more expensive, but it is also consuming precious resources. Now, how about your kitchen electricity costs? What can you do to save electricity and reduce your kitchen overhead expenses? For this reason, you can avail of the services of your local electrician to check your kitchen appliances and equipment. He can give you some great tips on how to save resources.

Lastly, how can you, as a chef, bring this year’s theme to the attention of your country and, in the long run, the rest of the world?

Here are some tips on how to do this monumental task. Get in touch with your local chefs association and share the ideas that you have formulated with your team. Next, make use of the media to get the word out there. This includes participating in TV as well as radio shows to educate viewers and listeners about International Chefs Day’s Go Green with Chefs. This also includes sharing tips and advices on how you can help save the planet.

As for the activities that you can do, you can hold charity luncheon events where you can get together with other chefs to come up with Go Green menus, using items found in the local market. This way, you also get to include the local market scene in the special occasion. Aside from luncheons and dinners, the activities could also include contests and competitions like “submit a Go Green recipe” or “best Go Green dish.”

There really are a lot of ways on how you can fully embody the theme before October 20 arrives, so why don’t we use the remaining time to share ideas? Do you have any articles perhaps that you want to share? What are your plans for the said event? Furthermore, what are your plans for your own kitchen to continue with the “going green” idea?

Image Credit: wacs2000.org

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