Dhaka: To celebrate the multicultural diversity of food from across the world the 7th International Young Chef Olympiad (YCO)-2021 kicks off January 31.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event is being held virtually and will witness the participation of student chefs from 50 countries including Bangladesh, India, Spain, Canada, Switzerland, Italy, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Thailand, South Korea, Turkey, UAE, Sweden, among others. This year’s theme is 'Forward Together.

Bangladesh will be represented by young chef Reeyana Rahman of the National Hospitality Training and Tourism Institute (NHTTI) along with her Mentor Jahida Begum.

The competition is being organized by the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) in partnership with the International Hospitality Council London, the contestants will undertake 2 rounds of culinary challenges in their quest to win the coveted YCO 2021 Champion Trophy, a cash prize of USD 10,000 and a validation of their skills by globally renowned experts from the food and hospitality industry.

Opening Ceremony is scheduled on Sunday, Jan 31, 06:30 PM India Time OR 1 PM GMT and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/5Ym6p78NA5s.