The Lauded Bocuse D’Or Is Coming To America For The First Time Ever

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There’s a big moment brewing for haute cuisine in the States: the storied Bocuse d’Or and the Americas selections of the Pastry World Cup will be held for the first time ever in the US next year. The location: The Big Easy.

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The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will host the two continental selections of the most prestigious international culinary and pastry competitions June 11, 12 and 13, 2024, showcasing the best pastry chefs and cooks from all over the American continent.

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On Tuesday, June 11, up to eight countries from North and South America will take part in the Americas selection of the Pastry World Cup. The three teams on the podium will qualify for the Grand Finale which will take place during Sirha Lyon® in January 2025. A new feature of this cycle will be an emblematic dessert of the country hosting the continental selections. The candidate teams will have to work around a staple American dessert, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
On Wednesday, June 12 and Thursday, June 13, the Bocuse d’Or Americas will take over the stage, with up to 12 countries competing. At the end of these two days of competition, the jury will qualify the five best teams for the Grand Finale of the Bocuse d’Or, also scheduled in January 2025 in France, during the next Sirha Lyon®.

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As a regular participant in these competitions, a USA team has reached the podium six times at the Pastry World Cup, with a World Champions title in 2001, and twice at the Bocuse d’Or, notably with the victory of Mathew Peters in 2017.

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New Orleans is the perfect place for this competition given its rich and varied culinary heritage. Where else in the world can you dine on unique and distinctive dishes like gumbo, a traditional soup inherited from Creole cuisine, and crawfish étouffée, a typical stew served with rice? As proof of the city’s rich heritage, many local restaurants and chefs are honored each year by the James Beard Foundation. This year, New Orleans was also named Best Food Destination in the US by Tripadvisor as part of the 2023 Travelers’ Choice Awards, making this city an obvious choice to host these two culinary competitions.

Photo Credit: New Orleans & CompanyTHE AMERICAS SELECTIONS OF THE PASTRY WORLD CUP AND BOCUSE D’OR WILL BE HELD IN THE USA