I must admit before this story I had no idea about the existence of a Culinary Olympics. Yet it is among the oldest, largest, and most diverse international culinary arts competitions in the world. Having begun in the 1900s, this competition, much like the Olympics, is conducted once every four years. What started as a competitive exhibition has developed into an international event, and this year, before the coronavirus pandemic was declared, there were close to 2,000 chefs participating from across 59 countries.
Representing India at the Culinary Olympics 2020, which was held in Stuttgart, Germany, in February 2020, Yeshwanth Kumar Umashankar (16) won four silver medals.
Inspiration at home
For Yeshwant, an interest in cooking and culinary arts began rather early. He says that seeing his father, Chef Umasankar Dhanapal, work was what inspired him. “From as early as I can remember I have seen my father carve fruits and vegetables and prepare food that…