Thai chefs battle to wow world leaders at Apec summit
Thailand’s latest soft-power weapon will be “future food”, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said on Saturday.
Don was speaking at the final of the "Plate to Planet Competition", held ahead of next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Bangkok.
The contest challenged 2,000 chefs to create new dishes to enhance Thai cuisine’s reputation. The winning team will receive 1 million baht and have its dishes served to world leaders at the summit.
Praising the 21 finalists at CentralWorld in Bangkok, Don said their efforts were also part of Thailand’s drive towards sustainability.
"Thailand is recognised internationally for its food expertise, so we should be proud of it," he said.
He also vowed to add future food to the Land of Smiles’ global soft-power reach.
Future food is defined as sustainable food, including plant-based products.
Future food is a growing trend in the 300-trillion-baht global food industry, now accounting for 1.6 trillion baht, said Prime Minister's Office Minister Anucha Nakasai.
"This [trend] is an opportunity for new generations to develop businesses and use our resources to the fullest to boost the country's economy," he said.
He also invited people to vote for their favourite dish among the 21 finalists at www.futurefoodapec.com.
