Bocuse d'Or USA

The Bocuse d'Or USA is a chef championship, where the winner is selected to represent the U.S. in the international Bocuse d'Or competition. Following 20 years of American representation in the competition, in 2008 Paul Bocuse asked Daniel Boulud to establish a structure for the selection of Team USA, who along with Thomas Keller and Jérôme Bocuse form the Board of Directors of the Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation. The first Bocuse d'Or USA competition was held in September 2008.

Although the Bocuse d'Or competition is frequently referred to as the culinary equivalent of the Olympic Games, it is the International Exhibition of Culinary Art of Germany, more officially titled the Culinary Olympics, which is separated by an , i.e. a period of four years.

Following an idea by Boulud, the Bocuse d'Or was applied as the theme of an episode of Top Chef season 6, representing the biggest publicity the event has to date received in the United States.

To be eligible competitors in Bocuse d'Or USA, the chef applicants must be U.S. citizens and 23 years of age or older at the time of the following international final competition in Lyon, France, and have had at least three years of experience in a fine dining establishment. The chef's assistant, the commis, must be a U.S. citizen and 22 years or younger at the time of the final competition in Lyon. Judges determine the winning team to represent Team USA at the following Bocuse d'Or international competition, and award a trophy and cash prize for the each top three final competition teams. The gold medal comes with a $5,000 prize, the silver medal with $4,000 and the bronze medal with $3,000 in 2010, down from the 2008 prizes set at $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000. Team USA is provided with a year-long training program supervised by the Foundation’s Board of Directors, Culinary Council and selected culinary experts, and all direct expenses surrounding the international participation are paid.

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