Paul Bocuse

in Stavanger 2008 Photo: Jarle Vines
Born	February 11, 1926 (1926-02-11) (aged 83) Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, France
Cooking style	Nouvelle Cuisine
Current restaurant(s) l'Auberge du Pont de Collonges
Official Website

Paul Bocuse (born on February 11, 1926 in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, Rhône) is a French chef, considered one of the finest chefs of the 20th century. He is widely credited with being one of the first chefs to emerge from the kitchen and to enter public life. In this role, he has extensively traveled for several decades, promoting French cuisine, starting restaurants and culinary institutions, and participating in other business ventures.

Bocuse is one of the most prominent chefs associated with the nouvelle cuisine , which is less opulent and calorific than the traditional cuisine classique, and stresses the importance of fresh ingredients of the highest quality. Paul Bocuse claimed that Henri Gault first used the term, nouvelle cuisine, to describe food prepared by Bocuse and other top chefs for the maiden flight of the Concorde airliner in 1969.^[1] In 1975, he created the world famous soupe aux truffes (truffle soup) for a presidential dinner at the Elysée Palace. Since then, the soup has been served in Bocuse's restaurant near Lyon as Soupe V.G.E., V.G.E. being the initials of former president of France Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

[edit] Contribution to French gastronomy

Bocuse has made many contributions to French gastronomy both directly and indirectly. Bocuse has had numerous students, many of whom have become famous chefs themselves. One of his students was Austrian Eckart Witzigmann, one of four Chef of the Century and the first German-speaking and the third non-French-speaking chef to receive three Michelin stars. Since 1987, the Bocuse d'Or has been regarded as the most prestigious award for chefs in the world (at least when French food is considered), and is sometimes seen as the unofficial world championship for chefs. Paul Bocuse has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the medal of Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur

[edit] Restaurants

Le Nord, one of Bocuse's chain of brasseries in central Lyon.

Bocuse's main restaurant is the luxury restaurant l'Auberge du Pont de Collonges, near Lyon, which has been serving a traditional menu for decades. It is one of a small number of restaurants in France to receive the coveted three-star rating by the Michelin Guide. He also operates a chain of brasseries in Lyon, named Le Nord, l'Est, Le Sud and l'Ouest, each of which specialises in a different aspect of French cuisine. His son, Jerome, manages the Chefs de France restaurant inside the French pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot.^[2]

Bocuse is considered an ambassador of modern French Cuisine. He was honoured in 1961 with the title Meilleur Ouvrier de France. He had been apprenticed to Fernand Point, a master of classic French cuisine; and Bocuse dedicated his first book to him.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Paul Bocuse's Official site
• Photos of Le Sud
• Bocuse d'Or Official site

Lyon portal