Johan Kurkela knows exactly what he wants and what he is capable of. On Sunday, he will compete in the world’s most prestigious chef competition in the European stables in Marseille.
The careful work of Johan Kurkela and Niilo Suominen in the Finnish qualifiers, where they were looking for a Bocuse d’Or representative. Santeri Stenvall
If you don’t aim for victory, it’s pointless to compete. This is what Finland’s Bocuse d’Or representative thinks Johan Kurkela.
– This general exercise was the best performance so far, but you can always do better. You have to be able to improve all the time, says Kurkela.
He knows what he’s talking about, because this is Kurkela’s second time representing Finland in the world’s toughest cooking competition.
Kurkela aims for victory. There are 12 five-and-a-half-hour competition practice sessions – not to mention all the other training.
The two-year competition season is halfway through, and next Sunday are the European qualifiers in Marseille, France. 20 countries are aiming to reach the top ten and then to the finals to be held next year in Lyon, France.
Before Sunday, you may not publish any photos of this year’s competition dish, portions or talk about the recipe.
Kurkela says at the press conference held after the last practice that he learned a lot from the previous competition season.
– You can’t do this alone. It is important to have people around to help, he says.
Coach in the kitchen
Haaga-Helia’s training kitchen has been visited by, among others, a top basketball coach Henrik Dettmann. He is one of the most recognized coaches in Finnish sports history.
Dettmann sees many similarities between competitive sports and cooking.
– This is an admirable thing. It’s great to see how the Finnish team is chasing a big dream. This is top sport, Dettmann tells Iltalehte.
According to him, all the same elements are also in sports, such as precise training, the pursuit of perfection, insane concentration and being in the moment.
Johan Kurkela’s gasping when he found out that he is Finland’s representative for the Bocuse d’Or competition season 2026-2027. Santeri Stenvall
– In the competition kitchen it’s even more brutal, in basketball you can sometimes miss. You can’t here. On the other hand, the Finnish team must see that they have a unique journey. That’s the biggest thing. Sure, they pile on the pressure to perform, but afterwards they can look at what a great trip it was. Very few can do this.
When asked what Dettmann has been doing in the training kitchen, he answers that he has mostly been learning by himself. Dettmann, who spoke a lot about leadership, motivation and teamwork, reminds us that top performance is top performance – in any sport.
– The dynamics are not very different. There are big expectations and preparation. One could talk about pressure, but I have said that this is just for pleasure. Try to enjoy it.
A striking design platter
Kurkela thanks his team’s team spirit. In a competitive kitchen, everyone must know what they are doing and bear their own responsibility for the overall performance.
– We have become a good team.
On the first day, Finland competes in two kitchens.
President of the Finnish Bocuse d’Or team and judge of the competition Tommi Tuominen considers the competition venue good.
He reminds that there is a tougher level in the European competition than in the final. Basutuuha’s entire competition for European cooking skills. The toughest competitors come from Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
Tommi Tuominen, Mikko Kaukonen, Johan Kurkela and Niilo Suominen, the Finnish Bocuse d’Or team in the competition season 2026-2027. Eeva Paljakka
This year, Finland impresses, among other things, with another competition task. It was designed and realized by the silversmith Mauri Haapamäki, who was chosen as the goldsmith of 2026.
Tuominen assures that Finland has never had such a spectacular dish before.
– We have a brave candidate who makes things happen. We have to dare to think big if we want to succeed, says Tuominen.
The platter, which paid a handsome sum, has already been sold in an auction organized for the benefit of the Finnish Bocuse d’Or team. When it returns home from Marseille, the new owner gets a unique piece of silverware.
Healthy cooking
Tuominen characterizes that this year there is more honest cooking in the competition than before.
– That is what the Bocuse d’Or organization has requested. In recent years, there has been too much so-called dollhouse food. If 3D printers scream more than stoves in the kitchen, the competition has become a bit boring, Tuominen downloads.
Here are this year’s assignments in their simplest form:
The main ingredients of the plate are cuttlefish (octopus) and Camargue beef tenderloin. In addition, garlic and olive oil are used as mandatory flavor elements in the dish, which must be clearly recognizable as part of the whole.
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You can find frozen red snapper in the freezer of Haaga-Helia’s practice kitchen. Eeva Paljakka
The main raw material for the dish task is a fish called red-throated mussel.
Add chickpeas, which should be at least 60 percent. The remaining 40 percent must represent the competitor’s own country and its food tradition.
Another ingredient is the purple artichoke. The mandatory sauce for the dish must be made from sea urchin.