Norwegians issue cheeky challenge to French over Olympic food
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A recipe created by Charles Guilloy, the executive chef for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, that will be available at the athletes' village during the Games.
PHOTO: REUTERS
PARIS – The Norwegian delegation engaged in some good-natured ribbing of their hosts over comments about food quality and small portions at the athletes’ Olympic Village, claiming to have won more medals in recent years than the French for their cuisine.
“When you travel to France, you expect that the food will be very, very good. I’d like to point out that Norway also has a performance culture when it comes to food,” Norway’s chef de mission Tore Oevrebroe said on July 25 with a glint in his eye.
“We have more medals (for food) since 1987 than the French have, and that means that we come with higher expectations.”
Used to consuming thousands of calories a day to keep themselves going, some athletes have complained that they were struggling to eat enough in the village.
According to the BBC, 13 million meals are expected to be served during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, feeding “15,000 athletes from 208 territories and nations, plus support teams, officials and volunteers”.
But even before the Games have kicked into high gear, there were already reports that there is inadequate food supply – in particular grilled chicken and eggs.
“At the beginning of every Games there are usually two or three issues and the transportation is always one,” British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Anson told The Times of London. “But the big one this time is the food in the village, which is not adequate.”
Oevrebroe said that they were working with the various Olympic committees to improve things.
“The quantity is no longer a problem, (but) there’s been a little bit to say about the quality, but it’s getting better and better every day,” he added.
The Australian delegation appear to be taking no chances on that front, bringing with them more than three tonnes of tuna, 10,000 muesli bars and 2,400 meat pies, as well as three baristas, who expect to make more 20,000 shots of coffee during the Games.
Asked if the Norwegians had brought anything with them, Oevrebroe said that no special arrangements were made to transport food to France for the Games.
“No, some people probably have their preferences, but I haven’t taken a house survey to see if anyone has brought anything in their suitcase,” he said, before realising there was one Norwegian delicacy they might be missing.
“If someone has brown cheese, I’d understand it very well,” he added. REUTERS, AFP
