The Chef of the Royal Danish household, Mr. Takeshi, a Japanese, gathered with other Chefs of world Royalties in Bangkok at the beginning of November for a week of culinary revelry and a break from their demanding duties.
While the Club of the Chefs to the Heads of State sees its members as “ardent defenders of their own national gastronomy”, Denmark’s royal family is unique in having a Japanese chef.
“I guess I tried harder than other Danes,” Mr. Takeshi joked about how he got the job, although he declined to say whether sushi and other Japanese favourites were fixtures on his menu.
The Chefs meet once a year for a chance to discuss global culinary trends, sample local specialities, and perhaps pick up a recipe or two to try out on their employers back home.
But the Club refrains from gossiping about their employers.
“We’re all required to be discreet,” Scheib, the Chef of the White House, says. However, at a press conference at the beginning of the week they did reveal that security has been boosted in their leaders’ kitchens over the past year due to the September 11 attacks, the subsequent war on terrorism and perceived threats against Western interests.
“I can’t get into what they are,” he said of the heightened security measures, “but suffice it to say that the chain of flow of the product is more secure than it’s ever been. And I think that is across the board”.
Lionel Mann, the long-time chef to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, says the primary focus of concern in the kitchen now rests with outside suppliers.
“All commodities are checked in thoroughly for weight and quality and quantity,” Mann said. “And while we’re doing that, obviously we’re aware if anyone puts a hand-grenade in the pineapples.” (AFP)
