Valrhona Now Accepting Entries For The 3rd Edition Of The 2011 C3 Culinary Competition

Valrhona, maker of fine chocolate, announces the launch of the 2011 C3 Culinary competition. All working food industry professional 22 years or older at time of application are eligible to enter and have a chance to be among the six semi-finalists selected by a jury to compete in the finals at the Madrid Fusion in 2012. Deadline for the C3 applications is January 31, 2011. For detailed information on how to enter, and a downloadable application, culinary professionals may visit www.cercle.valrhona.com. Applications must include a recipe, the name of the submitted recipe, a list of ingredients, a brief written description of the presentation, and the method, along with photos of the dish in various stages of preparation and in its final form.

Every year entrants are given a contest theme to follow, and for this year's theme, entrants are asked to submit a creative and original plated dessert inspired by MANJARI & flavors from Madagascar using Valrhona Grand Cru: MANJARI 64%.

Between March and May 2011, six regional semi-finals will be held for France, Italy, Spain, Asia, Americas, and Northern Europe/Middle-East in Valrhona's three different ecoles du Grand Chocolat in Tain l'Hermitage, Paris and Tokyo.

On February 28th, 2011, six (6) semi-finalists from the Americas region will be selected, based on the contest application, photos, and recipe submissions, by jury. The semi-finalists' recipes will be made and tasted by culinary professionals in France at the L'Ecole du Grand Chocolat in Tain l'Hermitage.

These six semi-finalists will be sent by Valrhona on an expenses-paid trip to Paris to the new Valrhona School in April 2011 to compete for a place in the final round of the competition. One finalist from this group of six will win the honor of competing against winners from the other global "regions" in the C3 final competition at Madrid Fusion.

There, a jury of culinary and media professionals, led by Bocuse d'Or winner Rasmus Kofoed, will judge the C3 World Finals, at which the US semi-finalists will compete against each other as well as semi-finalists from regions around the world for the Grand Prize of 5,000 Euros as well as the C3 2012 Trophy.

In this last round of the competition, all semi-finalists will be judged by a jury of culinary luminaries and media professionals on the following criteria:

- Technical ability
- Balance of textures
- Creativity and Originality
- Combination of tastes
- Cleanliness
- Overall organization
- Trimmings & wastage
- Service timing respect

Schedule:
- Applicants must register before January 31st 2011 and submit a recipe inspired by MANJARI & flavors from Madagascar. They must use Manjari.
- Pre-selections by written applications end of February (24th, 25th, 26th)
- Results of participants are pre-selected (6 per region) February 28th, 2011
- The Regional competition for: Americas, Northern Europe and Middle East will be held at Ecole du Grand Chocolat Paris April 6th & 7th
- Results of the 6 semi-finalists: June 2011
- New Registration form sent by email to the 6 selected people for the final
- International final of the Context in Madrid in 2012
Please note: Recipes will be submitted on-line and by regular mail. For information please go to: www.cercle.valrhona.com, click on English tab (password not necessary) for English text and instructions.

Completed dossiers must contain: name of recipe, description/presentation, method, photos of the finished recipe and of different stages of preparation and ingredients list) should be sent by email to C3@valrhona.com and/or by post to: C3 Competition - Valrhona - 14, avenue du President Roosevelt - 26600 Tain L'Hermitage, France, to arrive before January 31, 2011.

(See the rules for more details) http://www.cercle.valrhona.com/cercle_des_chefs/images/pdf/reglement_en.p