Cover Seasonal produce is at the culinary core of this year’s Olympics (Photo: Getty Images)
Seasonal produce is at the culinary core of this year’s Olympics (Photo: Getty Images)
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A majority of the dishes served to athletes and attendees of the 2024 Summer Olympics will be plant-based and crafted with sustainability in mind
French cuisine is one of the world’s most renowned. Often protein-forward, cheese-centric, and slathered in butter, the concept of plant powered meals remains largely outlandish in the region. The Paris Olympics 2024 is redefining this and making history by catering a menu driven primarily by plant-based fare. In an effort to reduce carbon emissions, 60 per cent of the Olympics’ menu will consist of vegetarian and vegan dishes.
The Olympic planning committee was tasked with cutting down carbon by 50 per cent this year and developing a menu forwarded by plants, crafted using local produce and reducing the amount of air-flown ingredients. Components for almost every dish served at the game will be sourced from France, leaving some room for athletes’ special requests. Bananas, the occasion’s most popular fruit, will be shipped via boat, nutritious meals will feature locally grown quinoa and lentils, and passionfruit, which must be transported by air, will be banned.
Read more: 10 sustainable bars and restaurants to visit in Malaysia
Above Executive chef Charles Guilloy preparing dishes for the Olympic Village (Photo: Instagram / @charlesguilloy)
Above A plant-forward dish to be expected at the Olympic Village (Photo: Instagram / @charlesguilloy)
Executive chef Charles Guilloy preparing dishes for the Olympic Village (Photo: Instagram / @charlesguilloy)
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The restaurant at the famed Olympic Village is expected to serve 40,000 meals a day, a third of which will be entirely plant-based. Helmed by executive chef Charles Guilloy, the restaurant will house his signature dishes of locally sourced French green lentil dal, a vegetarian bourguignon of seasonal vegetables, and a traditional tomato and onion tarte tatin.
Above A plant-based burger from Garden Gourmet (Photo: Instagram / @gardengourmetfr)
Above Garden Gourmet’s falafel (Photo: Instagram / @gardengourmetfr)
A plant-based burger from Garden Gourmet (Photo: Instagram / @gardengourmetfr)
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Garden Gourmet, a sponsor of this year’s Olympics and specialist in plant-based meat substitutes, will also offer vegetarian burgers and beetroot and chickpea falafels. All athletes will have their dietary requirements met with responsibly sourced meats and meals that cater to culturally specific diets.
See also: 9 plant-based restaurants in Malaysia
Above Roasted cauliflower, a signature dish from Shirvan (Photo: Instagram / @shirvanparis)
Roasted cauliflower, a signature dish from Shirvan (Photo: Instagram / @shirvanparis)
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The Michelin-starred chef, Akrame Benallal of Paris’ Shirvan, will also cater a few of his signature dishes to athletes, from his acclaimed savoury muesli crafted with quinoa from the south of France and topped with mascarpone, parmesan, and fried grains to mushroom croquettes spiced with black cardamom.
Above Plant-based hot dogs (Photo: Instagram / @gardengourmetfr)
Above A stack of crepes (Photo: Getty Images)
Plant-based hot dogs (Photo: Instagram / @gardengourmetfr)
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Elevated and vegetarian iterations of stadium snacks will be served to attendees with plant-based hot dogs, vegan escalope sandwiches, organic crepes, and egg muffins to be expected.
Above A vegan dessert from the now closed Ona (Photo: Instagram / @claire_vallee_)
A vegan dessert from the now closed Ona (Photo: Instagram / @claire_vallee_)
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A first in the history of the games, the move to champion vegetarian dishes will also set a new precedent for the country’s culinary landscape. Despite its internationally loved dishes from escargot to boeuf bourguignon, French cuisine does not typically platform plant-based dishes.
The country falls far behind its European neighbours in terms of vegetarian cuisine, with France consuming the highest amounts of beef and veal within the continent. The only Michelin-starred vegan restaurant in Arés, Ona, shut its doors just a year after receiving the award. As of now, there is only one vegetarian restaurant with a star in the country.
Above Plant-based mushroom and vegetable bourguignon (Photo: Instagram / @la.cuisine.de.geraldine)
Plant-based mushroom and vegetable bourguignon (Photo: Instagram / @la.cuisine.de.geraldine)
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While France’s dining scene will not be bidding farewell to foie gras anytime soon, the Olympics’ shift towards climate consciousness and sustainable dining may signal a more significant change. French cuisine rules the culinary world with an iron fist and pioneered fine dining as we know it. To this day, global epicurean trends are dictated by the food of France—evident in an international prioritisation of seasonal produce, a defining trait of French cuisine.
While culinary evolution is near impossible to predict, it is safe to assume that the menus of the country’s largest event may be the catalysts that inspire cuisine-wide change, or at least help vegetable bourguignon sound less blasphemous.
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About
Chelsea is a Dining Writer for Tatler Malaysia. When she’s not eating or writing about eating, she’s probably deciphering which oat milks froth the best for homemade flat whites.
Work
Chelsea writes about where to find great food and is passionate about exploring the cultural significance of different cuisines.
