Young Chefs Tournament at KazanForum 2026 to Debut a New Format

From 13 to 15 May, the third Yunus Akhmetzyanov International Tournament of Young Chefs will take place as part of KazanForum 2026. Forum guests will not only be able to watch the competition, but also taste dishes prepared by the finalists.

The tournament will bring together young chefs aged between 16 to 25 from 18 countries: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Senegal, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Jordan.

This year, the international jury has decided to add an element of suspense and refresh the competition: for the first time, the tournament will be held in a so called “black box” format, with participants learning a set of food products they’ll have to work with only right before the start of the competition.

The visitors will also have the opportunity to sample the cuisines of countries from the Islamic world as bento boxes, featuring dishes from Tatarstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Tunisia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Lebanon.

“The Tournament has extended beyond the scope of a simple local event for Kazan and Tatarstan a long time ago. Today, it serves as a valid international platform, attracting chefs and jury members from OIC member states. The Tournament provides our regional teams with the opportunity to showcase Tatar and Russian cuisine on a par with the culinary traditions of other nations. In turn, it also acts as a long term tool for putting Tatarstan on the international gastronomic map.” said Zufar Gayazov, the Tournament Organiser and President of the Association of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Registration for the Event is available through the link.

Media registration is available through the link: 

Registration is open until 30 April 2026. 
The full programme is available on the official forum website