Until the contest on January 31st, find here the portraits of the eight candidates running for the 55th edition of the ‘Taittinger’. Today meet Désirée Jaks, representing Sweden.
Désirée is originally from Poland and has worked in Sweden for many years. She is one of two female finalists this year – both a milestone for our competition and a sign that times are changing! Désirée was raised in the Polish countryside by her grandmother. And as is the case for many Chefs, it was her grandmother who taught her the basics of cooking and passed on her love of the kitchen. She learned to cook with produce from the family garden, to respect the seasons and to not waste anything.The garden was huge and she alone was responsible for feeding the household as she saw fit. As a result, she is well-acquainted with the concept of self-sufficient production – a distinct advantage given the topical nature of short supply chains.
Her incredibly unique style of cooking is on the menu at the Stockholm-based restaurant “Spesso”. Désirée cites her main source of inspiration as simply watching people in the street go by and seeing how they live. Thanks to Désirée, Sweden might just have its first winner at this competition!
