It has taken four years of serious training to get ready for the next Olympics. But instead of working out in a gym or hitting the pavement, seven South African chefs have been rigorously cooking, tasting and adjusting recipes to take on chefs from 32 countries at the IKA Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany, from this coming Saturday to Tuesday.South Africa has taken part in the competition, which started in 1896, since 1980. The country has scored five gold medals and walked away with a fourth place in the Hot Kitchen category.The Culinary Olympics are held every four years.Chefs Henrico Grobbelaar, Blake Anderson, Trevor Boyd, Minette Smith, Arno Ralph, Dion Vengatass and Kirstin Hellemann will represent South Africa. They flew to Germany on Tuesday.The competition has two categories:The Cold Table; andThe Hot Kitchen.The team will cater for 110 international judges.SA Chefs' Association head of marketing and events Katlego Tshabangu said: "The chefs have been practising for four years through hosted lunches and dinners at which diners judged the food and shared what they felt worked and didn't."The team has themed the cold dish "The Bounty of the Earth", taking inspiration from the country's rich natural resources and mining history, as well as the abundant bounty of ingredients from land and sea.They will serve a "chocolate showpiece of a mineshaft" with traditional mining equipment completing the picture.The hot kitchen menu consists of a starter of "Cape Malay" crayfish - poached crayfish, pressed carrot terrine, carrot mayonnaise and Malay curry sauce.The main course is Springbok "Masakhane", which comprises pan-roasted loin of springbok, rolled veal sweetbread, red cabbage and cider puree, savoy cabbage and Boulangére potato.Dessert will be a textured splash of raspberry, rose, coconut and white chocolate."The Malay influences in this dish are representative of the rich history of the Cape Malay community. The use of springbok meat showcases South Africa's quality indigenous produce and the rose elements of the dish represent Bloemfontein where an annual rose festival is held," said Tshabangu.Winners will be announced next week.The team returns to South Africa on October 30...