The identities of the sixteen lucky chefs heading to Orlando in September to qualify for the Bocuse d'Or will be announced on Thursday at Daniel. On July 24, the eight two-chef teams will be briefed at the French Culinary Institute on competition cooking and prepare one dish, which will be evaluated by Daniel Boulud. The European selection process is already complete, and thirteen teams from Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom are preparing for the cooking Olympics. Will the forces of American gastronomy, even after their crack training in Napa Valley at Thomas Keller’s culinary compound, be able to surmount all that manpower? We'll start placing bets on Thursday.

Earlier: Roland Henin to Coach Team USA in Bocuse d'Or
Everything You Wanted to Know About the Bocuse d’Or Competition But Were Afraid to Ask