South Africa has won another gold medal, this time in the IKA Culinary Olympics, the most prestigious international culinary competition in the world.

"We congratulate each chef in the South African team for this outstanding achievement," says South African Tourism CEO Moeketsi Mosola. "South Africa has a rich culinary heritage and they did us proud in representing it."

The team of ten proudly South African chefs in Culinary Team South Africa claimed victory in the Restaurant of Nations component of the competition that attracted the participation of 32 national teams from around the globe. The contest is currently held in Germany.

Each team had to prepare a starter, main course and dessert reflecting their country's unique cuisine, for 110 people.

Eight of the 32 teams took to the stoves in this component on Monday, and only two gold medals were awarded – one to South Africa and one to Singapore.

Mosola added that South Africa's historic mix of cultures has created an array of unique dishes, and that these tantalising tastes greatly enriched the experience of every visitor to the country. "We have wild spaces, warm weather, friendly people and, to cap it all, sublime dining," he said.

South Africa competes in the second component of the competition, a spectacular display of culinary art requiring four days of preparation. The team is optimist of doing very well in this component of the contest too.

The IKA Culinary Olympics is held once every four years in Germany. It is hosted by the German Chefs Association and is regarded as the premier global cuisine contest in the world - the cooking Olympics.