Too many cooks... trade recipes in Prague

Over the last few days the Czech Republic has been hosting quite an unusual gathering of visitors. They're the people who take care of some of the finest palates in the world. Since 1977, the Club des Chefs des Chefs brings together the chefs of monarchs, presidents and prime ministers. This year their annual meeting is taking place in Prague.

The French tailor Gilles Bragard founded the international club 28 years ago and has attended every meeting since.

"The objective of the club is first friendship. The second goal of the club is to keep the tradition of the local gastronomy. Now we speak about cuisine fusion, global cuisine - it's one thing. But I think we have to keep the roots of each national cuisine. And the Chefs des Chefs are really the guardians of the tradition."

While in the Czech Republic the state chefs have had many chances to try the local cuisine. Hilton Little is the personal cook of the President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki.

"Since we arrived in your country, it's been absolutely fantastic. We've eaten since the day we arrived and the food it's great. And somebody asked me if I ate the dumplings yet. So I am looking forward to having these dumplings. I think we're having them today somewhere."

His colleague Joshua Drache is chef to the prime minister of Canada and at first he was a little apprehensive.

"Oh, yes, it's very good. My expectation was it was going to be very heavy but we've had some very nice preparations. Yesterday I had red cabbage - like butter had melted in my mouth. It was so good. I had a very nice venison steak last night with some lentils. It's been very good food here, very good."

Each country is represented by one chef in the club, with the exception of China which has more than twenty chefs - one for every cuisine. Shi Zhanfa is one of the two Chinese chefs on the visit to the Czech Republic.

"When it comes to preparing the meals for international delegations, we always have to consider where they are coming from and what culinary background they have and according to that we prepare the food."

And meetings such as the one currently held in the Czech Republic help the chefs to get to know each other better - because they often need to exchange information. Sirkka-Liisa Ruottinen is the Finnish president's chef.

"When we have an incoming president or leader of the country, we can telephone the chef of the king or queen or president we can ask about their likes and dislikes when we arrange our menu."

Some of the chefs trade recipes at the annual meetings or find new inspiration that can bring an interesting change to their bosses' tables. Mark Flanagan, chef to Britain's Queen Elizabeth.

"Ideas. I'm definitely bringing some ideas back home. There are always things that you see that are worth noting and say, oh, yes, I like that very much."

So which cuisine is the best in the world? The founder of the Club des Chefs des Chefs Gilles Bragard is clear on that one.

"We think in our club that the best cuisine in the world is your mother's cuisine."