If the film Haute Cuisine made you hungry, knowing that the current head chef to the President of France – Guillaume Gomez – was in Israel for French Culinary Week, will likely kick off hunger pangs anew. Gomez was one of 19 renowned French chefs and French culinary students to take part in the appetizing event hosted by the Tadmor Culinary School in Herzliya.

The visiting chefs joined the kitchens of 19 of Israel’s best restaurants for a week of special French-inflected menus. This was the second “So Frenchy So Tasty” festival to take place in Israel, and the first time the event included the cities of Beersheva, Mitzpe Ramon, Haifa, and Nazareth.

Tourism Minister Dr. Uzi Landau and French Ambassador to Israel Patrick Maisonnave also took part in the fun as they led two teams of Israeli and French culinary students in a “head to head” bake-off competition at the Tadmor school.

Landau and the French students baked traditional Sabbath challah bread, while Maisonnave and the Israeli students baked traditional French baguette. Judges preferred the Israeli-made baguette but happily ate both doughy offerings.