The Italian star chef topped the contest with the Korean traditional dish "godeungeo gui," or roasted mackerel, and "mu jorim," or broiled radish, delicately set in the image of a fish.

The event requires that all dishes include Korean traditional sauce and paste -- the key everyday ingredients of traditional dishes -- as the basic ingredients.

Ferrari was one of the seven chefs who participated in the international culinary event on Sunday in Milan Arte del Convivio, a culinary school in downtown Milan. Among the assorted dishes by the six other participants were "yukhoe bibimbap," or a rice bowl with raw beef strips; "jeyukbokkeum," or spicy marinated and stir-fried pork; and "bulgogi," or marinated beef, with rice chips on the side. One of the chefs presented pork rolls stuffed with kimchi and cheese, an interesting harmony of the Korean dish and key Italian ingredient.

"So far, the mainstream food trend has been 'the Italians cook, the Koreans eat,'" said an official of South Korean General Consul to Milan.

"But now, more Italians are getting to know about Korean food, thanks to South Korea's successful presentation of healthy, fermented food in last year's Milan Expo."

Aimed at promoting Korean cuisine around the world, the cooking contest was co-hosted by the South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, North Jeolla Provincial Government and state-controlled broadcaster KBS. (Yonhap)