Chefs René Redzepi, David Chang and José Andrés have been nominated in Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
The trio of world renowned chefs joins a pool of politicians, heads of state, actors, musicians and human rights activists as candidates in the publication’s Time 100 list.
Last year, Chef Grant Achatz was the only food personality among nominees like Jamie Oliver, US food writer Mark Bittman and Redzepi to break through the final round.
Voting is now open and closes April 6. The poll winner will be included in the Time 100 list, and the remaining people chosen by the magazine editors. The winners will be announced April 17.
Here’s how the food personalities are being described in the nominations:
José Andrés
Age: 42
Activist Chef
Andrés is a decorated chef for his Washington DC restaurants Jaleo and Minibar. Last year, he was named Outstanding Chef at the James Beard Foundation Awards. But it’s for his anti-hunger and anti-poverty efforts that he’s been singled out by Time this year. His World Central Kitchen, for instance, is described as an international think tank that tries to find creative solutions for feeding the world’s hungry.
David Chang
Age: 34
Occupation: Chef
In addition to expanding his Momofuku restaurant empire to Sydney and Toronto, Chang -- described as the “enfant terrible" of the New York dining scene -– has become a publishing mogul with a cookbook and foodie magazine Lucky Peach. But mostly, it’s his gourmet pan-Asian cooking that has diners raving.
René Redzepi
Age: 34
Occupation: Chef
Odds are good for Redzepi to make the final round, given that he graced the cover of Time magazine recently as a “Locavore Hero” for pioneering the foraging movement within haute cuisine. He’s also credited for launching new Nordic cuisine and elevating Scandinavian gastronomy to new heights. His Copenhagen restaurant Noma is currently considered the best in the world, according to Restaurant magazine. Like Andrés and Chang, Redzepi has also branched out of the kitchen to organize an annual food festival MAD Food Camp that gathers the top culinary minds to Denmark.
