Mexico City, Mexico - Mexico City plans to host "the largest number of chefs and sommeliers to gather in one place" on May 17 in an effort to set a Guinness record, the capital's tourism secretary, Miguel Torruco, said.

Some 5,000 chefs and sommeliers will be invited to gather at the Angel of Independence monument to try to set the record. The Tourism and Trade Department and the Culinary Association of the United Arab Emirates set the current record in January 2013 with a gathering of 2,847 chefs in Dubai.

Mexico City hosted a gathering of 2,336 chefs on March 16, 2013, falling short of a new record by 512 chefs, the tourism secretary said. The event's goal is to promote Mexican gastronomy, which UNESCO declared part of the world's cultural heritage in 2010.

"And, as a city, we are among the four most important metropolitan areas in the world in terms of the variety and quality of the culinary offerings available," Torruco said.