Introduction to the North America Pastry Championship
Lollipops resembling bees complete with fragile glass wings made of honey and realistic mushrooms made of chocolate were a few of the nature-inspired sweets at the Academie Culinaire de France first-ever North America Pastry Championship. After a diligent selection process from dozens of applications, four teams of two were selected to compete in the inaugural bake-off, with one last-minute dropout.
The Competition Details
Hosted by the Specialty Food Association’s 69th Summer Fancy Food Show, the remaining three teams – each fitted with one helper from the Institute of Culinary Education — went tête a tête in an open pavilion at the Jacob Javits Center last week. Working with the theme of “celebrating the unique flavors of North American terroir through sustainable pastry creation,” the two-day event was broken up into three categories: vegan, lollypop and the masterpiece.
The Competitors and Their Creations
Pastry chefs Chainey Kuykenadall and Emári Kidd, from Virginia and North Carolina, respectively, presented their vegan dessert on day one of the competition. Nicholas Parsy, pastry chef at Bar Georges in Montreal, prepared the sweet clover and raspberry lollipops for the competition. Team 4 focused on ingredients from Appalachia for their vegan corn cake with popped sorghum. Team 1 presented their vegan dessert of a meringue made with potato and pea protein in replacement of the egg whites.
Judging the Competition
On day one, the bakers had four-and-a-half hours to prepare and present their vegan dessert and lollypop to a jury of judges, four for technicality and four for taste. The esteemed panel included competition president, Dominique Ansel of his eponymous bakery in SoHo and Pascal Guillotin, jury president and president of Société Culinaire Philanthropique. On day two, the teams had three-and-a-half hours to present their masterpiece – one large central cake surrounded by 18 identical miniatures.
The Winners
Team 3 — Jeremy Billy, pastry chef at Group la Tanière and Yves Marie Rolland, pastry teacher at Fierbourg Hotel Schools in Quebec, won first place with the most creative and innovative desserts. Their masterpiece was an enchanted forest of cakes surrounded by lush moss, mushrooms made of chocolate and hands also made of chocolate made to look like old tree bark.
Conclusion
The North America Pastry Championship was a success, with all teams showcasing their creativity and skills. The competition not only highlighted the importance of sustainable pastry creation but also the camaraderie among the chefs. The winners received kitchen appliances, varying cash prizes, and a crystal trophy shaped like a chef’s hat. The academie plans to make changes to the competition for next year, including swapping the lollipops for something else and nixing the vegan dessert.
FAQs
Q: What was the theme of the North America Pastry Championship?
A: The theme of the championship was "celebrating the unique flavors of North American terroir through sustainable pastry creation."
Q: How many teams competed in the championship?
A: Four teams of two were selected to compete, but one team dropped out, leaving three teams to compete.
Q: What were the categories of the competition?
A: The competition was broken up into three categories: vegan, lollypop, and the masterpiece.
Q: Who won the first place prize?
A: Team 3, consisting of Jeremy Billy and Yves Marie Rolland, won the first place prize of $5,000 and bragging rights.
Q: What changes are planned for the competition next year?
A: The academie plans to swap the lollipops for something else, nix the vegan dessert, and expand to six teams, with a focus on desserts with more height.
