Japan defeats France to win the Pastry World Cup
No, not the soccer World Cup. The Pastry World Cup.
The biennial event features contestants from as far afield as Egypt, Mauritius and South Korea in a sweet showdown where teams compete to create the best once-in-a-lifetime desserts. This year's competition took place on January 20 and 21.
Each team had three members — specialists in chocolate, ice, and sugar respectively. The trios were tasked with developing three desserts that would represent their country: a frozen dessert, a restaurant dessert — which can have a special garnish added at the judging table — and a show chocolate.
And they only had five hours to pull it all off.
The pastry chefs relied on both ingredients and designs to highlight their countries' culinary delights. The Chinese team put together an elaborate dragon made of sugar, while Mexico's competitors incorporated chocolate, corn and other native foods into their desserts.
In addition to representing their homelands on plates, competitors wore themed outfits and accessories.
France's team members sported chic Breton striped shirts and berets, Mexico's chefs wore Day of the Dead sugar skull-inspired masks, and Team UK worked on their desserts while wearing natty newsboy caps and bow ties.
Although the 2025 event was held in Lyon, the French team did not win the gold medal, settling for silver.
Top honors went to returning champions Japan, whose team put together a lemon, pear, marigold and chocolate granita in the shape of an Asanoha (hemp) leaf for their restaurant dessert entry. For the frozen dessert, the team offered an apricot treat resembling a spinning top toy.
'We packed the history and culture of Japan into the design. We were able to incorporate taste and delicate traditional patterns to showcase our techniques,' said chef Masanori Hata, the chocolate expert on his team.
'I don't remember the moment we won. I was so surprised and couldn't believe it. Japan was recognized two tournaments in a row. I'm happy and proud.'
Meanwhile, the French team prepared a showstopping series of chocolate eggs that were filled with chocolate-hazelnut soufflé mousse topped with chocolate streusel, dipped in a citrus-vanilla-infused clarified butter and paired with grilled vanilla ice cream and a clementine confit.
Bronze went to Malaysia, the Southeast Asian country's highest-ever result in the contest. Team Malaysia scored high marks for its frozen dessert, which they described as 'a harmonious blend of bright citrus, sweet apricot, and subtle spices,' a nod to the country's multicultural heritage.
Japan
France
Malaysia
China
Belgium
Italy
South Korea
Singapore
United Kingdom
Argentina
Editor's Note: CNN's Yumi Asada contributed reporting.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
3 hours ago
Paris unveils mural of Josephine Baker to honor her legacy
PARIS -- Paris is reviving the spirit of U.S.-French entertainer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker with a new mural. Fifty years after her death, Baker now gazes out over a diverse neighborhood of northeast Paris, thanks to urban artist FKDL and a street art festival aimed at promoting community spirit. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Baker became a megastar in the 1930s, especially in France, where she moved in 1925 as she sought to flee racism and segregation in the United States. In addition to her stage fame, Baker also spied on the Nazis for the French Resistance and marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington. She died in Paris in 1975. ''I feel moved and I feel happy, because this is part of a memory of my mother,' her son Brian Baker told the Associated Press at the unveiling of the mural Saturday. He was one of 12 children Josephine Baker adopted from around the world that she called her ″rainbow tribe″ and what her son called ''a little United Nations.″ The mural of Baker, meant to symbolize freedom and resistance, is among several painted in recent days in the neighborhood and organized by the association Paris Colors Ourq. The artist FKDL said he focuses on ''bringing women back into the urban landscape.' 'Josephine Baker has always been, for me, a somewhat iconic figure of that era. Both wild and free-spirited, but also deeply connected to music, musicals, and dance,″ he said. ''She was an extraordinary character, an incredible woman.' Baker was the first Black woman inducted into France's Pantheon, joining such luminaries as philosopher Voltaire, scientist Marie Curie and writer Victor Hugo. ''My mother wouldn't have liked words like iconic, star, or celebrity. She would have said, no, no let's keep it simple,″ her son said.
Hamilton Spectator
7 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Germany beats France on penalties to reach Euro 2025 semifinals despite early red card
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Germany overcame France on penalties and reached the semifinals of the Women's European Championship despite playing almost the entire match — and extra time — with 10 players. A drama-filled match finished 1-1 on Saturday, then Germany won the shootout 6-5 thanks to the heroics of Ann-Katrin Berger , who saved two shots as well as dispatching her own spot kick. There were tears of joy from the Germany players after perhaps one of the greatest examples in soccer history of digging deep to defy the odds. 'Everyone was in each other's arms,' Germany coach Christian Wück said. 'Everyone was celebrating; everyone was happy that this hard-fought performance led us to victory. 'I can only say it again and again: I'm so proud of the team for the way they took on this challenge against an opponent who demanded everything from us. That was incredible.' Germany, which is bidding for a record-extending ninth European Championship title, will face World Cup winner Spain in Zurich on Wednesday. Early drama over hair-pulling That seemed improbable after less than 13 minutes when Germany midfielder Kathrin Hendrich pulled the hair of France captain Griedge Mbock and issued a straight red card. Grace Geyoro converted the resulting penalty but Sjoeke Nüsken headed her team level just 10 minutes later. Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, Germany could have taken the lead with a penalty of its own in the second half but France goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin saved Nüsken's spot kick. Nüsken scored Germany's last spot kick in the shootout. Played short again For the second straight match, Germany was forced to play the majority of the contest with 10 players — Carlotta Wamser was sent off shortly before halftime of the 4-1 thrashing by Sweden in their final group match. This time it happened even earlier. A France free kick was headed wide but the video assistant referee spotted Hendrich yanking Mbock's ponytail. Geyoro stepped up and, despite the resounding jeers from the wall of Germany fans behind the goal, dispatched the penalty powerfully down the middle. Germany knew that, with a player down, it had to take full advantage of its set-pieces. Klara Bühl floated in a corner and Nüsken raced to the near post to meet it with a glancing header that looped into the far corner of the net. Goals disallowed Despite the player advantage, France was struggling to impose itself, although it had two goals ruled out for offside either side of the break. Germany was gifted a chance to take a remarkable lead when France defender Selma Bacha gave away a needless penalty when she tripped Jules Brand near the byline. But France goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin saved Nüsken's spot kick in yet another failed penalty at Euro 2025. The best save of the night — and maybe even of the tournament — came from her Germany counterpart in extra time. A backward header from Germany captain Janina Minge had Berger scrambling back to scoop it off the line with an astonishing one-handed stop to spare her teammate's blushes. Melvine Malard sent a long-range screamer crashing off the crossbar with almost the last touch of the 120 minutes. More Berger heroics Berger saved the first penalty she faced from Amel Majri, but Les Bleues were back level when Germany's Sara Däbritz hit the bar with her penalty. Berger took the next spot kick, Germany's fifth, and left her counterpart with no chance. Shortly afterward the goalie saved again, this time to deny Alice Sombath and spark Germany's celebrations. The result ended France's 11-match winning streak as the quarterfinals continue to be a stumbling block for Les Bleues, who have now been eliminated in the quarterfinals in seven of the past nine World Cups or Euros. 'I don't think we have a psychological problem. We have opponents of quality, and it gets harder and harder,' said France coach Laurent Bonadei, who took charge in August. 'But I think my players gave us hope; Rome wasn't built in a day.' ___ AP soccer:
Hamilton Spectator
7 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Paris unveils mural of Josephine Baker to honor her legacy
PARIS (AP) — Paris is reviving the spirit of U.S.-French entertainer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker with a new mural. Fifty years after her death, Baker now gazes out over a diverse neighborhood of northeast Paris, thanks to urban artist FKDL and a street art festival aimed at promoting community spirit. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Baker became a megastar in the 1930s, especially in France, where she moved in 1925 as she sought to flee racism and segregation in the United States. In addition to her stage fame, Baker also spied on the Nazis for the French Resistance and marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington. She died in Paris in 1975. ''I feel moved and I feel happy, because this is part of a memory of my mother,' her son Brian Baker told the Associated Press at the unveiling of the mural Saturday. He was one of 12 children Josephine Baker adopted from around the world that she called her ″rainbow tribe″ and what her son called ''a little United Nations.″ The mural of Baker, meant to symbolize freedom and resistance, is among several painted in recent days in the neighborhood and organized by the association Paris Colors Ourq. The artist FKDL said he focuses on ''bringing women back into the urban landscape.' 'Josephine Baker has always been, for me, a somewhat iconic figure of that era. Both wild and free-spirited, but also deeply connected to music, musicals, and dance,″ he said. ''She was an extraordinary character, an incredible woman.' Baker was the first Black woman inducted into France's Pantheon, joining such luminaries as philosopher Voltaire, scientist Marie Curie and writer Victor Hugo. ''My mother wouldn't have liked words like iconic, star, or celebrity. She would have said, no, no let's keep it simple,″ her son said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
