Chinese chefs set their eyes on global pastry competition

Two Chinese contestants will represent China in the Asian Pastry Cup, which will be held in Singapore next year, and compete for the qualification of World Pastry Cup 2023 in Lyon, France.

Announced during the closing section of the third China Pastry Cup, jointly organized by the China Association of Bakery and Confectionery Industry and the Executive Committee of the CPC, held in Shanghai in late April, Zhou Zihao, from the sugar art category, and Zhao Chengsa, from chocolate category, won the competition in their categories.

After more than three months of meticulous preparation, the competition in Shanghai brought together seven candidates who went head-to-head in two main categories last month, three in the sugar art group and four in the chocolate group.

Zhou, from Guangdong province, and Zhao, from Shanghai, will represent China in the competition in the Asia level next year and try their best to compete with others on the global stage in 2023.

Pastry chefs describe the World Pastry Cup as one of the top competitions in the world. The Chinese teams have participated in the biennial event for 24 years, since 1997. Although they haven't yet won the prize, Chinese pastry chefs have been constantly improving their skill, according to the event's organizers.

Ding Lixin, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing, said as China embraces a double-digit annual growth in its bakery industry in recent years, driven by the rising popularity of Western-style bread and cakes, such a phenomenon has attracted more attention from the both the society and business circle.

Baked goods in China such as bread and cake are common for Chinese people to eat as snacks or breakfast. Young and old consumers have different preferences for baked products, he added.

Chinese consumers love baked goods with various tastes, this is one of the reasons why there are so many different flavors of baked goods in China, he said, noting product packaging is also considered by consumers. Small packages are more preferred by young consumers for they are easy to carry and suitable for office workers to replenish energy.