Taiwanese baker Eric Hsu won first place in a king cake (galette des rois) competition in the French department of Alpes-Maritimes.
Earlier this month, he won the department’s first-ever king cake competition, organized by the Federation des Maitres Boulangers et Boulangers-Patissiers des Alpes-Maritimes (Federation of Master Bakers and Bakers-Pastry Chefs of the Alpes-Maritimes), and was subsequently labeled the “king of king cake” by local media.
Hsu said in a media interview on Wednesday that he did not think it would be possible for him to triumph, as king cake is a culturally French dish and he is from overseas.
Photo courtesy of Eric Hsu
“I feel very happy and proud to have been awarded first place,” he said.
Hailing from Toufen in Miaoli County, Hsu traveled to Paris in 1998 to visit his brother who was running a bakery in Paris, and subsequently decided to stay and learn the art of breadmaking from him.
He then started working in different bakeries in 2000 before opening up his own business in Toulon, France, in 2008.
He returned to Taiwan in 2014 and stayed until last year, opening four bakeries in Taipei, writing three baking cookbooks and even doing a bit of culinary teaching. After returning to France, he opened “Emotion Bakery” in the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer in Alpes-Maritimes.
Being immersed in two cultures is an asset, Hsu said.
“In Asia, the product needs to look perfect, so bakers tend to add decorative patterns to the cake, while in France the taste and filling are the most important,” he said. “I applied some Asian techniques, which caught the jury’s attention.”
Hsu said he attached just as much importance to the ingredients used, choosing “appellation of origin” butter and bourbon vanilla beans from Madagascar, instead of vanilla extract.
King cake is a traditional French pastry with a frangipane filling, associated with the Epiphany in Catholicism and celebrated each Jan. 6.
Hsu’s win prompted long queues outside Emotion Bakery on Tuesday, the day his king cakes went on sale. “I baked cakes till 4am, but I am so happy. This award means a lot to me.”
Congratulations poured in from across the town, including from the mayor, who invited him to a New Year’s banquet, Hsu said.
Hsu is set to represent Alpes-Maritimes in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur regional competition and hopes to advance to the national competition.
Hsu also adds an Asian touch to other creations in his bakery, including his tea-flavored chiffon cake roll, milk bread and sea salt butter rolls.
“I am influenced by Taiwanese and French culture, and my work reflects what I’ve learned from both,” he said.
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