And the Winner of the World Cup of Pastry is...SPAIN!

I was not exactly keen on attending a trade show for the catering industry until I realised the World Pastry Cup would also be held at the same event.  Two hours on the TGV to Lyon was not going to deter me from getting a piece of the action in Le Coupe de Monde de la Patisserie.  19 national teams competed for the coveted title over two days.

In ten hours, the trio teams had to churn out three chocolate desserts, three frozen fruit desserts, an ice sculpture, a chocolate sculpture, a drawn-sugar sculpture, plus a dessert on a plate which would then be tasted by a panel of judges.  Ten hours might seem a long time, but it was a gruelling race against time. The skills and creativity seen here demonstrates the best trends of the moment in pastry, chocolate and ice-cream making.

Outside of the contest, the trade show was equally fascinating in many areas.  Everywhere I turned, there was something delectable that caught the eye.

The best-known patissiers show off their handmade delicacies.

The creative use of macarons

Cakes by the slab

From the largest industrial catering equipment to the tiniest chemicals for molecular cuisine and in fact, anything else in between can be found in this bi-annual international event.  For a food professional looking for new ideas, this is heaven!

Lecitina de soja is the foamy stuff on your sauce.

These look like hair accessories more than they do chocolates.

I suppose there are few places more fitting to host this event than Lyon, the food capital of France.  Lyonnaise cuisine is typically served in bistros called bouchons that specialise in boudin noir, foie gras and dishes from your mother's cooking.