50 Best
Every year the culinary firmament shines in a new city.
2018 Bilbao is the place you can find the worlds best chefs.
Prior to the actual awards ceremony chefs and journalists get together for pre event events. Taking place, in iconic locations in the city.
The Chefs feast and food meets art
Also exclusive dining events in this world class food city.
The possibility’s are endless.
Representing the Basque Country in culinary terms are Elena Arzak of Arzak and
Eneko Atxa of Azurmendi
Elena along with her father are as close to Basque culinary royalty as one can get. Their eponymous restaurant has a long history of culinary innovation and many of Spain’s and Basque Country chefs have passed through their kitchens.
Today I had the opportunity to interview. The worlds best pastry chef 2018 Cedric. Grolet.
A man absorbed completely by his vocation. Grown up in the culinary world. With generations of family being chefs he was predestined to follow, DNA, Plays it’s part!
We met. In the warm sunshine on a terrace overlooking the Guggenheim questions
What does winning the award mean to you?
Cedric
“it’s something I have aspired to it was a dream and an objective, but nonetheless surprised and humbled to receive it now after winning I am overjoyed so happy”.
What were your first taste memories?
Cedric. “I was with my grandfather when I was seven or eight years old he was also a chef and he was making ice cream, it was vanilla, I remember dipping my finger in and. I knew from then I wanted to be a chef and vanilla would play a big part!
When I am with my team we try to recreate that memory something that contains emotional flavour memories”
The question I was going to ask was have you used this taste in your career. As you work in the realms of pastry it is somewhat obvious in this case you would.
Cedric “yes of course vanilla plays a big part especially in one of my dishes. Pierre Hermé was famous for his vanilla dessert.
I of course needed to be different, to stand apart and show my skills rather than a copy of what has gone before.
So I use two different vanillas and also use all it. By making a praline with dehydrated vanilla creating a crunch and a vanilla ganache
Layer; give some chewy texture making the experience unique.”
Are there variations with vanilla? is there a terroir associated with it?
Cedric
“Yes absolutely I use Tahitian vanilla is for subtly and the paradox and power of Madagascan vanilla that is used for body and depth, the marriage of tastes work together to give an a more interesting experience on the palate.”
Was the career as a pastry chef something that you wanted as first choice or was it just an easy decision no thought needed?
Cedric “I have always been surround by art colour and smell. My grandfather was an artist so vibrancy of colour played a part in my youth so much so I used to repaint my bicycle often even weekly as the colours meant fun. I was surrounded by food and flavours, so becoming a chef was a no brainer the opportunity to play with flavours and colours was predestined”
If you are not making something sweet cooking for yourself for instance what would you cook?
Cedric “When I’m not working generally I don't cook I have no time maybe just pasta,
I forfeited many things in the pursuit off culinary happiness I don't smoke or drink! My only drug is cars beautiful cars great engineering and clever intricate conduction of vehicles. And I love to fish preferably with friends”
Thank you Cedric for letting us in to your world for a little time, and also congratulations once again on your great achievement worlds Best Pastry Chef 2018.
Some links Cedrics Instagram close to 1 million followers
