Through the novel combination of ingredients, research on taste is the hallmark of Carles Mampel, who urges against the old-fashioned aesthetics of frostings and dyes. A touch of salicornia on a strawberry is enough to impress.
The interview
Counted among the world's best pastry chefs, thanks to respectable palmarès and tireless research into taste, Catalan Carles Mampel has clear ideas about the future of the industry. About to open a new store in Badalona, he makes it clear right away that it will not be déjà-vu: "I think pastry needs an evolutionary step, so we're going to do something different...We're going to create a space focused on tasting. Lately, pastry is very visual: bright colors, frostings, glosses. I think we're losing the tasting theme, which is what people are interested in."
@DPAS
"We will be product- and flavor-centric, mixing ingredients that you don't normally combine in a pastry shop. These are elaborations that you usually find in restaurants, and that's really the concept of our establishment. Neither a hard and pure bakery dessert nor a restaurant dessert. We will use a lot of organic products, not because it is a fad, but because we have tried them, and they have many advantages. Sure, they are expensive, but the yield is better, they are healthier, and we get a more realistic flavor out of them. We will deal with recognizable and seasonal ingredients. Pastries will never be healthy, but they can be healthier with less fat and sugar."
"In recent years, I don't know if it's because of social or whatever, there is a lot of emphasis on the image, the photo, the visual spectacle, and we have kind of forgotten the flavor. That's why we try to make things that have tons of flavor. Ultimately, these are classic but original elaborations because they are less sweet, less fat and are more digestible." Perhaps with a personal touch, for example, the right aromatic herb, a floret of glasswort or seaweed on top of a juicy strawberry, which in addition to the salt contrast, brings nutrients and minerals. "In pastry, we are a bit paralyzed on classic flavors, even in France, which remains the benchmark. Ultimately, it's all coffee, lemon, vanilla, and caramel. The same flavors for 40 years, maybe updated visually." Instead, the right model is the restaurant industry, which is more advanced in culture, clientele, and expressive possibilities.
Selecting products, according to Mampel, does not automatically mean food costs have gone crazy because an organic orange has a more pronounced taste and can be used in smaller quantities, just as good butter helps the development of flaking. It matters little that they are local ingredients, quality is more important than origin; instead, they must be fresh since no freezers are used. Thus, the process is faster if it has been well thought out at the beginning. The goal is to attract the customer through the experiential lure well known to the kitchen. In this sense, it is good to change often, well beyond seasonality. "Despite the sales figures, I have never been afraid to eliminate products and introduce new ones. In a bakery, there must be movement, and people come each time for a new experience. She has to visit us to find out how we will surprise her."
Source: Siete Canibales
Find the reference article here
