French baker hailed chocolate croissant world champion

TOULOUSE, France — A French baker has won the Chocolate Croissant World Cup, wowing judges with his windmill-shaped variation of the pastry with a dash of Chinese pepper and a citrus glaze.

What US coffee houses market as a "chocolate croissant" is called a "pain au chocolat" in most of France, except in the southwest where bakery customers proudly order a "chocolatine."

Dimitri Bordon, 29, won the "Pain au chocolat / chocolatine world cup" in the southwestern city of Toulouse for his renditions of the butter-rich morning pastry laced with chocolate.

He was one of 20 candidates representing 12 countries, including France but also Vietnam, Canada, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast.

Each baker had to make 24 pastries — 12 traditional golden buns and the other half their own version with a twist. A jury of 18 food and beverage professionals judged the entries for quality of puff pastry, taste, texture and cooking time.

"It's a huge honor — especially when you see the other candidates," Bordon said after winning.

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His winning variation was a vertical pastry made to look like a windmill, imbued with dash of tingling Sechuan pepper and covered in a tangy citrus glaze of mandarin, bitter orange, and yuzu.

Others were equally as creative.

Vietnam contender Thuy Vien, 35, made a flower-shaped pastry, using bright pink dragonfruit and calamansi for trimmings.

Twenty-nine-year-old Guy Orsini, from Corsica, crafted a bow tie filled with chocolate-hazelnut paste and candied clementine cream inspired by the fruit of his youth.

In May last year, a Paris baker of Sri Lankan origin said he "cried" when he heard he had won best baguette in the French capital.

Tharshan Selvarajah's baguette was deemed the best among 175 anonymous contenders.

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