American Chamber of Commerce In Taipei - Bedazzled by Breads and Pastries

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Topics Archive 2009

Vol.39- No.1

Bedazzled by Breads and Pastries

Taiwan’s many bakeries have been satisfying local demand for a wide assortment of high-quality and innovative baked goods.

BY STEPHANIE POON

Suffering from energy depletion after a vigorous shopping session shortly after my arrival in Taiwan, I caught the aroma of baking bread in the vicinity. My legs unwittingly followed the alluring waft of rising dough and melting butter towards the corner bakery, where a tray of goodies was shoved in my direction as I entered. Half a dozen elderly women sporting uniforms and red bandanas were operating military-style – filling up the bread trays, slicing baguettes, bringing out freshly-baked items – as a steady stream of customers poured in. The store, devoid of any swank design, displayed its products in a functional setting under harsh fluorescent lighting. “Get what you need and get out” was the tacit message.

The variety of confectionaries, pastries, Asian and European style breads, and even marinated meats and tofu was so bedazzling, and the smells so inebriating, that making a choice was no easy decision. I began to go through the process of elimination. Anything with corn, scallion, or dried shredded pork was ruled out (there goes half the store). So were the sugar-infested custard pastries and puffs. When I finally made it to the cash register with one chocolate muffin, the cashier scowled at me (presumably for my humble purchase), and I walked out exhausted.

That was my first experience shopping at a local bakery. Choices were abundant. Baking techniques from various places around the world could be identified. But each item was infused with local tastes: more sugar, more rise in the yeast, and sometimes the presence of alien (to me) ingredients.

“Rice and noodles are still the staple food in Taiwan, and bread tends to take on a snack or dessert role in people’s diet,” says Abin Liao, Bakery Chief of the Landis Taipei Hotel. “That’s why most baked goods here tend to be sweeter.” Traditional Taiwanese pastries such as pineapple cakes and sweet Japanese-style breads still dominate the market. Local consumers have also come to expect innovation and unconventional products from the industry.

Each year, the Taipei Bakery Association organizes several competitions and shows to foster public interest. One of the most prominent events last year was the French baguette fashion show, where chefs dressed up models in edible attires. “Our Association helps ambitious chefs raise money to take part in international competitions since they don’t get government funding as in neighboring countries,” says Ellen Yin, chairman of the Association. Last February, the Taiwan team won silver medal in a French competition for outstanding baguettes, pastries, and sculpture work.

The Association also works closely with the Department of Health to advise local bakers about compliance with sanitation benchmarks, and frequently holds seminars to raise “back of kitchen” standards. It also collaborates closely with U.S. Wheat Associates, the organization promoting American wheat, to educate consumers about healthier breads such as sourdough, wholegrain, and multigrain. About 90% of Taiwan’s wheat is imported from the United States, and it is processed into flour in 26 plants around the island.

“Educating consumers takes time. Taiwanese are still not used to the idea of dark breads, but they are becoming more aware of healthier diets,” says Yin, who is also president of Florida Bakery, the oldest Western-style bakery in Taipei. Florida (which will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2009), became a trendsetter by introducing artisan breads decades ago when consumers were still mainly familiar with traditional Chinese pastries.

Florida’s experience in introducing bagels, pita, ciabatta, foccacia, tortillas, and other foreign favorites to this market has given it confidence in its ability to convert Taiwanese bread-lovers to trying new products. Tortillas have become one of the company’s best-selling items, and its pumpkin pies and New York cheesecakes are also highly popular. At the other end of the spectrum, Florida last year won a “bubble-tea bread” competition, and long lines formed outside the store for days after the competition as curious customers sought to give it a try.

As Taiwan consumers are a fickle lot, the food and beverage industry regularly scrambles to offer them an array of new and different products every season. But besides being inventive, the products must also be high-quality to meet the high standards and level of sophistication of many Taiwanese. For the industry’s survival, it needs to concentrate on “Sustainability” and “Research & Development,” says Yin. The moon cakes produced each year for the Mid-Autumn Festival are a prime example of local innovation. While bakers in Hong Kong, China, and Southeast Asia stick to traditional ingredients like egg yolks and lotus paste, their Taiwanese counterparts have come up with all kinds of new combinations to satisfy adventurous and health-conscious customers.

As of the middle of last year, Taiwan had an estimated 1,000 bakeries, but over the past six months the number has dwindled to approximately 600, Yin says. “Many chain bakeries had overextended themselves without a sustainable business model,” she notes. “Consumers still like the feel of individual bread stores and the feel of fresh homemade breads.”

Most bakeries in Taiwan offer European, American, Japanese, Eurasian, and traditional Chinese goods. This one-stop-shop model intends to please every taste bud in the market. But it’s the specialty shops that make the biggest mark.

“You always need a set of core products with consistent high quality,” says Liao of the Landis Hotel. “For us, the core items are baguettes, croissants, brioche, and rustic and multigrain bread to satisfy the adventurous.” The Landis Hotel’s bakery team brings out additional products on a rotational basis, including specialty items for such occasions as Mother’s Day and Mid-Autumn Festival. This year for Christmas the Landis introduced the “King’s pie,” a round almond-flavored mille-feuille with a history that goes back to the reign of Louis IV.

The hallmark of Landis baguettes are the “bubbles” uniformly spaced inside the crust. Despite that crispy outer layer, the white of the bread is surprisingly soft. The catch is all in the ratio of the various flours and water. Liao takes note of the temperature and humidity each day to determine the most appropriate proportion for mixing French and local dough. French butter (President) is used in all the products for smoother texture.

The raisin brioche, a particularly sweet loaf that was traditionally served as a pastry or dessert in the French court, is highly acclaimed in the Landis bread family. Enriched with butter and egg, this item possesses a silky texture that is sure to make anyone who tries it renounce plain raisin toast. Landis also boasts a celebrated croissant.

Indulging in chocolate

The calorie fest continued as I stopped at the highly recommended Boite de Bijou. This “jewelry box” is wedged in a quiet corner behind National Taiwan Normal University (Shih-Da), and the neat glass displays are smartly lit by halogen light fixtures. It is best known for its chocolate-flavored breads and pastries, made with chocolate from Valrhona, the high-end French chocolatier.

About NT$1,500 later, I left the store dazed and disoriented. I would have bought more had there been any extra cash in my wallet. Each item tasted as heavenly as it looked. Canelé, cake Breton, cake marrons, bonbons (guimauve rose letchis is the best flavor), chocolate figs, pain au chocolat, fougasse, pain chocolat-raisins, and pain aux longans are just SOME of those voted favorites by the AmCham office staff. The café also provides an outdoor seating area for patrons to enjoy their purchases together with the store’s featured Lavazza coffee selection.

To offset the increased sugar content ingested into my system, I next made a stop at expatriate bakery mecca Wendel’s German Bakery & Bistro. Michael Wendel, owner and operator (also grandchild of the founders), insists on strict standards for all the bread products: no preservatives, no added sugar or fat, and the use of pure sourdough. In other words: healthy, German-style.

Wendel’s prides itself on its traditional recipes dating from 1932. One of its most sought-after products, the Eck (more commonly known as triangle bread), is embedded with all sorts of nutritious ingredients: oats and other grains, sunflower seeds, sesame, dried apple bits, etc. The Vollkon, another popular multi-grain creation, is an excellent source of fiber. Wendel’s recommends combining its multi-grain products with tomato, lettuce, or cucumber slices to complete the health routine. The dark malt Kosaken loaf and seven-grain loaf are also suggested purchases.

Wendel’s makes more than fiber-heavy breads, however. The bakery’s cakes and confectionaries are also well-received by patrons. Banana bread, cinnamon rolls, Berliners (a German-style donut), and apple pies are some of the favorite selections.

An example of an excellent neighborhood bakery is Viva Bakery in the MinSheng residential district, which has made its name by word of mouth over more than two decades. Long lines can be spotted as early as 7 a.m. to purchase the store’s celebrated white loaf bread. An assortment of flavors are available (green tea, red bean, raisin, and walnut, to name but a few).

Denmark House, another local favorite, offers a wide Eurasian selection. Chef Kao Chi-chung and his team won the pineapple pastry (波蘿可頌麵包) competition at the 2008 Taipei International Bakery Show. Judged on accuracy, taste, and speed, competing teams had to create 42 pieces of pastry without any leftover ingredients. Denmark Houses’s other favorites include chocolate chestnut pastry and cheese-flavored moon cake.

Those with a sweet tooth can try Amo’s light cheesecake and honey cake. “Amo spends at least one year in research and development before launching any new product,” says Ellen Yin of the Bakery Association. Its Japanese-style cheesecake, frothy and light, boasts nutrients like vitamins A and B2, and calcium. The signature honey cake features seven well-defined layers of spongy softness with a soft hint of rum.

Ginjer’s cupcakes, each topped with generous layers of foamy icing, earns itself a spot at the top for their plush texture and exquisite taste. Unlike other bakeries, Ginjer focuses mainly on perfecting a single product line – in this case, cupcakes. An assortment of chocolate, blueberry, green tea, banana, carrot, coconut, and mocha flavored varieties is always a big hit at parties. Chocolate lovers will also wish to visit one of the locations of Black as Chocolate, whose decadent dark chocolate cakes come with oh-so-chic black boxes and black ribbons.