While the prize for the best baguette in Paris was awarded last March, it’s another emblem of French baking that’s in the spotlight this early spring. The Snack Show, dedicated to culinary delights and trends, recently awarded a prize to France’s best brioche. And to taste the winning dish, all you have to do is head for the Val d’Oise, to l’Isle-Adam to be precise.
Where can you find France’s best brioche?
Brioche, the emblem of French patisserie, is a soft, gourmet pastry with a delicate fragrance and airy texture. Made from leavened dough enriched with butter, eggs and sugar, it embodies the perfect marriage of richness and lightness. Originating in France, brioche has diversified over the centuries, giving rise to regional variants such as the Vendée brioche or the famous brioche à tête.
On Thursday April 3, participants from Paris and the surrounding region competed for the very first title of Best Brioche in France. In front of a panel of expert judges, presided over by Jean-François Feuillette, the contestants were put through their paces in three tests. The first, making a classic puff pastry brioche, judged the candidates on their technique. The second consisted in making a vegetarian brioche, while the last involved a sweet brioche.
In the end, it was Christophe Delporte who was elected and awarded the unprecedented prize of “Best Brioche in France”. If you’d like to see his creations again, you’ll have to head to the Rouget bakery in l’Isle-Adam!