Creative Nougat and Pineapple Cakes Make a Grand Debut at Taiwan’s Baking & Gourmet Exhibition

Text / Compiled and Reported by the Editorial Team of MOOK Travel Life Network

 

The “2014 Taiwan Baking & Gourmet Exhibition & Taipei Pineapple Cake Culture Festival,” running from July 11 to 13 at Taipei World Trade Center Hall 3, will feature the annual Pineapple Cake Competition, participation from bakeries and gourmet shops across Taiwan, as well as DIY experiences. This year also marks the first-ever Nougat Competition, aiming to let the public sample Taipei’s diverse and delightful flavors. Moreover, the first 1,000 visitors each day will receive a free pineapple cake—don’t miss out.

The much-anticipated annual Pineapple Cake Culture Festival, tailored for dessert lovers and international tourists, held its pre-event press conference on July 3 for the “2014 Taiwan Baking & Gourmet Exhibition & Taipei Pineapple Cake Culture Festival.” Not only were several featured exhibitors revealed in advance, but the event also saw Taipei City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau Director Sun Ting-long, Taipei Pastry & Cake Merchants Association Chairman Wu Guan-de, Republic of China Exhibition & Conference Association Chairman Lin Mao-ting, and American Institute of Wheat Associates Taiwan Office Director Lu Rong-jin jointly unveil the world’s largest soccer ball made from a 112.5-pound nougat, symbolizing Taiwan’s baking industry taking center stage on the global stage, much like the FIFA World Cup.

The “Taipei Pineapple Cake Culture Festival” has invited bakeries from all over Taiwan to take part. Through this festive event, the pineapple cake has been successfully promoted as a must-buy souvenir for international visitors to Taipei, becoming an important calling card for the city’s international tourism promotion and creating the legend of the “Taipei Gold Brick.” Today, visitors from around the world who come to Taipei all have something they “must do,” and buying the most famous local souvenir—the pineapple cake—is one of them.

The pineapple cake has become the flavor and memory that best represents the happiness of Taipei. To inject new elements and bring Taiwan’s baking industry to the world stage, this year, in addition to continuing to promote the king of souvenirs—the pineapple cake—we have also chosen the nougat, which represents happiness. We hope the nougat can become another iconic sweet gift following the golden brick miracle of the pineapple cake. As such, this year’s pineapple cake and nougat competitions have attracted participation from over 100 renowned shops across Taiwan. With more skilled participants, we believe the competition entries will be even more creative and competitive in the market.

 

This year’s pre-exhibition vendors have all tapped into the current trend of “kawaii” (cute) culture and the health boom, offering more fun and unique products. Examples include a “Pineapple Chicken” shaped like a chick, made with specially imported Japanese chestnut paste, the only Finnish-licensed cartoon character-designed “Angry Birds Brown Sugar Pineapple Cake” in Taiwan, a “Snowball Pineapple Cake” with a Western Christmas vibe, and even a pineapple cake featuring a patented three-dimensional pineapple shape—all of which were fresh surprises for the attending guests.