Taiwan Baking & Gourmet Exhibition: Creative Nougat & Pineapple Cakes Make Grand Debut

Text / Compiled and reported by the MOOK Scenic Spots Home Travel Life Network Editorial Team

 

The “2014 Taiwan Baking & Gourmet Exhibition & Taipei Pineapple Cake Culture Festival,” taking place from July 11 to 13, will feature not only the annual Pineapple Cake Competition and participation from bakeries and gourmet shops across Taiwan along with DIY experiences, but also the inaugural Nougat Competition this year. The aim is for the public to 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 for baking enthusiasts and international tourists held a 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 unveiled in advance, but the event also saw Taipei City Government Tourism and Communications Bureau Director Sun Ting-long, Taipei Pastry & Bakery Business Association Chairman Wu Guan-de, Republic of China Exhibition & Conference Association Chairman Lin Mao-ting, and U.S. Wheat Associates Taiwan Office Director Lu Rong-jin jointly unveil the world’s largest soccer ball made from a 112.5-pound nougat. This symbolizes Taiwan’s baking industry once again becoming the focus of global attention, much like the FIFA World Cup.

The “Taipei Pineapple Cake Culture Festival” invites bakeries from across Taiwan to join in the celebration. Through this festive event, the pineapple cake has been successfully promoted as a must-buy souvenir for international visitors to Taipei, and has become an important calling card for Taipei’s international tourism promotion, creating the legend of the “Taipei Gold Brick.” Nowadays, when tourists from around the world visit Taipei, there’s one thing they “must do”—buying the most famous 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—another symbol of happiness, nougat, has been chosen. It is hoped that nougat will become another iconic happy souvenir following the gold brick miracle of the pineapple cake. Therefore, this year’s pineapple cake and nougat competitions have attracted participation from over 100 renowned shops across Taiwan. With the addition of more skilled participants, it is believed that the competition entries will be even more creative and competitive in the market.

 

This year’s preview exhibitors have all tapped into the current trend of “kawaii” (cute) business opportunities and the health craze, offering a variety of uniquely fun products. Examples include “Pineapple Chicken” shaped like a little chick and made with imported Japanese chestnut paste, the only Finnish-licensed cartoon-shaped “Angry Birds Brown Sugar Pineapple Cake” in Taiwan, the “Snowball Pineapple Cake” with Western Christmas vibes, and even pineapple cakes with exclusive patented 3D pineapple shapes—all of which were refreshing surprises for the attending guests.