uebhanyashuang

Artistic Tea Is three a crowd or do good things come in threes? If asking the triumvirate of bakers from Taiwan who traveled to Paris and baked it out with 11 teams representing the world's finest breadmakers at the 2008 Bakery World Cup, the answer would definitely be the latter.As the nation's first-ever representatives at the triennial event held March 31, Wu Pao-chun, Wen Shih-cheng and Tsao Chih-hsiung did their homeland proud by finishing second to hosts France in an event that demands artistic vision, extensive know-how and a sense of taste to come out on top.The fiercely fought contest featured the top three place-getters of the 2005 competition--the United States, France and Japan--as well as teams from Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the Netherlands. With "bread, symbol of your country" the theme of this year's event, the Taiwanese trio rolled up their sleeves and got down to the business of mastering the mystery of fermentation by working their magic with yeast, flour and water.This demanding process called for an uninterrupted eight-hour session, with participant's efforts scrutinized by judges from Belgium, Canada, Chile, Hungary, Ireland, South Korea and Vietnam. The teams were assessed on three specific categories of baking: Baguettes and Specialty Breads, Viennoiserie (Viennese pastry making) and Artistic Design (creations that symbolize a nation).In addition, the troika's organizational abilities, time and space management, teamwork and individual mastery of skills were put to the test.According to Pingtung County-born Wu, the team was very anxious prior to the competition, but wanted to do well and repay all those people who had supported them throughout the years. "The temperature in the room was quite warm and I was very nervous," he said, recalling the pressure that forced all contestants to concentrate on nothing but the doughy tasks at hand.The 39-year-old bread chef at Pasadena Bakery in Kaohsiung City explained that he consumed nothing but water to keep his body functioning during the event, a habit adopted three years ago while giving up smoking. "I was puffing away on two packs a day and had tried so many times to kick the habit," Wu said. "Reaching the Bakery World Cup has been a goal of mine since my 20s and I knew that if I could resist the temptation of nicotine, I could dedicate myself 100 percent to the competition."In addition to constantly sipping water, Wu found that hard work was another way of easing the pain of cigarette withdrawal. He would often remain on the job until midnight, experimenting with different breadmaking techniques and ingredients in the quest for perfection. Although physically and mentally exhausted at the time, Wu's commitment to his profession helped lay the groundwork for the team's success at the world cup.As the baker responsible for Baguettes and Specialty Breads, Wu said it was his "secret weapon"--dried longan bread made using sweet fermented rice wine--that won the backing of the judges. "The inspiration for this creation came from childhood memories of my mother cooking longan soup with sweet fermented rice wine to keep the cold at bay during winter," he said. "Maybe it was the 'flavor of mother' that touched the judges' hearts."In fact, the judges were so impressed by Wu's work that he was selected to take part in the Baguettes and Specialty Breads category at the Bakery World Championships in 2010. An honor also awarded to teammate Tsao with his inclusion in the Artistic Design section.Wu explained that his creative partnership with Tsao dated back to 1993 when they were both working at a bakery in Kaohsiung City. "He was making cakes and I was baking bread," he said.Years later, after deciding to test his skills on the international stage, Wu remembered his former coworker's artistic talents and invited him along for the ride. After some persuading, Tsao signed on but the duo needed one more member to fill out their team. Fortunately, they discovered Wen--who specialized in making sweet bread and came highly recommended by a respected local baker.Along with 25 other teams, the trio entered Taiwan's inaugural Bakery World Cup qualifier in December 2005 and were selected to move on to the second round of the competition held in March of the next year during the Taipei International Bakery Show at the Taipei World Trade Center.