Patisserie fest gets taste of French flair in Istanbul

France's foremost beloved desserts, from creme brulees to meringues and luscious cakes and mousses to eclair au chocolate, will make guests feel divine at Journee Patisserie et Boulangerie, a one-day foodie fest in Istanbul honoring French tastes on Oct. 8.

As the autumn chill is already starting to set in, this special festival attempts to capture the mood and romance of France and bring in the sweetness of the vivacious land here at the Palais de France in Istanbul's historic Beyoğlu district, where the festival's debut edition was hosted last year. Painted in pastel colors, the grand palace designed by French architect Pierre-Leonard Laurescisque, and rebuilt in 1846 at the site of the former embassy building that was destroyed after a big fire in the late 1830s, is obviously the unique address to experience a French-style day in Istanbul.

Showcasing a wide selection of rich, appetizing and mouthwatering pastries and desserts, the choices are more than enough. French desserts are usually made of custard, cream, and fruits. Highlighting assorted tastes and desserts, each is unique in its own manner and very tempting and enticing. To quench your sweet desire further, the dessert section has great things in store.

The Journee Patisserie et Boulangerie makes itself distinguishable from other similar foodie organizations since it is an international cuisine that also creates a visual feast for guests. Driving from the view that food cultures bring people together with its different styles and tastes, the event will introduce the two countries' patisserie and bakery culture.

A product of Istanbul's French Consulate and Hybrid, the event will invite a number of professionals from France's long-established patisserie culture. Guests will also taste traditional Turkish tastes, mainly pastries and desserts.

From both home and abroad, experienced chefs will take their place at the Palais de France. Turkish and French bureaucrats as well as representatives from the French Consulate will be participating to Journee Patisserie et Boulangerie, serving the best of French artisanal tastes accompanied by fresh beverages and music. The event will also aim to become a network platform for professionals.

Some of the last year's participants were La Petite Maison, Fauchon, Nicole, Neolokal, Five O'clock, Baylan, Patisserie de Pera, La vie en Rose, Beyaz Fırın, Art Cafe, La Pâtisserie Lune, Coffee Sapiens, Dem Karaköy, Pare, Butterfly, Shangri-La, Mutlu Dükkan, 240 Derece, Baharat in Gram, Kruvasan, Hacı Bekir, Doğan Kaymaklı, color.full.bakery and The Loli Shop. Having worked at Michelin-star restaurants Chef Aylin Yazıcıoğlu, from Nicole, also delivered a chocolate workshop and Fauchon gave a workshop on the eclair making.

All Istanbulites should have a rendezvous with French tastes along with the goodness of assorted fruits and surrender yourself to your sweet instinct. The event will start at 02:00 p.m. and will end at 10:00 p.m. Tickets are available for TL 133 for the upcoming Journee Pâtisserie et Boulangerie and further details are available at Hybrid's Facebook page.

A bit of French patisserie culture



France is famous all over the world for its delightful desserts and pastries. The word "dessert" is derived from the French word "desservir" which means "to clear the table." In between the 17th and 18th centuries, the dessert-making craft gained a distinguished place in France and chefs were making grand dessert sculptures, becoming France's new celebrities. Among France's early chefs, Marie Antonin Careme, also a food writer hailing from the 18th century and known as the father of French cuisine, is the first name mentioned if the topic is French patisserie. His journey began as early as 15 years old when he was an apprentice at a fashionable Paris patisserie. During his long career, he was a chef for Talleyrand, Czar Alexander I, George IV, and Baron Rothschild. Thanks to Careme's books, French chefs working at home and abroad have a basic, shared vocabulary to refer to in their cooking. In Istanbul, a number of cafes and patisseries such as Laduree and La Vie en Rose celebrate Parisian cuisine all year long.