Pastry Chefs Bake, Battle, And Roll In Las Vegas

Seven teams from around the world will compete for the prestigious World Pastry Team Championship on July 8 and 9 in the Red Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Teams from around the world will have 13 hours to create pastries based on the theme of astrology and horoscopes.

Each of the 10 teams has three chefs who are representing China, Netherlands, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, South Korea, and the United States. Each team must create confections made of sugar and chocolate along with 14 desserts, three different types of chocolate bonbons, and a variety of French pastries.

The chefs face a multitude of challenges including time restrictions and working in an unfamiliar kitchen.

The desserts are judged on artistry and technical merit, work ethic and hygiene, and degustation. The top four teams earn $24,000, $6,000, $3,000, and $1,000, respectively.

Since 2002, the World Pastry Team Championship has taken place every other year. Takao Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Miyake, and Hiroshi Igarashi took top honors at the 2010 World Pastry Team Championship.