Raising Champions:

Traditionally, Taiwan’s dominant food was rice, especially given the island’s ideal climate for rice cultivation. However, in the 1950s, a significant shift occurred due to the large-scale importation of wheat flour in American aid packages. Accompanied by memories of young boys wearing pants made from flour sacks and the promotion of “eating bread and noodles to get strong,” a dietary revolution was sparked, leading the Taiwanese people to adopt both rice and wheat as their staple foods.

American Dad, Japanese Mom

In 1962, to promote the culture of eating wheat-based foods and introduce wheat milling technology, Miao Yu-shiu, the “father of Taiwanese wheat flour” and founder of Lien Hwa Industrial Holdings, spearheaded the establishment of the Taiwan Wheat Products Promotion Executive Council (now the China Grain Products Research & Development Institute, CGPRDI). This organization has since played a pivotal role in propelling Taiwan’s baking industry forward.

The development of Taiwan’s baking industry undeniably has deep roots in America, but when it comes to flavor, it’s heavily influenced by Japan.

Japanese bakers created soft-textured sweet breads such as azuki bean bread and pineapple bread (named for the rough grid pattern of its top crust rather than its flavor), as well as savory varieties like curry and yakisoba bread. These “flavored” breads are further processed after baking. Drawing inspiration from this, Taiwanese bakers have added their own twist, creating localized flavors such as scallion, pork floss, and apple bread.

It was only 30 years ago that the major Japanese bakery chains Donq and Yamazaki made their debuts in Taiwan. They began to proliferate within department stores such as Sogo and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, selling a limited selection of European-style breads like French baguettes. This marked the beginning of the European bread trend in Taiwan.

Subsequently Tomohiro Nogami, a Japanese baker who worked at Donq and married a Taiwanese woman, struck out on his own after leaving Donq. From the year 2000, he successively established bakeries such as Roi Pain Maison Artisan and Nogami Boulangerie, where he also sold a small amount of European-style hard bread, attracting a niche customer base.

The Taiwanese team that won second place in the Mondial du Pain in France in 2008: from left to right, Cao Chih-hsiung, Wu Pao-chun, Wen Shih-cheng, and Shih Kuen-ho. (courtesy of Shih Kuen-ho)

A spectacular start

The introduction of European-style breads—referring to sourdough or old dough breads such as French baguettes and country bread (pain de campagne), as well as German rye bread—has had a profound impact on Taiwan’s baking industry and food culture.

The popularity of European-style breads in the Taiwan market is not primarily due to health trends, but rather is associated with local bakers traveling abroad for competitions.

According to the recollections of CGPRDI president Shih Kuen-ho, the trend of entering overseas competitions was largely due to the efforts of Hsu Hua-chiang, the former vice chairman of the institute. Hsu was the first to secure participation rights from the French yeast company Lesaffre, the organizer or sponsor of various bread baking competitions. Following this, industry leaders like Chen Cheng-wen, chairman of Namchow Oil and Fat, and Liao Pen-tsang, director of Tehmag Foods, who had both served as chairmen of the Taipei Pastry Industry Vocational Union, actively organized the Taipei Inter­national Bakery Show. They also held contestant qualifying competitions during the exhibition. In addition, they received generous support from the Taipei Flour Labor Union and US Wheat Associates, among others.

In 2008, Shih, then the head of the baking team at the CGPRDI, coached a team of bakers including Wu Pao-chun, Wen Shih-cheng, and Tsao Chih-hsiung. They competed in the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, also known as the “Baking Olympics,” which takes place every four years. The Taiwanese team, in their debut ­appearance, secured an astonishing first place in Guangzhou, earning them the right to represent Asia. They then traveled to Paris for the finals. In the end they stood out among 15 participating countries, courageously clinching the runner-­­up position, second only to France.

In 2010, the ever-ambitious Wu Pao-chun entered the first Les Masters de la Boulangerie, an individual championship for past winners of contests including the Coupe du Monde, and his victory caused quite a ­sensation.

CGPRDI director Shih Kuen-ho led a Taiwanese team to France to compete in the Mondial du Pain as a coach when he was the head of the CGPRDI’s baking group. This opportunity also paved the way for Taiwan’s baking industry to break onto the international competitive stage.

Taiwan grows little wheat, and the local breadmaking culture that emerged in the era of American aid was mainly influenced by foreign cultures such as the United States and Japan.

World-class champions

Over the years, it has become increasingly evident that the awards won by the Taiwanese teams are by no means a flash in the pan.

Shih Kuen-ho reflects on Taiwan’s illustrious track record in the Coupe du Monde and related competitions: After the Taiwanese team secured the runner-up position in 2008, Wu Pao-chun clinched the championship in the bread category of the Masters tournament in 2010. In 2012, Tomohiro Nogami served as coach, leading Chang Tai-chien, Lin Kun-wei, and Huang Wei-hsun to third place in the Coupe du Monde. In 2016 Wu took on the role of coach, guiding Hsieh Chung-yu, Wang Peng-chieh, and Chen Yu-chih to take runner-up in the Coupe du Monde. In 2018, Wang Peng-chieh won the artistic breadmaking category of the Masters Tournament, and in 2022 Justin Wu, Hsu Shao-huan, and Lee Chung-wei claimed the top prize in the Coupe du Monde.

Shih Kuen-ho explains that the Coupe du Monde competition requires the two contestants handling the pain (bread) and viennoiserie (“Viennese pastries,” such as Danishes and brioche) to each complete over 100 items in their respective category within eight hours, in various different styles. This includes both specified items and creatively developed items. Meanwhile the third team member must create an edible pièce artistique (artistic work) that stands over a meter tall. The competition is intense and the variety of items vast, testing the bakers’ fundamental skills, on-the-spot problem-solving, creativity, execution, and teamwork.

As international competition becomes increasingly popular, the Mondial du Pain, held biennially in Nantes by Ambassadeurs du Pain, has become a significant event for Taiwanese bakers, in addition to the Coupe du Monde. In 2015 and 2017, Taiwanese bakers Chen Yung-hsin and Chen Yao-hsun respectively clinched the championship, and to date Taiwan boasts an impressive total of seven champion bakers.

The numbers are indeed a source of pride. “Considering Taiwan’s population and the proportion of people working in the bread industry, it’s remarkable that we have so many world champions. Taiwan relies heavily on imported wheat due to its low domestic production, unlike Western countries where wheat is a staple,” says Justin Wu, who in 2023 was honored as UIBC World Baker of the Year by the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners. “It’s fair to call this a ‘Taiwan miracle’!”

Wang Peng-chieh founded Boulangerie Shakespeare & Co. while still in college. He is the second Taiwanese to win the title of Master de la Boulangerie, after Wu Pao-chun.

Boulangerie Shakespeare & Co.’s products follow the European breadmaking tradition of using self-cultivated yeast and emphasizing craftsmanship, while incorporating local Taiwanese ingredients. Their down-to-earth products are not only popular with the Taiwanese public but are also applauded by many foreign bakers and top chefs.

Tastes of Taiwan

With the prestige of international competition, the “national specialty” breads made specifically for the Coupe du Monde events have made a triumphant return to Taiwan after their successes overseas. In the past, many customers referred to them as “those big loaves,” and Wu Pao-chun’s signature creations, the “red wine longan” and “lychee rose royale” breads have formed the general public’s impressions of European-style breads. The inclusion of local ingredients such as charcoal-roasted longan, wine, and black-leaf lychee in the breads has accelerated Taiwanese consumers’ acceptance of these foreign foods.

This clearly demonstrates that Taiwan’s sophisticated agriculture and food processing techniques serve as a significant support system that bakers can rely on.

Wang Peng-chieh, founder of Boulangerie Shakespeare & Co., is the second Taiwanese baker to win the Masters competition. In 2018, he brought the national specialty bread “lychee strawberry,” to the competition. This delicacy, reminiscent of the “Ispahan” rose, raspberry and lychee macaroons created by the celebrated French pastry chef Pierre Hermé, offers more than just the gentle aroma of wheat. It also features the light fragrance of strawberries and the rich floral scent of roses, both produced in Taiwan.

Wang, who frequently travels abroad for exchanges and information-gathering visits, has observed that the variety of fruits grown in Europe is not as rich as in tropical regions. This often leaves Europeans with no choice but to resort to imported frozen dried fruits or fruit purees. Additionally, Europeans are in the habit of processing fruits with large amounts of sugar, obscuring their natural flavors.

Having been in business for many years, he has cultivated a deep understanding and partnership with many like-minded farmers. Take fruit as an example. Through contract farming, he first specifies the fruit varieties and farming methods to the farmers according to his needs. After harvesting, the produce is delivered to the ­processing factory, where it is made into dried fruit with the lowest possible proportion of added sugar. The end product is in no way inferior to fresh fruit in terms of flavor. This longstanding standard operating procedure at his shop, a Shakespearean tradition of sorts, is the secret weapon that has won him favor with judges in competitions.

Wang Peng-chieh (left) currently owns three stores, which he supplies from a central bakery. As a national team coach, he has a strong sense of mission for the industry and hopes that his stores can produce more talented Taiwanese bakers.

Master bakers use wild yeasts personally cultivated from grains and fruits to convey unique flavors, imparting a rich and complex taste to their bread.

The combination of French bread and croissant dough marries the crispness of the former with the softness of the latter. This innovative blend showcases the versatility of Taiwanese breadmaking, and how it is unconstrained by traditional boundaries.

European style with a Taiwanese twist

Consumers may not necessarily be fond of European-­style breads, but they have indeed transformed the landscape of Taiwan’s baking industry.

In the dough raising process, for example, Justin Wu points out that traditional Taiwanese bakeries often opt for quick fermentation, a process that typically doesn’t exceed half a day. However, many establishments, such as Ninao Pan, which he co-founded with Li Yu, the founder of the gelato shop Ninao, have begun to adopt techniques from French baking, even though they produce Taiwanese-­style baked goods. This includes a shift to slow fermentation at low temperatures. Bakers now prepare the dough in the afternoon, allow it to rise overnight, and then bake it the next day. “This results in a softer bread with a better flavor,” says Wu.

Author Tsao Ming-tsung once stated that Taiwan’s culinary culture is a “creative tradition.” After absorbing the very different gastronomic logic of European breadmaking, the Taiwanese, unburdened by Western cultural constraints, have developed many popular new products based on their own preferences.

Tomohiro Nogami’s “Salzburg,” a fusion of French baguettes with cheese and bacon, has surprisingly become a longstanding bestseller at his bakery. Meanwhile, in Taipei, Gao & Zou’s Bakehouse has created the “Viennese Soft French,” a French baguette filled with a sweet cream filling, which at one point became a popular item for group purchases.

Not to mention, the once sensational and popular chain Top Pot Bakery made waves with its signature product, the “Taiwanese Soft European.” This creation, which involved adding copious amounts of sugar, fat, and fillings to the bread, became a massive hit.

Stepping into Boulangerie Shakespeare & Co.’s central bakery, we encounter a variety of unique culinary creations. There’s a bread infused with Taiwanese dried fruit, and another slathered with a thick layer of Italian meat sauce, making it as convenient to enjoy as a slice of pizza. There’s also a bread that takes inspiration from the classic ­Margherita pizza of Italy, combining the traditional trio of tomatoes, cheese, and basil (substituted here with Thai basil) with Italian ciabatta. And then there’s a creation that seems almost whimsical, a fusion of French bread and croissant doughs that results in a product boasting the crispness of French bread and the buttery softness of a croissant.

These innovative approaches have left many visiting foreign bakers and Michelin-starred chefs both stunned and amazed, prompting them to wonder, “How did they come up with this?” and “How can it be so delicious?”

According to reports, in recent years Taiwanese entre­preneurs have been opening bakeries in Paris. Their products seamlessly blend the meticulous French tradition of using cultivated yeast and artisanal techniques with Taiwanese dietary habits. They incorporate fillings into the dough before baking, creating ready-to-eat pastries that have won over European consumers due to their ­convenience.

Taiwanese breads embody the essence of European breads, yet seamlessly integrate Taiwanese perspectives. They are a bit complex, a bit subversive, and even whimsically creative. They may stray from the so-called orthodoxy, but for Taiwanese people, they exude a sense of “why not?” self-assurance. However, it’s this casual confidence that expresses where we come from and our under­lying strength! It allows Taiwanese bread to shine on the world stage.

Justin Wu, once hailed as a “young culinary hero” in the pages of Taiwan Panorama, went abroad as an assistant to Wu Pao-chun during his student days to observe major competitions. Praised by Shih Kuen-ho for his solid fundamentals, he is now also recognized as a world champion.

Justin Wu and Li Yu co-founded Ninao Pan, a bakery specializing in Taiwanese-style bread that also incorporates techniques from European breadmaking, marking a new departure for the baking industry.