Japanese Chef Keita Yuge Named Master of Pasta at Barilla 2019 Pasta World Championship in Paris

PARIS, Oct. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Japanese Chef Keita Yuge was crowned the 2019 Barilla Master of Pasta on Friday night at the Italian food company's annual Pasta World Championship, held in Paris October 10-11. Yuge won the title with his reinvented signature dish, which was prepared during The Grand Finale segment of the event. He was one of 14 young chefs from around the world competing in front of more than 250 international guests and a panel of judges that included well-known chefs, foodies and industry professionals.

"I am proud to be the new Barilla Master of Pasta," Yuge said when he received his award — an original sculpture made of bronze and inspired by pasta die. "I would like to transmit my knowledge and all the technical skills I have acquired during the years to the next generations."

Yuge, who was a finalist in the 2017 Barilla Pasta World Championship, is the second Japanese chef to become Master of Pasta since Chef Yoshi Yamada won the title at Barilla's inaugural Pasta World Championship in 2012.

The Making of a Masterpiece
Yuge is a multidisciplinary chef with extensive knowledge of Italian cuisine. He grew his talent at some of the world's finest restaurants, including: Guy Savoy in Paris, Chez Inno in Tokyo, Quintocanto in Osaka, Japan, and most recently, Salone 2007 in Yokohama, Japan.

His winning Penne Gorgonzola Profumo Giapponese dish featured Barilla penne pasta with gorgonzola cheese, oysters and an aroma of Japanese "Sake, Sansho, Yuzu." Keita created the dish in the first round of the competition and then improved upon it for The Grand Finale, incorporating the feedback he received from the judges and serving the pasta in a bowl instead of a plate, so he could more thoroughly mix all of the ingredients and keep the dish warm. The judges selected the dish for its overall taste and because it used pasta to seamlessly link eastern and western cooking traditions and flavors.

Part Culinary Competition, Part Art Exhibition
Fourteen chefs, representing 14 different countries, convened in Paris on Thursday and Friday to participate in the tournament, now in its eighth year.

This was the first time Barilla hosted its flagship competition outside of its home country. Paris was chosen because it fit with the 2019 theme, "The Art of Pasta," and because Barilla France is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year.

In the first phase of the competition, "The Masterpiece," the 14 chefs were challenged to create a signature dish that expressed their personal interpretation of the expression, "Bello, Buono, Fa Bene," which means, "Beautiful for the Eyes, Tasty for the Palate and Good for the Soul." Eight winners were then selected to move on to the second challenge, "The White Canvas," in which they were asked to demonstrate their talent by embracing a new gastronomy perspective and creating a recipe that combined creativity with the holistic concept of well-being. In "The Grand Finale," three remaining contestants went head to head to refine and perfect their initial signature dish.

This year's panel of five judges included: Barilla Brand Ambassador and Michelin-starred chef Davide Oldani; Simone Zanoni, head chef at Le George in Paris; Amandine Chaignot, former executive chef at the Rosewood London Hotel; Ashley Alexander, Australian food photographer and content creator; and Paola Navone, Italian architect, product designer, interior decorator and art director. In addition to assessing overall taste, the judges also considered the backstory, culinary style and aesthetics of each dish.

The event also featured a discussion, "Food, Aesthetics and Art," and "The Sound of Pasta," a surprise live music performance by the Italian Artists Food Ensemble and chef Davide Oldani. In addition, French chef Amandine Chaignot hosted a live cooking show, in which she showcased Barilla's new premium Lasagnette from its gourmet Collezione line. The Championship ended with a celebratory Pasta Party in the Pavillon Cambon Capucines, which had been temporarily transformed into a modern gallery for the occasion.

The Sound of Pasta: A Spaghetti Symphony
Barilla first partnered with the Italian Artists Food Ensemble last year. The group creates musical interpretations of dishes using sounds sampled during the preparation and cooking of the food.

In 2018, the Italian Artists Food Ensemble sampled sounds from chef Davide Oldani's preparation of Spaghetti al Cartoccio Cacio e Pepe and the resulting piece was performed live at Barilla's 2018 Pasta World Championship. For this year's event, Barilla worked with the Italian Artists Food Ensemble to expand the track into a full album, Spaghetti Symphony, which includes four original tracks inspired by four different Barilla spaghetti recipes developed by chef Oldani.

One of the tracks, Puttanesca with Horseradish — seen in the advertisement "Masters of Pasta – The Party," with Davide Oldani and Roger Federer — was performed at this year's Pasta World Championship and vinyl copies were given as gifts to event guests.

Prestigious Partners
The 2019 Pasta World Championship was made possible with the help of nine exceptional partners and leaders from a wide array of industries: San Pellegrino, Electrolux, Smeg, Marriott, Vorwerk, Campari, Lavazza, Moët & Chandon and Fine Dining Lovers.

Barilla was also proud to partner with Parabere Forum, an independent, international nonprofit platform dedicated to empowering women in hospitality.

For more information about the 2019 Pasta World Championship, visit: www.pastaworldchampionship.com. 

For pasta recipes and inspiration, follow @BarillaUS on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

The Barilla Group
Barilla is a family company, not listed on the stock exchange, chaired by brothers Guido, Luca and Paolo Barilla. It was founded by their great-grandfather, Pietro Barilla, who opened a bakery in Parma in 1877. Now, Barilla, is famous in Italy and throughout the world for the excellence of its food products. With its brand – Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Pan di Stelle, Gran Cereale, Harry's, Pavesi, Wasa, Filiz, Yemina and Vesta, Misko, Voiello and Cucina Barilla – it promotes a tasty, joyful and healthy diet, inspired by the Mediterranean Diet and the Italian lifestyle. When Pietro opened his store more than 140 years ago, his overriding aim was to make good food. Today, that principle has become Barilla's way of doing business: "Good for You, Good for the Planet," a slogan that expresses the daily commitment of over 8,000 people who work for the company, and of a supply chain that shares its values and passion for quality. "Good for You" means constantly improving the product offering, encouraging the adoption of healthy lifestyles and facilitating people's access to food. "Good for the Planet" means promoting sustainable supply chains and reducing CO₂ emissions and water consumption.

To learn more please visit: www.barillagroup.com; Twitter: @barillagroup

SOURCE Barilla America

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