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For yet another year, Gastroactitud is holding the gala that awards the best roscones in the capital, which this year has praised the creative and experimental creation of Umikobake, the patisserie of the Japanese restaurant Umiko.
At the Casa de la Panadería in the Plaza Mayor, the jury, presided over by figures such as the master pastry chef Paco Torreblanca, Estela Gutiérrez of the Estela Hojaldres patisserie and the food critic José Carlos Capel of Gastroactitud, judged the 10 finalists through a blind tasting.
The cross-cutting requirements for the cast to be able to judge it were as follows: the roscón had to weigh 500 grams, be round in shape and not be filled. Likewise, the ingredients had to be natural, except for exceptions such as candied or crystallised fruit, vanilla, seeds, honey or orange blossom water.
The jury, which also included Ricardo Vélez from Moulin Chocolat, winner of the prize at Christmas 2018, awarded a prize of 2,500 euros in products from Mantequerías Arias -the main sponsor of the championship- to the roscón made by the pastry chef Alejandro García Lázar.
What does the best roscón in the capital taste like?
Umikobake‘s roscón is presented as a harmonious fusion between tradition and the avant-garde of Japanese and French pastries, with ingredients such as yuzu, which provides that citric touch to the rest of the mixture of flour, eggs, egg yolk, orange blossom water, rum, sugar and honey.
The most important thing is the raw materials and the love, and we add a touch of yuzu to give it that Asian touch. Instead of lemon, we use yuzu, which is a Japanese citrus fruit’, explained García Lázaro after the winner was announced. An ingredient that appears grated along with the orange, and also on top, as it has a glaze with yuzu and orange blossom water.
The price of the winning roscón is €28 without filling and €35 with filling. The fillings can be cream, truffle, pomace cream -a special collaboration with Ruavieja-, or even Pink Panther.
Finally, in second place was the bakery Doble Uve, while third place went to Brulèe, the bakery from Colmenar Viejo, which won a prize in 2021 with its pistachio and candied orange covered roscón.
