r/interestingasfuck • u/MrTacocaT12345 • 18h ago
French Chef Cédric Grolet showcases his incredible pastries
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u/KamandaTsaar 9h ago
The squeezing and stretching thing social media people do with food is the worst.
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u/PupLondon 6h ago
Well..at least he isnt spanking and fingering it like some people do in their videos.
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u/K12onReddit 7h ago
Also when they stack and squish. I only think about how messy and gross the food is at that point.
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u/KamandaTsaar 7h ago
It's all for show. None of that food is going to be eaten and it's all waste. I'd much rather see a video of the end product being enjoyed by people. It's because of the ASMR crap. It ruins a lot of things.
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u/CrazsomeLizard 8h ago
Yeah it would be fine if it was done normally and now like weirdly erotic like and slow
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u/breovus 18h ago
Very cool.
But I also question what the bare minimum of pastry is that can be involved in a pastry before it's no longer a pastry. I guess "jam-balls" just doesn't sound as good.
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u/Rags2Rickius 17h ago
Pastry work doesn’t mean using pastry. Pastry is synonymous in French cuisine to mean a whole range of baking
These are kind of like entremets. A pastry with three elements. Usually a fruit or creme, a biscuit or cake and either a soft set ganache or tempered chocolate shell 🐚
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u/DharmaCub 17h ago
Right a pasty chef is in charge of all desserts, not just pastries.
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u/nahnopedontthinkso 18h ago
Exactly. I was going to mention that there is no texture in these. They need something crunchy or a piece of sponge cake.
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u/Sanglyon 16h ago
It's all built on a cookie base. You can see cross-sections on his website https://cedric-grolet.com/meurice/
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u/Volksstimme 15h ago
The shell, cream, fruit puree, and fruit all have different textures. Some have a genoise or cookie layer as well. I've had a few his Opera location.
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u/MarsScully 18h ago
What is meringue considered to be?
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u/PurpleCableNetworker 18h ago
My wife and I just tried Tu Cha in LA. Beautiful looking pastries - but not flavor at all. The entire gimmick is the look of it. It seems like the flavor and texture is just afterthought.
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u/Kadian13 16h ago
This is Cédric Grolet, expert in French culinary mastery, please don’t compare him to some LA TikTok influencer. His pastries flavor is actually super rich
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u/ImTheGhoul 18h ago
The timing of these two posts is crazy
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u/DMmeprettyplantpics 8h ago
I don't think it is that crazy. Reddit will group them together because they get more engagement from you that way.
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u/roydogaroo 18h ago
The way he penetrates those pastries with his thumbs is a little off putting
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u/FuzzyWDunlop 18h ago
Would have liked a good, clear look at these things before he broke them rather than 14 closeups of a dude's thumbs.
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u/tumfatigues 13h ago
https://cedric-grolet.com/meurice/
Multiple close-up shots (including of the inside) on the website.
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u/Clytre 17h ago
Having tasted Grolet's pastries a couple of times: they look amazing, but are sickly sweet. He is more of an artist than a good pastry chef.
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u/Moonlightdancer7 13h ago
What catapulted his pastries was social media marketing. There are good if not better pastry chefs out there.
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u/Far_Security8313 9h ago
I went to his place in London, and given the price he charges for pastries, I felt like it should have been way better. Taste was good, but no way worth what he asks for it.
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u/KingHygelacReturns 18h ago
Maybe I just have the taste of a child but I'd rather a big ole chocolate chip cookie than a ball of goo shaped like a zucchini
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u/throwaway098764567 17h ago
i appreciate how pretty and realistic they look, but a crunchy meringue seeming thing with filling isn't all that appealing to me either. i bet they'd hit as pie fillings though
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u/Kadian13 16h ago
That’s a fair stance really for anyone who hasn’t tasted Grolet’s work
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u/KingHygelacReturns 9h ago
It's not just about taste for me. I tend to dislike the texture of things like this, even if it tastes good
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u/havingaconniption 10h ago
I think they look amazing, but nothing about watching it be squished is making me want to eat one. They all seem to have some form of slime inside.
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u/youloosethatgame 12h ago
Im french, dont buy this shit, this guy is 99% marketing. We have so much more good pastries to offer
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u/Purpii 13h ago
Its beautiful, but don't let the marketing and hype foul you. I tried many, one was good, lots were tasteless.
Overpriced Instagram bait.
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u/Glastronaughty 18h ago
These look like how the pumpkins did in the Willy wonka and the chocolate factory.
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u/Practical-March-6989 13h ago
I would prefer more pastry to filling ratio personally, but thats just me.
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u/Dakaf 14h ago
How much would one of those cost? It doesn’t look like they are easy to make.
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u/Jackburton06 12h ago
French don't buy these ones, usually only for tourists or dumb instagram brain rotted people.
Let me my local bakery with fine classic pastries around 4 or 5 euros.
People upvote these posts because it looks good and it's exactly made for that point, to be upvoted and shared on the networks.
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u/Darthmullet 4h ago
Grolet specifically has a reputation of looks before flavor as well, just in general.
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u/Frosty-Swan-5110 18h ago
I had these in Paris, the assorted miniature nuts in a little cup were the best because they were bite sized and manageable. Very overpriced but delicious
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u/SwitchBitchRD 12h ago
Sadly overpriced, mostly made for social media buzz and quality not always there. The balance between the texture and flavors is often a miss, as he’s more trying to have something visually nice.
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u/No-Sandwich1511 14h ago edited 3h ago
Why play music over the satisfying noise?. I must admit the insides dont look that appealing
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u/ManEatingDuck_ 18h ago
I don't really understand the appeal of these realistic fruit desserts, they seem quite popular but they're basically just cream and jam. I don't think you can really call it a "pastry "
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u/alexandreautran 16h ago
Thats not it, I’ve eaten there. I found some of those shit, some ok, some good. None worth the hype but it’s not “just cream and jam”. For instance, I’ve eaten some pop corn ones and it was quite interesting how he was able to condense all flavors of corn and popcorn, from shell to core into a “foam-like” structure. This was quite interesting, not fame-deserving in MY opinion, but quite interesting positioning of flavors
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u/HanzoNumbahOneFan 17h ago
Lotta pattiserie stuff in France ends up having cream of some kind and is often times mostly cream. It's a pretty broad category as well. Basically if it's not bread or viennoiserie it's patisserie. Cakes, creams, jams, cookies, trifles, whatever. Like how petit four can mean basically anything if it's small enough.
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u/shnowflake 15h ago
This is true of pastry shops who imitate famous French chefs, and only get the look. I can agree I’ve had these from some local shops that were bad and I regretted eating it.
But if you have a good one, it’s not just cream and jam but the most luxurious, silky, rich mousse and a gelee that is a fresh, tart punch to balance out the sweet. Though I also prefer a biscuit/cookie base to bring in texture, and sometimes salt
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u/Key_Reward_8892 12h ago
just a reminder Cédric Grolet is a french far right partisan
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u/Xenodad 17h ago
Maybe I’m weird, but I don’t find destroying or smashing things interesting or fun. Building a lego, but showing me nonstop quick clips of someone smashing them to bits does not soothe or interest me.
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u/Diablo_v8 17h ago
Am I the only one who doesn't care what it looks like if it's just a bunch of goo. Desserts need texture and and everything being a one note pudding is not appetizing in the slightest.
I understand the artistic prowess here but at the end of the day food should taste, texture, and experience should be priortized before I worry about it looking like a giant rasberry.
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u/emrenny123 11h ago
Reeks of style over substance (and sugar)
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u/crossdtherubicon 10h ago
These are traditionally pretty simple and not exactly meant to be extremely elaborate. There is also French pastry tradition creating clear expectations in a clear focus on an ingredient. For example, eclair icing must match it's cream flavor, something totally unknown or disregarded in North America (where there are not strong traditions or rules.
I share your criticism though of just being a sugar and cream bomb, and although impressive aesthetically, less interesting in the eating. And they all follow the same texture and ratios.
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u/Downtown-Security-11 18h ago
Anyone know what one of these would cost? Looks expensive
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u/daddy-dj 12h ago
This place is near me (in tourist-friendly La Rochelle in France). He's not got a Michelin star, so you don't pay a premium... It's expensive at about 8€ ($9 if my maths is correct) for the fancy stuff, but as a treat every now and again it's affordable. It's quite rich so not something I'd want to eat too often anyway.
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u/Anilakay 5h ago
I’m in southern ca and a French guy opened up a place that makes these. I think they’re like $8-$10 each. They’re delicious, not too sweet and I think reasonably priced for what they are. I don’t get the hate on these desserts in this thread lol.
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u/roulianosss 15h ago
I'm French, and I can tell you this stuff is absolute garbage. It's basically sugar bombs that'll give you diabetes in four bites. 😂
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u/Immediate-Repeat-726 14h ago
I am french, and like all pastries if there is too much sugar it is garage. But more and more chefs put less sugar in their pastries, and cedric grolet is one of them.
I agree these are wayyy too expensive (thanks, social media), they are also very good. Not the best, but very good.
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u/Cheshireyan 14h ago edited 14h ago
You might be French but I can tell you never tasted it. Grolet is known to find ways to add as little sugar as possible in his recipes. That's the reason I absolutely can't eat his Opera cake, which is way too bitter for my taste, but I absolutely love his apple pie. Once again, you should taste it instead of just repeat garbage you heard on the internet.
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u/Jolly-Statistician37 13h ago
It's not "all garbage" for sure, but Grolet's pastries are definitely hit-or-miss. Some are excellent, some are just okay, and since they're all expensive, I stopped trying as I value consistency.
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u/aridotaku 13h ago
I personally think they look delectable. They're obviously really well made with how crunchy that tempered chocolate is. The moldy one could be from any random place, this type of desert has gone viral and is in most bakeries/cafes I've been to. Give the man some credit for the artwork he's made.
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u/yomommasbathwater 13h ago
None of this looks remotely appealing taste wise, only visually. The filling is far too intense
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u/FargusMcGillicuddy 18h ago
I feel like it’s a little too heavy on the goo? Idk I would absolutely try one though.
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u/Ok-Difficulty3082 17h ago
They look amazing but does the band aid bother you as much as it does me
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u/ForAte151623ForTeaTo 18h ago
Those aren't pastries those are goop balls.
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u/Dcybokjr 18h ago
Yeah this feels like when Cake Boss was big and everyone got fancy cakes and had to learn fondant tastes like fucking play-doh
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u/Single-Chain-1063 18h ago
It s all sugar, i respect the expertise but i dont give a fuck about the result
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u/Affectionate_Cup_272 14h ago
I've had these before they taste amazing idk why people are being so judgemental all the time.
Why do people think that just eating one of these make people die?
Don't judge a book by it's cover
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u/irishcybercolab 9h ago
I want to try them all. When traveling to Switzerland, I have been known to enter a candy makers shop, buy 30 bucks worth of custom chocolates and eat them before I walk across the threshold of the shops exit.
Sometimes you must take care of self. You ARE worth this level of love.
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u/SheDrinksScotch 8h ago
Entering an establishment, buying $30 worth of food, then eating it before leaving sounds totally normal. Its just the fact that its chocolate that makes it more odd. The social norms that makes that distinction feels stupid to me. Now I want to go somewhere that sells fresh made chocolates so I can do this too. Especially with my kid.
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u/reluctantlysharing 18h ago
I just watched another video, I don’t know if fit was this guy but someone got one of these and it was moldy af in the middle
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u/Virtual_Persimmon851 18h ago
I’m sorry but these look great until he breaks it open and shows the insides.
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u/Eis_ber 18h ago
They look pretty, but I hate that it's mostly filled with the puree. They're overwhelmingly sweet.
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u/badhamster89 13h ago
How can you call that a pastry when there’s ZERO pastry involved?
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u/thedirtybirdy 18h ago
Best pastries I’ve ever had in my life. Worth every cent every time.
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u/Dont-ask-dont-speak 18h ago
You guys are a bunch of grumps. These look absolutely delicious and well made. Not really sure about all this mold talk.
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u/Salt-Operation 18h ago
There was another popular post today in mildlyinfuriating where one of these realistic cake pastries had mold all in it.
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u/Flammable_Chipmunk 18h ago
Regarding the mold talk - There was a post in mildly infuriating earlier today where some guy had visited a shop that was will known for lifelike pastries like these (though did not look half as lifelike as these from what I could see) and ended up with one filled with mold.
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u/City_of_Paris 17h ago
Guy is for sure talented but for those who know, these are way overpriced. It's mainly for tourists.
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u/McCl3lland 16h ago
I hope they taste good, because not a single one of those (once broken) looked like something I want to eat lol.
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u/OmgFurai 15h ago
He does a pinecone that's filled with a hazelnut and chocolate mousse. It's amazing.
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u/RedrunGun 11h ago
I want to try the raspberry, the mango, the blueberry, and the green apple. A lot of the people in this thread are shitting on these, but I am salivating.
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u/Purled_Attitude 10h ago
It's beautiful. Probably very expensive. And I don't like food that is slimy inside, so - thanks for the visuals, you can eat it :)
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u/radu_rc90 10h ago
I have a pâtisserie near me that has sweets like these, they are very tasty & very well balanced but pretty expensive.
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u/adorablegadget 18h ago
Someone just posted pics of a very similar style of dessert. They were filled with mold.