Pasty World Cup 2026 in New Orleans
Chefs from across the Americas joined Team USA
at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center this weekend for
back-to-back international culinary competitions held alongside the annual
Louisiana Restaurant Association Convention. This is the second year in a row
that New Orleans was awarded the regional competition.
The two-day event featured the Americas selections for the
Pastry World Cup and the Bocuse d'Or, two of the world's most prestigious
culinary contests. Pastry teams competed Saturday, presenting eccentric,
towering cakes that blended intricate sugar work, bold colors, and theatrical
design. On Sunday, July 26, chefs will take the stage for the Bocuse d'Or
Americas competition, showcasing technical skill, creativity, and national
culinary identity featuring savory selections.
Winners from the regional competitions will advance to the
grand finals in January in Lyon, France, where they will compete against top
teams from around the world. Celebrity chefs Daniel Boulud and Alon Shaya were
among those on hand to judge the New Orleans event, and there were plenty of
local chefs in the audience admiring the work. Winners have not yet been
announced, but if it were up to me, Team Argentina would have taken the cake.
