Japan wins World Pâté en Croûte Championship as France eats humble pie

Japan has once again triumphed at the World Pâté en Croûte Championship, the 15th edition of the tournament held in France’s gastronomic capital of Lyon. 

Taiki Mano, a chef at the Imperial Hotel’s Les Saisons restaurant in Tokyo, was awarded first prize for his gold-leafed pâté en croûte flavoured with duck, foie gras, pork, sweetbread and green pepper.

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In second place was Seigo Ishimoto, a Japanese chef at Le Coeur restaurant in Kobe, with a yuzu flavoured autumn pâté of chicken liver, foie gras and black trumpet mushrooms. 

It was far from a miserable Monday night (2 December) for the French hosts as they took home five of the six other prizes - but missing out on the top spot is an undeniable blow for a country that considers the dish a national staple.  

Of the past five World Pâté en Croûte Championships, four have been won by Japanese chefs. 

Frédéric Le Guen-Geffroy, a French chef at Club TP90 in Paris, bucked the trend last year, taking home first prize for his creation featuring free-range pork, Muscovy duck, chanterelles, and a thin chicken and pistachio stuffing.

Prior to that, Japanese chef Ryutaro Shiomi won the 2022 championship, with jury member Christoph Paucod commenting: "The craze for pies is simply because the Japanese are perfectionists. They love the quality of their work. And they love French cuisine and the product. And I think that Japan today has fallen in love with the pie. They are not looking for distinction."

Pâté en Croûte, a meat-filled pie wrapped in hot crust pastry, has a long and fascinating history in France. Created in the Middle Ages and sold in Paris, the crust was initially not meant to be consumed,