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A worker decorates a stall at the "#BuyLocal" fair held to mark #WorldConsumerRightsDay at Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei on Monday.
https://focustaiwan.tw/photos/20210315ENP0001m
[News / 甜點新聞] La Maison du Chocolat 發表復活節作品及兩款由 Pierre Hermé Paris 創作的純素甜點 / La Maison du Chocolat to present its Easter collections and 2 vegan pastries created by Pierre Hermé (English below)
吃甜甜、過好年！剛剛吃完年夜飯的大家，不曉得餐桌上都有什麼菜色呢？也吃了甜點嗎？
昨日去參加 La Maison du Chocolat 的新春作品發表會，真的是大開眼界。「Vegan」果然是近期熱度最高的關鍵詞！現場不僅看到了 Nicolas Cloiseau 主廚（MOF 巧克力職人）精采無比的復活節巧克力創作、品嚐了 #純素巧克力，還搶先試吃到 Pierre Hermé 主廚創作、三月二日才會正式上市的兩款 #純素甜點，且兩位大師本人都在，我一時有點忙不過來，都不知道該先拍、先嚐什麼好！
Nicolas 主廚今年的復活節巧克力雕塑「Les Voyages Extraordinaires」（#非比尋常之旅）靈感來自於他小時候最喜歡的一本書《Vingt mille lieues sous les mers》（中譯《#海底兩萬里》，是法國作家 Jules Verne 在 1869 年出版的科幻小說，描述一艘被誤認為海怪的潛水艇「鸚鵡螺號」的冒險旅程）。主廚精心以純手工打造了一艘熱帶魚型的巧克力潛水艇（美國與法國各僅有一座）、並使用了來自三大洲三個地點的三款風格獨特的巧克力製作復活節蛋，讓所有的消費者也能跟他一起在味蕾尖上環遊世界。三個巧克力分別來自越南、中美洲格瑞納達與西非迦納，其中來自越南的那款批覆巧克力（chocolat de couverture）為純素（végane / vegan），加入了椰奶，在口中香氣迸發時，能瞬間將你帶到藍天碧海白沙灘的熱帶場景，個性極為鮮明。巧克力雕塑本身細節考究，外型充滿童心，是小朋友們看了會非常興奮、大人們也會在心中升起共鳴的作品。
本次一同推出的，還有 #五款水果風味的夾心巧克力，包含覆盆子、黑醋栗、檸檬、柑橘與百香果。有趣的是這五款巧克力分為一般與純素兩個系列，純素系列使用酪梨油取代鮮奶油與奶油等動物性油脂製作甘納許（ganache）、楓糖漿取代白糖。有趣的是，大部分的人在品嚐、比較兩種後，都會驚喜地發現純素的巧克力甘納許水果滋味更為豐富有深度，酸香也更為明亮有層次。
最後一個重頭戲，則是 Pierre Hermé 主廚受邀為 La Maison du Chocolat 設計的兩款 #純素且無麩質的甜點：「Rose des Sables」（玫瑰巧克力酥）與「Fleur de Cassis」（黑醋栗之花）。之前我在歐洲麵包展時遇到 Pierre Hermé 主廚、詢問他對純素甜點的風潮看法，他便向我透露三月會有兩款純素甜點。謎底揭曉，原來就是與 La Maison du Chocolat 合作的最新創作。Nicolas 主廚則告訴我，當他邀請 Pierre Hermé 合作時，其實並沒有「純素」的目標限制，而是大師本人為響應 La Maison du Chocolat 對 #環境永續、#生態平衡 的理念而創作。Nicolas 主廚提到他 #從四年前便開始從頭學習如何使用植物性食材取代動物性食材創作，經過無數次實驗，對他來說是很大的挑戰。La Maison du Chocolat 過去的作品也可見到他 #關心環境與生態的理念，如 2019 年的聖誕節巧克力雕塑以北極熊為主題、品牌也從兩年前開始推出純素的巧克力商品，收到不少消費者的正面回覆。他目前已經開始著手創作更多純素巧克力系列，並認為「#這就是未來的巧克力樣貌」。
繼「無麩質」甜點後，純素風潮看來即將席捲法國，往後吃甜點也能照顧到大眾對環境、動物權的關注以及個人道德觀的選擇，誰說不是一件好事呢？記得點照片看更多細節！
🔖 當天影音請點此欣賞（在該精選動態後半）：https://tinyurl.com/swylsfh
*****
Today is Chinese New Year’s Eve, what did you have on your dinner table? What pastries and desserts have you had?
I got invited to discover the Easter and Spring collections of La Maison du Chocolat yesterday and was really amazed. “Vegan” is apparently the keyword that you can’t miss now. The chef Nicolas Cloiseau presented his Easter chocolate piece as well as a series of fruity chocolates including a vegan version. M. Hermé was there, too, to launch his two vegan pastry creations in collaboration with La Maison du Chocolat.
Themed “Les Voyages Extraordinaires” (“The Extraordinary Trips”), the chocolate piece was carefully sculptured and constructed by hand by the chef chocolatier of the brand, MOF Nicolas Cloiseau. The chef got inspired by Jules Verne's “Vingt mille lieues sous mers” (“Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea”), one of his favourite books in childhood and created this gorgeous work, which speaks to the children as well as to the adventurous spirit of adults. Three characteristic couverture chocolates from Vietnam, Ghana, and Grenada are used to reflect on the chef’s trips discovering great chocolates around the globe, and the customers are invited to enjoy this globe-trotter experience along. Coconut milk is added in the vegan couverture chocolate from Vietnam. While the warm and exotic coconut aroma starts to dance on your tongue, you’d immediately feel that you are transported to an tropical island where the sun is shining and warm wind is kissing your cheeks.
The maison also launches five fruity chocolates in both original and vegan series, including raspberry, blackcurrant, lemon, orange, and passion fruit. Avocado oil replaced cream and butter and maple syrup replaced white sugar to make vegan ganaches, resulting in a much brighter and more intense fruity flavour.
In this Spring collection, the great chef Pierre Hermé is invited to create two vegan and gluten-free pastries, "Rose des Sables" and "Fleur de Cassis”. Chef Nicolas told me that in fact, they didn’t ask Pierre Hermé to make them vegan. The latter made such choice as an echo to Nicolas’ pursuit of a more responsible work ethic and eco-friendly philosophy of creation. The chef Nicolas has been working since four years ago on vegan chocolates by learning how to use vegan ingredients to replace animal products, which is a great challenge as this chocolate, like pastries, are made of butter, cream, sugar, etc. La Maison du Chocolat starts to provide vegan choices since two years ago and the chef’s previous work also shows his constant concern for the environment and endangered animals. For example, his 2019 Christmas chocolate piece featured polar bear and iceberg in a snowy world. The chef told me that the brand has received lots of positive feedback from customer and he believed that “this is what the chocolate of tomorrow going to be”.
Following “San-gluten” (gluten-free), “végane” (vegan) apparently is going to be the next storm sweeping through the French pastry industry. Many might criticise that it’s just another fashion that will soon die out, but Isn’t it wonderful that when you enjoy your pastries and desserts next time, you are also showing your support to environment sustainability and your concern for animal rights?
Don’t forget to click on the photos and check out my featured story for more details: https://tinyurl.com/swylsfh
#yingspastryguide #paris #lamaisonduchocolat #nicolascloiseau #pierrehermé #vegan #vaganpastries #Pâques #easter2020
Recently I’ve seen many rumors circulating about me and enormous amounts of hate. This is no surprise to me. I know that since most people are not aware of the full meaning of the climate crisis (which is understandable since it has never been treated as a crisis) a school strike for the climate would seem very strange to people in general.
So let me make some things clear about my school strike.
In may 2018 I was one of the winners in a writing competition about the environment held by Svenska Dagbladet, a Swedish newspaper. I got my article published and some people contacted me, among others was Bo Thorén from Fossil Free Dalsland. He had some kind of group with people, especially youth, who wanted to do something about the climate crisis.
I had a few phone meetings with other activists. The purpose was to come up with ideas of new projects that would bring attention to the climate crisis. Bo had a few ideas of things we could do. Everything from marches to a loose idea of some kind of a school strike (that school children would do something on the schoolyards or in the classrooms). That idea was inspired by the Parkland Students, who had refused to go to school after the school shootings.
I liked the idea of a school strike. So I developed that idea and tried to get the other young people to join me, but no one was really interested. They thought that a Swedish version of the Zero Hour march was going to have a bigger impact. So I went on planning the school strike all by myself and after that I didn’t participate in any more meetings.
When I told my parents about my plans they weren’t very fond of it. They did not support the idea of school striking and they said that if I were to do this I would have to do it completely by myself and with no support from them.
On the 20 of august I sat down outside the Swedish Parliament. I handed out fliers with a long list of facts about the climate crisis and explanations on why I was striking. The first thing I did was to post on Twitter and Instagram what I was doing and it soon went viral. Then journalists and newspapers started to come. A Swedish entrepreneur and business man active in the climate movement, Ingmar Rentzhog, was among the first to arrive. He spoke with me and took pictures that he posted on Facebook. That was the first time I had ever met or spoken with him. I had not communicated or encountered with him ever before.
Many people love to spread rumors saying that I have people ”behind me” or that I’m being ”paid” or ”used” to do what I’m doing. But there is no one ”behind” me except for myself. My parents were as far from climate activists as possible before I made them aware of the situation.
I am not part of any organization. I sometimes support and cooperate with several NGOs that work with the climate and environment. But I am absolutely independent and I only represent myself. And I do what I do completely for free, I have not received any money or any promise of future payments in any form at all. And nor has anyone linked to me or my family done so.
And of course it will stay this way. I have not met one single climate activist who is fighting for the climate for money. That idea is completely absurd.
Furthermore I only travel with permission from my school and my parents pay for tickets and accommodations.
My family has written a book together about our family and how me and my sister Beata have influenced my parents way of thinking and seeing the world, especially when it comes to the climate. And about our diagnoses.
That book was due to be released in May. But since there was a major disagreement with the book company, we ended up changing to a new publisher and so the book was released in august instead.
Before the book was released my parents made it clear that their possible profits from the book ”Scener ur hjärtat” will be going to 8 different charities working with environment, children with diagnoses and animal rights.
And yes, I write my own speeches. But since I know that what I say is going to reach many, many people I often ask for input. I also have a few scientists that I frequently ask for help on how to express certain complicated matters. I want everything to be absolutely correct so that I don’t spread incorrect facts, or things that can be misunderstood.
Some people mock me for my diagnosis. But Asperger is not a disease, it’s a gift. People also say that since I have Asperger I couldn’t possibly have put myself in this position. But that’s exactly why I did this. Because if I would have been ”normal” and social I would have organized myself in an organisation, or started an organisation by myself. But since I am not that good at socializing I did this instead. I was so frustrated that nothing was being done about the climate crisis and I felt like I had to do something, anything. And sometimes NOT doing things - like just sitting down outside the parliament - speaks much louder than doing things. Just like a whisper sometimes is louder than shouting.
Also there is one complaint that I ”sound and write like an adult”. And to that I can only say; don’t you think that a 16-year old can speak for herself? There’s also some people who say that I oversimplify things. For example when I say that "the climate crisis is a black and white issue”, ”we need to stop the emissions of greenhouse gases” and ”I want you to panic”. But that I only say because it’s true. Yes, the climate crisis is the most complex issue that we have ever faced and it’s going to take everything from our part to ”stop it”. But the solution is black and white; we need to stop the emissions of greenhouse gases.
Because either we limit the warming to 1,5 degrees C over pre industrial levels, or we don’t. Either we reach a tipping point where we start a chain reaction with events way beyond human control, or we don’t. Either we go on as a civilization, or we don’t. There are no gray areas when it comes to survival.
And when I say that I want you to panic I mean that we need to treat the crisis as a crisis. When your house is on fire you don’t sit down and talk about how nice you can rebuild it once you put out the fire. If your house is on fire you run outside and make sure that everyone is out while you call the fire department. That requires some level of panic.
There is one other argument that I can’t do anything about. And that is the fact that I’m ”just a child and we shouldn’t be listening to children.” But that is easily fixed - just start to listen to the rock solid science instead. Because if everyone listened to the scientists and the facts that I constantly refer to - then no one would have to listen to me or any of the other hundreds of thousands of school children on strike for the climate across the world. Then we could all go back to school.
I am just a messenger, and yet I get all this hate. I am not saying anything new, I am just saying what scientists have repeatedly said for decades. And I agree with you, I’m too young to do this. We children shouldn’t have to do this. But since almost no one is doing anything, and our very future is at risk, we feel like we have to continue.
And if you have any other concern or doubt about me, then you can listen to my TED talk ( https://www.ted.com/…/greta_thunberg_the_disarming_…/up-next ), in which I talk about how my interest for the climate and environment began.
And thank you everyone for you kind support! It brings me hope.
/Greta
Ps I was briefly a youth advisor for the board of the non profit foundation “We don’t have time”. It turns out they used my name as part of another branch of their organisation that is a start up business. They have admitted clearly that they did so without the knowledge of me or my family. I no longer have any connection to “We don’t have time”. Nor has anyone in my family. They have deeply apologised and I have accepted their apology.
This is an uncomfortable truth, but it's a part of living in China that we need to discuss.
Details for the organisations helping out the dogs:
http://www.nodogsleftbehind.com
http://www.fightdogmeat.com
I love China, I love living in China and of course my friends and my wife. But there is an uncomfortable truth that has always upset me and so I decided to air it.
Support Sasha and I on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/serpentza
Join me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/winstoninchina
Twitter: @serpentza
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My other channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/advchina
Music used: Virtual Vice - Dyson
Artist's bandcamp: https://new-world.bandcamp.com/album/off-duty
