Cédric Grolet shifts from realistic fruit desserts to floral designs

The trend of trompe-l’œil pastry, which creates desserts that realistically mimic the appearance of fruits like lemons, peaches, and strawberries, is seeing a shift in direction. While these hyper-realistic creations—featuring mousse, creams, and fruit inserts hidden beneath detailed outer shells—have gained massive social media popularity, they are becoming a standard element in contemporary pastry.

Pastry chef Cédric Grolet, a central figure in this movement, appears to be moving away from realistic fruit toward a new concept: 'Fleurs' (flowers). Unlike the fruit desserts that aim to deceive the eye, these floral desserts are more abstract and artificial in form, placing a greater emphasis on flavor profiles rather than the illusion of nature.

Historically, the concept of transforming sweets into realistic fruit has deep roots in Sicily with 'Frutta Martorana,' a traditional recipe using almond paste modeled and painted to resemble fruits and vegetables, dating back to the 12th century.