011
PHOTO BY
Emica Elveđi/Pixsell

Confectionery – between clearly defined laws and the spontaneous emergence of creativity

Confectionery is an extremely complex business, layered like some fantastic cake that wins you over at first sight. And while it cannot be said to be more demanding and dynamic than cooking, because every job is demanding in its own way, there is a dimension of complexity to confectionery that elevates it to a whole new category. Both sophisticated and delicate, as well as coherent and consistent in the application of clearly defined rules, there is no room for improvisation in confectionery. Not even the intuitive ones. There are no spontaneous, unplanned and eclectic moments. On the contrary, it is extremely precise, every step is carefully worked out in advance, down to the smallest detail, down to the gram and millilitre. But still, as everywhere, in every business, everything interesting, impressive and inspiring in high confectionery is created by talented people—artists and masters of their craft who create edible works of art. Therefore, customers are not only tasters, they are also observers who must figure out what lies behind these creations, what their creators are trying to communicate, where they wish to take us and what they hope to arouse.

In this business, knowledge, expertise, technique and ingredients, as well as constant learning and development are necessary to be the best. But it’s also impossible to be special and unique without imagination, originality and boldness. Without a certain dose of sensibility there is no playfulness and curiosity that are both desirable and necessary in this business. Confectioners Ana Omazić, Maša Salopek and Ljupka Gojić—Croatian model, entrepreneur and owner of a confectionery shop—shared their experiences in the business on the “Icing on the cake” panel, stressing that being one hundred percent committed requires tremendous mental concentration and love for what you do.

Ljupka Gojić Mikić, Ana Omazić, Maša Salopek and Tea Mamut, PHOTO Emica Elveđi/Pixsell

Ana Omazić is lucky that after finishing school and working in France, she got the opportunity to become a pastry chef at Rasmus Munk’s famous Alchemist restaurant. “For a young person, this is a great thing because when you start working under the mentorship of a genius and in an environment where every day is a new challenge and a new opportunity for personal development and improvement, then the whole process makes sense. It’s not easy to describe what goes on in Alchemist because it’s not an ordinary workplace,” but what Ana pointed out is the notion of togetherness. Great things are created with togetherness, so Alchemist does not have separate sections within the restaurant. “It’s all one whole. Sweets are created together. We talk not only about today or tomorrow but also about what was yesterday and what can be done even better.” Omazić emphasizes that in Alchemist everyone has a role that is clearly defined and that everyone sticks to. “It is often exhausting, but at the same time it is beautiful and stimulating, so it is actually easy to work,” she said. Nothing can be accomplished without a team, without talking and exchanging ideas. That is the key to everything and it leads to successful results worthy of admiration. Maša Salopek, the best confectioner in the world in 2021 according to The Best Chef and the main confectioner at Hiša Franko, a restaurant known for its sophisticated food philosophy thanks to chef Ana Roš, thinks similarly. Roš is the one who knows how to manage tastes, and Salopek says that she passes on her knowledge to her team, which she directs and helps to be better, but at the same time lets them be free. She emphasizes that their story is very thoughtful. Everything has its questions and answers. Foods are combined intelligently, but also provocatively, so they often come up with surprising results.

Tea Mamut, PHOTO Emica Elveđi/Pixsell

Confectionery is a serious business, but it is also a wonderful game full of passion and eternal desire without which there is no progress. Ana Omazić and Maša Salopek know this very well, but so does Ljupka Gojić who as a pastry shop owner works backstage with her team, sharing their enthusiasm and adrenaline as she once did on the catwalk. These women chose to do what they do. They chose all the beauty, but also the hard work, dedication and discipline of their careers. They have consciously and decisively embraced everything each day brings, while maintaining a great deal of understanding towards themselves and their teams. “One must be passionate and cool-headed in order to achieve balance and equilibrium. And sometimes you need to go beyond the limits of the known and safe, beyond the limits of endurance and practicality. You need to be brave and hearty, but not hasty. You need to explore, search, let go, but also establish a harmonious relationship between the heart and mind while keeping a calm demeanour,” said Gojić. And of course, “you need to be your own person and mentally strong, because in such a symbiosis it is easy to work, and all obstacles are easily overcome”. Creativity is not learned, it arises spontaneously and unplanned, it is a gift that needs to be nurtured and developed. And those who have that ability, like these young ladies, can do absolutely anything they desire.