Last Updated on 2025 年 11 月 21 日 by 総合編集組
Taiwan Shocks the World: Wins Absolute World Champion at 2025 Panettone World Championship
In October 2025, a historic moment unfolded in Verona, Italy: the Taiwan national team became the first Asian squad ever to claim the Absolute World Champion title at the prestigious Panettone World Championship (PWC) – the most authoritative global competition dedicated to artisanal panettone.
Unbelievable Results: 3 Gold Medals + 1 Bronze in a Single Competition Competing against 12 countries including traditional powerhouses Italy, France, Germany, and Japan, Taiwan delivered a stunning performance:
- Gold Medal – Classic Traditional Panettone
- Gold Medal – Chocolate Panettone
- Bronze Medal – Innovative Panettone with Gelato
- Overall Absolute World Champion (Team Category)
The entire competition was held under 24/7 live streaming and strict on-site supervision at Polin Verona laboratory, eliminating any possibility of pre-preparation. Every gram of dough was made live.
What Makes This Victory So Extraordinary? Panettone is widely regarded as one of the most difficult baked goods in the world. It requires:
- A century-old Lievito Madre (Italian natural sourdough starter)
- 36–72 hours of controlled natural fermentation
- Extremely high percentages of butter, sugar, and egg yolks without collapsing the structure
- Mandatory use of each country’s own mother yeast (no commercial yeast allowed)
Taiwan succeeded in taming the delicate Lievito Madre in a hot, humid subtropical climate – a feat many European masters considered nearly impossible – and brought it to Italy to outperform the origin country itself.
The Science Behind the Crown The judging panel (composed of master bakers, journalists, and gelato world champions) uses a rigorous scoring system where taste and aroma carry triple and double weight respectively. Taiwan dominated these categories thanks to:
- Medical-grade hygiene control (they previously won “Best Cleanliness Award” in 2023)
- Perfectly balanced acidity from long fermentation
- Flawless alveolation (honeycomb internal structure)
- Even distribution of candied orange peel and sultanas
Innovation with Tradition: The Bronze-Winning Gelato Panettone In the creative category, Taiwan presented a groundbreaking panettone filled and layered with artisanal Italian gelato. Maintaining the delicate fermented structure while incorporating frozen filling earned them third place and loud applause from Italian judges.
From Milan Legend to Taiwanese Triumph Panettone originated in Milan with romantic legends dating back to the 15th century – stories of love, kitchen accidents, and Christmas miracles. Today, Taiwan has written a new chapter: proving that mastery of tradition has no borders when science, discipline, and passion are combined.
A New Era for Asian Baking This victory follows Taiwan’s previous triumphs, including the 2022 Bakery World Cup overall championship. It signals that Asia – particularly Taiwan and Japan – has reached world-elite level in the most demanding sector of European artisan baking: long-fermented enriched doughs.
For international pastry enthusiasts, the message is clear: the next revolutionary panettone might very well come from Taipei, not just Milan.
