Matthias Mittermeier
Matthias Mittermeier no longer sees himself as a classic pastry chef, but as a technician and food designer. He has a rich history working in 3-star Michelin restaurants across Europe and specializes in the avant-garde, developing new skills and techniques to heighten the dining experience.
His exploration of patisserie began with the teachings of Pierre Hermé in Paris, leading him to a number of well-established restaurants in Germany and France. Matthias has four masters under his belt and has gained various titles including “Confectioner of the Year”. His two books, “Torten & Törtchen” and “Pralinen, Fours & Co” proudly held the title of Germany’s Best Pastry Books in 2013 and 2016.
Following his appointment in product development at world renowned ‘EL BULLI’ with the Adria Brothers, where he worked with leading scientists and chefs discovering new perspectives, Matthias set up his restaurant Dallmayr in Munich which gained its second Michelin star in just 14 months.
Matthias currently gives courses, seminars and demos worldwide with his company FOODDESIGN-MITTERMEIER and works as a consultant and product developer. Through his intensive collaboration with top pastry chefs and scientists, he sees himself as a link to confectionery-pastry and science.
Get to know Matthias
What is your favorite cocoa-based dessert?
One of my most successful desserts with cocoa would be The Sugar Balloon. The balloon itself is made up of water, sugar and protein from the pulp of the cocoa pod. It is then puffed up with helium, filled with a water-cocoa bean espuma, then served with cocoa fruit sorbet. When making desserts with cocoa, I would take a pod and break it down into its individual components. I would take these components apart (beans, pulp) and turn them into a dessert. With the pulp, I like to make a sorbet and the beans themselves offer an incredible number of possibilities.
What would be your top tip for using cocoa for other pastry professionals?
My favorite product from deZaan’s range is True Gold. I love natural products, the fat content naturally also plays a major role, since fat is one of the three main flavor enhancers, next to sugar and glutamate.
What are your favorite flavors for using alongside cocoa in pastry creations?
Make the most of the diverse cocoa types and variety of flavors and use their fat content and different aromas, then work out the 5 main flavors: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami.
What is your favorite product from the deZaan range?
There are so many different cocoa types, and each gives off a completely different aroma. I can’t say whether there’s a flavor I like best! It’s more complex as everything consists of the five main flavors and their molecules and I love all five, especially umami.
What do you like most about cocoa from deZaan?
The different flavors and colors of the individual cocoa powder varieties.
