• Anna Gerasi, Pastry Chef, World Chocolate Masters Italy winner 2022 and manager of the family business "Pasticceria Piccinelli dal 1862" brings his passion for art to the sweet field, creating impressive desserts.
La International Exhibition of the Sweet Sector, SIGEP 2023, one of the many points of attraction was represented by a spectacular chocolate sculpture exhibited at the stand of the Italian company Lesepidado.
Made entirely of chocolate and finished in the color of the year, Viva Magenta, the sculpture Mother-Dragon and Cub was the result of the collaboration of the talented Pastry Chefs Anna Gerasi and Damian Carrara. The presentation of the fabulous work of art emphasizes that: "When fantasy meets two masters who passionately unite their creativity and talent, the result is a reproduction of a creature that seems to come to life."
Pastry Chef Anna Gerasi wins the title of World Chocolate Masters Italy in 2022, in order to then participate in the world event World Chocolate Masters in Paris, where she awarded her "Sustainability Award". He delighted the expert jury with his creations, true works of art, achieving the perfect combination of the delicacy of high-quality chocolate with natural, exclusively vegetable ingredients and with a low amount of sugar.
Art in confectionery
Anna Gerasi runs the historic location in Brescia with her brother, Pasticceria Piccinelli, where, for many years, he has been transforming refined pieces of chocolate into authentic sculptures. His creations are not only tasty works of art, but also boast a sustainable approach. The basis of its pastry/confectionery products are high-quality ingredients, in many cases vegan raw materials, to obtain a healthy final product with a low impact on the environment.
In an interview given to the daily newspaper La Repubblica after winning the title of World Chocolate Masters Italia, he describes his creations presented in the competition as: "exclusively vegetable and with a very low impact on the environment. For me the future is greens. Sustainability is a lifestyle for me and it is the message I conveyed through my creations in the competition."
Anna Gerasi's talent is the result of a long family tradition in the field of confectionery along with a rich experience as a master chocolatier. Added to all this is the special ability to combine the basics of traditional techniques in the field of pastry, confectionery and chocolate with continuous innovation. A graduate of the Art Academy, she learned the sculptural techniques that she applies in her work Pastry Chef and chocolatier.
1. I would like to know where you get your ideas for making these creations?
My passion is art. Before I'm a Pastry Chef and chocolatier, I'm an artist. I come from a family of confectioners and chocolatiers and, following the Art Academy courses, I brought art to the confectionery laboratory. Obviously, I am also passionate about the job of chocolatier. I like working with chocolate, making pralines, but especially making chocolate sculptures in various shapes: dragons, hearts, flowers. I combined my two passions, my passion for art, especially painting and sculpture, with my passion for chocolate works, sculpted and then airbrushed.
2. Is it important for a Pastry Chef to also know a little art?
Art definitely helps, it's that final touch that takes the product to another level. It is pure beauty. If you know beauty through the prism of art - colors, shapes - with the help of quality raw materials, used skillfully, your product will definitely become better. Let's not forget that the first sense that is activated upon entering a confectionery, chocolate shop, in any shop in fact, is sight. The consumer reacts first to the beauty of the product, followed by taste, freshness, ingredient list, and so on.
3. What novelties do you present in this exhibition?
I brought this spectacular chocolate sculpture, Mother-Dragon with her baby, made in the color of the year: Viva Magenta, a color that crossed the boundaries of fashion and entered many other fields, including the world of confectionery and chocolate.
4. Do you have a person who inspires you or an important motto for you?
The nature! I am always inspired by nature, the source of life for us, which we unfortunately abuse. You might not know that I am also a beekeeper. I have bees and I am a honey producer. I use the quiet moments when I am in the middle of nature, between the beehives, as inspiration in my daily work. And bees inspire me too! They are hardworking, organized and each bee has a well-defined role within the group. And we humans could learn from them to be more organized.
And the motto that demonstrates Anna's passion for the world of desserts and, above all, for chocolate is: "Chocolate cannot replace love, but love can replace chocolate."
Audio version of the interview:
Interview conducted at Sigep 2023 by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
Read on White Art and: Chocolate, the gift of the gods
