Panettone, a triumph of craftsmanship!

We are already starting to feel the warmth of Christmas – of which panettone is the undisputed king -, wrapped in unique atmospheres. The illuminated streets, the decorated trees and the decorated houses contribute to transforming the appearance of the places that surround us. Every family has its own traditions, which are passed down from generation to generation. And traditions are a bridge between past and present, a way to celebrate our cultural identity.

But what is the magical symbol par excellence of Christmas, if not the panettone? It is not just a dessert, but the quintessence of craftsmanship, tradition and conviviality.

In addition to the traditional panettone, today there are many variations: from chocolate panettone to the one with ice cream, up to gourmet versions with particular ingredients such as pistachios, marron glacé and creams.

In Milan, in the evocative setting of Palazzo Castiglioni on the weekend of November 8-10, the final of the IV Coppa del Mondo del Panettone took place, an international competition conceived by Mastro Piff, created in collaboration with the Swiss Chamber of Commerce with the Swiss Corner and with the patronage of the Lombardy Region, among the Partners SMPPC - Società Mastri Panettieri Pasticcieri Confettieri del Canton Ticino and Ticino Gourmet Tour. A sold out edition with record numbers that allowed visitors to taste many variations of panettone from all over the world, with presentations, masterclasses and workshops.

For the occasion, all the finalists who passed the national selections in Italy and Switzerland and in the rest of the world during 2023 and 2024 were presented. 24 pastry chefs reached the final for the Traditional Panettone category and 18 for the Chocolate Panettone category, from Europe, Asia, Latin America, the United States and Australia. Two Ticinese held high the flag of our territory and precisely with the Traditional Panettone Andrea Giacomini from the Poncini Luca & Co. pastry shop in Maggia and for the Chocolate Panettone category Roberto Gatti from the Artebianca pastry shop in Lugano.

A further taste of Ticino will also be on offer at the opening evening at the Swiss Corner in via Palestro with offerings from Gruppo Seven in collaboration with Ticino Gourmet Tour, specifically with finger food from chef Elena Carsino of Seven Riva Ascona and desserts, including panettone, from Pietro Lenza, pastry chef of Bottega del Gusto in Ascona.

The Panettone World Cup is not just a competition, but also a cultural event that unites master pastry chefs, enthusiasts and the simply curious in a celebration of artisanal excellence.

«We have reached the fourth edition of Panettone World Cup – explains Giuseppe Piffaretti, creator of CMP – and if we look back we realize that we have contributed in a concrete way to spreading the culture of traditional panettone throughout the world. There are thousands of pastry chefs that we have met during the selections in different countries: from Brazil to Peru to the United States, Australia, Japan, Singapore and many European nations. The final is also an opportunity to connect different cultures and give birth to real collaborations. In fact, under the spires of the Duomo, friendships have been born between colleagues from different nations that continue over time. Since we created this type of comparison, many organizations have become active in promoting panettone, so much so that the artisanal product has surpassed, as a byproduct, the numbers of large-scale distribution and we are very proud of this. We know that winning an edition of the CMP can truly change the reality of a small to medium-sized pastry chef because they will find themselves catapulted into a dimension that will require a different awareness to satisfy the thousands of requests that will inevitably arrive. Results aside, one of our goals, perhaps the primary one, is to spread around the world the real artisanal panettone that is enjoying worldwide success, but which must be protected so as not to distort its identity. It has become a chimera for many famous pastry chefs because it remains the most difficult product to make in the world of pastry making, because it is a living product».

This time the title of best panettone in the world for the Traditional Panettone category was won by the Spanish pastry chef Ton Cortés, after the careful selection of a jury of big names, including Iginio Massari (Italy) Owner Iginio Massari high pastry, Julien Alvarez (France) Chef Ladurée Paris World Pastry Champion in 2011 and Bruno Buletti (Switzerland) Master of leavened products in Switzerland. An all-Italian podium for the Chocolate Panettone category with first place going to Pasquale Iannelli of the Casa Mastroianni Pastry Shop in Lamezia Terme, with the international jury composed among others by Ernst Knam (Italy) Chef & Maître Chocolatier, François Stahl (Switzerland) Mâitre Chocolatier, Jimmy Griffin (Ireland) Master of Baker, Andrea Besuschio (Italy) President of the CMP Italia Club.

The next selections that will lead to the V World Cup in November 2026 are already scheduled: stages in Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal and new arrivals also in Germany and England; in Singapore with the first Asian selection, in collaboration with SIGEP Asia which will involve candidates from China, India, the Philippines and other countries of the Rising Sun; USA, Brazil, Peru, Japan and Australia and for the first time selections will be held in South Korea.