The innovative patisseries of Paris

According to most Parisians, a little of what you fancy does you good; nibbling on a tarte aux fraises here and a mille-feuille there are classic components of the Gallic lifestyle.

But in the capital of France – a country that recently won Unesco World Heritage status for its national cuisine – many traditional French pastries are getting an innovative twist.

Japanese patisserie maestro Sadaharu Aoki lends an Asian nuance to his desserts, enlivening traditional French cakes with eastern ingredients in his minimalist Paris boutiques. So rather than a traditional tarte aux fraises, a strawberry tart with crème pâtissière, here you'll find a tart flavoured with the Asian citrus fruit yuzu. Mille-feuille, layers of puff pastry and cream, are flavoured with green tea rather than vanilla. Notes of sesame, ginger and adzuki feature alongside puff pastry and crème patissière for creative – and impeccably presented – Japanese-meets-French culinary creations.       More Read