Jordi Bordas: “If you reduce the sugar content of a product from 40% to 12%, it can be consumed every day”

Jordi Bordas has spent years using all his knowledge to advocate for healthy pastries, with less sugar, less fat, and less environmental impact, that can be consumed practically every day. And all this while achieving maximum pleasure in tasting, as he showed us in so good.. magazine 28.

Below we share part of the interview we conducted with the creator of the popular B-Concept method in our Spanish pastry magazine Dulcypas, in which he explains why reducing sugar is synonymous with better health. Very Don’t miss out!

Does the path of vegan pastry involve emulating the great classics of traditional pastry, where, for example, cream, butter, or egg are the absolute protagonists?

For me, speaking subjectively, I don’t understand why a product for a vegan person has to reproduce the aroma of egg or cheese. Those products already exist. Veganism offers a wide range of ingredients to offer great products. Falling into reproducing egg or dairy aromas is inconsistent.

Should pastry chefs unlearn what they’ve learned? We go from talking about creams or muffins to defining emulsion, structure, the function of an ingredient… Perhaps pastry chefs’ first resistance to change is not wanting to become chemists?

We often don’t even know how an ingredient is made, how it’s processed; there’s a huge amount of misinformation about each ingredient.

Our work in the courses usually involves, on the first day, dismantling people’s understanding of pastry and, from there, organizing the content differently in the following days. At first, they want to kill you; everything they know about pastry is quickly dismantled. In the end, when you understand the functionality of ingredients in general, both classic and new, you understand how a madeleine is made. Then you can truly understand classic recipes, and if you want to adjust anything, you can do so: with new ingredients to meet new needs, for example. You have to explain, educate.

“There is often a lack of knowledge. Many people don’t know that incredible taste experiences can be created without so much sugar or fat, even using plant-based ingredients”

One of the objections to supposedly lighter pastries is that they can limit pleasure and indulgence. Isn’t cutting back a bit sacrilegious?

There is often a lack of knowledge. Many people don’t know that incredible taste experiences can be created without so much sugar or fat, even using plant-based ingredients. We have an online course with three products that, when you try them, you’d say they’re better than the classic ones, because they don’t contain the dairy or egg flavors, which in many products mask the true taste. We’ll continue with this approach next year. I think there’s nothing to discuss when it comes to flavors; perhaps complexity comes from achieving certain textures. Everything about vegan pastries has a certain definition in terms of flavors, especially with fruits, which is incredible. We’re working on this because of all the movement we’re seeing in the sector. There are many people who have an opinion without having tried it and without having the slightest experience.

But there are products like the puff pastry palmera that base their entire appeal on, for example, the high amount of sugar and fat they contain.

I’m the first one who could one day eat a palmera and love it. But I’m aware and understand that I can’t afford it every day, not because the experience isn’t incredible, but for health reasons. All the sugar in that palmera will kill you. I had a slice of panettone today, and it was incredible, but I won’t eat it every day. It’s the same with the palmera. That’s why we’ve been explaining for a while how to make pastries that are more conscious and healthy, so they can be consumed daily. When you go from a product with 40% sugar to one with 12%, you can consume this product practically every day. This way, you can increase your turnover and be better aligned.

Is it about thinking of different products, not just an alternative to palmeras, but ones that can be a pleasure without being a health risk?

Absolutely. One market that’s very much in the mood for this is China. We were at Bakery China in Shanghai, and it was incredible. You realize that, culturally, pastries there are a new phenomenon, but the diversification of products they have is extraordinary. Because they’re not attached to textures or certain products in particular. What the Asian market does is think of a concept, materialize it, and put it into circulation. If they see that it works, they keep it, and if not, they discard it. In Spain, we’re deeply rooted in products with a cultural background, like the croissant or the donut, and we don’t move from there. And in Asian markets, without roots in anything, they’re diversifying a lot.

In short, is the vegan trend going to continue growing?

The industry is fully committed to plant-based ingredients, but not so much to meet the demand of the vegan segment as for sustainability reasons. It’s more economical and sustainable.

The industry has the ability to analyze what will happen in a few years, and thus aligns its product. They are betting on fibers because they know the market trend is going in that direction, that the consumer is increasingly more informed. And we’re not just saying this; in reality, we’re on this path more out of personal values. There will definitely be a change, without saying that classic products will disappear. But there will be a diversification that is already here and will only increase.

In the work to find alternatives to eggs, sugar, or dairy products, what is your opinion on the use of certain less noble fats just because they are plant-based?

There is a bit of ignorance about fats; in reality, fat isn’t a problem for people’s health. They are necessary; the WHO even establishes a recommended daily intake; there should also be a portion of saturated fat. Obviously, you should avoid super-processed fats.

The fats used in quality artisan pastries, such as butter or coconut oil, are good fats. You also shouldn’t exceed them, but you can consume a certain percentage daily. The main problem we have in pastry making is sugar and refined flours, because these are ingredients that cause a glycemic spike and force the pancreas to secrete insulin. And over the years, this leads to diabetes and other related diseases; that’s our main problem. The use of a fat will depend more on the direction you want to take. In vegan pastries, you won’t use butter, but you can use coconut oil or shea, which is now starting to spread due to cocoa butter prices, and there are many industry players moving in this direction. We’re also talking about more sustainable oils than the previous ones, or even butter, which requires large dairy farms, with all the environmental impact that this entails.

“The fats used in quality artisan pastries, such as butter or coconut oil, are good fats. You can’t exceed them, but you can consume a certain percentage daily”

Is there a lack of knowledge about plant-based ingredients?

Many people confuse these parameters; for example, some believe that just because a product is vegan means it’s healthy. I always joke that vegan pastries respect animals, but often don’t respect people. The impact they generate will depend on the type of fats and can even be worse than conventional pastries. Obviously, in this sense, all our creations align with greater awareness and with lighter, tastier pastries.

Discover some of Jordi Bordas’ creations in so good.. magazine 28