Jordi Puigvert: “Evolution has meant a before and after in my professional career”

Evolution. Techniques and ingredients for modern pastry reaches its fourth edition in record time, just seven years after its first publication. A book that has accompanied Jordi Puigvert halfway around the world in a perfect symbiosis.

Precisely on the occasion of this fourth edition, which can be found in our Books for Chefs online store starting Monday, May 18, we wanted to take stock of the contribution of this publishing project to the sector and Puigvert himself through an interview that also portrays his more human side and his book.

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Why do you think the book has been so well-received since its launch in 2013?

I usually say that at the publishing level, the good reception of a book is usually related to the need. Back then (and even now), many of these technological ingredients only appeared in certain recipes, but there was not enough knowledge on how to use and adapt them in different recipes and settings.

Did you ever imagine that the book would be as well-received as it subsequently has?

No, no! I thought that in the case of a book with a technical profile, it would only be well-received by those who are more interested in that field. Since the vast majority are recipe books, I had the feeling that it would be a rather marginal book in terms of sales.

What has the publication of the book Evolution represented for you (in your career)?

Although it’s a bit cliché, it’s meant a before and an after. The fact of producing a book that little by little has the respect of colleagues by profession and is endorsed by sales internationally, one seems to take it more seriously or have a slightly more accentuated professional respect.

I also have to say that it is a responsibility since professionals and clients later on follow you more closely and often scrutinize you, which requires one to not make any false moves.

How did the idea of ​​a book about your background in technological ingredients come up?

Well, it’s Vilbo’s fault! After a series of articles and collaborations with Dulcypas, Arte Heladero, So Good Magazine, Saber y Sabor … and the good response from the subscribers, I was asked by Vilbo what I thought about making a book about those more technological ingredients.

“Without knowledge you can copy or slightly adapt a recipe, but you cannot create your own recipe book or philosophy.”

What are the best memories you have of the book making process?

There are many, but if I had to choose one it would be to see the layout, how it was taking shape after the photo sessions at the EPGB racing against time. 

What is the most complicated and the easiest thing in a publishing project of this magnitude?

The truth is that you made everything very easy for me! If I have to highlight something, I think it would be how to organize all the information and capture it so that it is not too difficult to fit within the sector. In other words, translate something very technical into a more colloquial language for the trade. In short, how to devise everything so that it is orderly and understandable.

How is the information that the book offers structured?

It is structured in three parts. The first groups the ingredients by technical functions. The second analyzes the technical applications of the products explained in the first. And then in the third part are all the recipes.

Do most of the technological ingredients that star in this book have an artificial or natural origin?

The products are all of natural origin. Then, obviously, some of them have modification processes like many others in our day to day.

“I am one of those who think that in the future pastry will have to specialize: gluten-free, vegan, tradition and modernity that can go hand in hand.”

Are there any ingredients that you work on regularly that you find especially interesting for the pastry that is coming in the near future?

I cannot tell you just one, since today there are many needs and many types of pastry. I am one of those who think that in the future pastry will have to specialize: gluten-free, vegan, tradition and modernity that can go hand in hand… So each type will have its needs, which, in turn, will go hand in hand with the use  of certain technological ingredients.

What role can knowledge of the basics of pastry play in innovation?

I always say that without knowledge there can be no creation. Without knowledge you can copy or slightly adapt a recipe, but you cannot create your own recipe book or philosophy without knowledge of the raw material and ingredients and their subsequent formulation process.

What are the most exciting projects ahead of you?

A project with a good friend and a great professional from our country, with whom I am eager to collaborate. That’s all I can say! Right now it is better to join forces than to go it alone, of this I am sure.

Apart from this, the truth is that I have to see how the world wakes up after this COVID-19 crisis, since the companies I work for are going to reduce budgets that may directly affect me. So waiting for what may happen and how I can adapt to the new changes, which I hope will not be many!

Discover Evolution