NEWS THAT THE Royal New Zealand Ballet will perform The Nutcracker this Christmas gave us the perfect opportunity to explore the relationship between food and the performing arts. Ultimately, both aim to connect people, provoke thought and create lasting memories, and this whimsical story with its food-fantasy elements presented the perfect opportunity for Kenji Yoshitsuka, our Cuisine Good Food Awards Pastry Chef of the Year, to flex his creativity.

The artistry involved in cooking and performance can be strikingly similar, with each requiring skill, vision and a deep understanding of how to engage an audience of all ages.

With a background in art, photography and sculpture, and now working as executive pastry chef at InterContinental Auckland, who better than Kenji to re-imagine scenes in this time-honoured ballet, which transports viewers to a fantastical world where edible treats come to life?

In RNZB’s unique Kiwi production of The Nutcracker – by artistic director Ty King-Wall with stunning set and costume designs by Tracy Grant Lord – the Land of Sweets is filled with our most iconic tastes. There the Sugar Plum Fairy introduces us to her subjects – Chocolate Fish, Hokey Pokey Ice Cream, Lolly Slice and Pavlova – while Aotearoa’s beautiful kōwhai, mānuka, and pōhutukawa join in the Waltz of the Flowers.

With Kenji letting his imagination soar, we get a glimpse into the mind of one of our most talented young chefs.

The first step for Kenji was the challenge of translating music and movement into flavour and texture. “Before I began, I took myself back to childhood, when dance was a big part of my life, first as a hobby and then competitively, even with a short but memorable stint in ballet. Each scene in the ballet gave me an anchor, a mood, a rhythm or a character, and my job was to turn that into something edible, playful, yet refined. It, too, is a kind of choreography, only this time with butter, sugar and flour instead of bodies.”

Being pushed to move beyond technique, he had to lean into his imagination. “Pastry often celebrates beauty and precision, but here it has to carry emotion as well. I found joy in weaving small details – a fleeting note in the music, a colour from the costumes – into edible elements. Capturing the poetry without becoming too literal, while keeping everything delicious, was a delicate dance in itself.”

With these recipes we showcase some of the confections Kenji has created and share some simplified recipes for you to add whimsy and wow to your dessert table.