Youssef El Gatou, a Moroccan pastry chef residing in France, broke the Guinness World Record on Wednesday by creating the longest strawberry shortcake in the world. Measuring 121.88 meters, the giant strawberry shortcake made by Moroccan chef Youssef El Gatou was prepared at an ice rink in the city of Argenteuil, in the Paris region.
Since 2019, this record had been held by Italian pastry chefs, who had previously created a strawberry shortcake measuring 100.48 meters. Supported by renowned French chefs and a team of pastry artisans from Morocco, Youssef El Gatou achieved this feat in 24 hours.
To validate the record, judges from the Guinness World Records were present on site. In a statement to MAP, Youssef El Gatou expressed his pride in achieving this record with the help of a team made up of several Moroccan professionals and renowned French artisans, including Nicolas Bernardé, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France.
The preparation of this strawberry shortcake, which weighs 1.2 tons, required approximately 4,000 eggs, 150 kg of sugar, 560 kg of cream, and 350 kg of strawberries, he explained. Once the record was confirmed by the Guinness Book jury members, the public, including a large Moroccan community, was invited to taste the cake in a festive atmosphere.
Slices of the strawberry shortcake were also sent to local retirement homes, the city hospital, firefighters, and the Red Cross.
This is not the first time that the young Moroccan pastry chef has undertaken such challenges. In 2020, he created a giant king cake measuring 20 meters. In 2021, his establishment earned second place in the best croissant competition in his region.
