06/12/2025

LYFE SATURDAY | DEC 6, 2025

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Edible marvels A gingerbread Labubu, the Titanic and a miniature Louvre heist are among 151 edible creations recently Longstocking’s house. “This is an exhibition and a competition. Everyone that wants to can make a gingerbread house and they can place it here and we make an exhibition out of it,” said acting director Karin Nilsson. o Gingerbread Labubu, Titanic, miniature Louvre heist on show at Stockholm bake-off A person takes a picture of the various gingerbread exhibits.

People visit the gingerbread house competition at the Museum of Architecture and Design in Stockholm, Sweden.

unveiled at Stockholm’s Museum of Architecture and Design for its annual Christmas gingerbread house competition. The exhibition, now in its 35th year, has become a festive tradition, attracting participants of all ages and skill levels – from children to professional architects and bakers. This year’s theme, “love of design and architecture”, inspired tributes to landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal and Pippi

Nilsson said the theme of love was chosen to reflect the season’s spirit. “Love is for everyone. And we think it’s really important to celebrate Christmas and the spirit of Christmas and the spirit of love and hope.” The exhibition runs until mid-January, with winners announced on Dec 14. – Reuters

Participants of all ages and skill levels are invited to take part in the exhibition.

The exhibition hosts gingerbread tributes to major landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower. – PICS FROM REUTERS

KFC readies for hectic Japanese Christmas KFC in Japan is gearing up for the Christmas tradition of millions of families thronging the US fast food chain for special festive buckets of deep-fried chicken and other treats. “Reservations for KFC Christmas typically begin around the beginning of November,” Takuma Kawamura, a KFC marketing manager, said at a new upmarket pop-up eatery in Tokyo.

French pastry chefs auction chocolate sculptures for charity

CHOCOLATE artworks by some of France’s most famous pastry chefs sold at auction recently for more than €100,000 (RM479,000) in a charity event that had bidders smacking their lips. The Paris auction, organised by the pastry chef Pierre Herme, featured such whimsical creations as a chocolate clock, a bouquet of white chocolate roses and a monumental piece made of 495 chocolate eggs – plus one of ritzy Daum crystal. The event raised € 108,100 for a charity that helps children hospitalised with leukaemia, according to auction house Artcurial. It called the auction the first of its kind worldwide. “This is truly a first,” auctioneer Arnaud Oliveux said. The auction featured works by 25 celebrated pastry chefs, including Herme, Patrick Roger, Cyril Lignac and Nina Metayer. Many of the chefs paired their creations with one-of-a-kind experiences. Herme’s chocolate and crystal egg masterpiece, for example, came with a private lesson from the chef on making macarons, while a 2m sculpture by Roger came with a tasting session with the master “chocolatier”. The auction house did not release the selling price for individual items. The pieces are all edible, though the chefs created them to be displayed, said Herme. “When you set your eyes on

“From that time, stores with the Colonel statue will dress him in Christmas attire,” he said, referring to KFC’s late founder Colonel Sanders, a widely recognised figure in Japan. Japan has a tiny Christian minority and Christmas is a secular festival of full-bore consumerism complete with Santa, gifts and streetlights. Couples often go on dates on Christmas Eve. For food, families often gorge themselves on special “Party Barrels” bursting with chicken, an array of side dishes and a dessert – such as ice cream or cheesecake – stored at the bottom in a separate compartment. December 24 – Christmas Eve – is KFC Japan’s busiest day by far, with 10 times more customers than normal, the firm said in 2020. Reportedly 3.6 million families make orders. The first KFC Christmas campaign was in 1974, and there are different theories about the origins. These include that Takeshi Okawara, the manager of Japan’s first KFC outlet, overheard foreigners pining for turkey, which is often eaten at Christmas in Britain and the US. Colonel Sanders, who died in 1980, has also entered into baseball folklore in Japan. Hanshin Tigers supporters threw a plastic statue of the Colonel from a

KFC Japan traditionally sees a surge of customers during the Christmas season.

KFC restaurant into a river in Osaka in 1985 on their way to winning Japan’s version of the World Series. This was because fans – many of whom also jumped in the dirty Dotonbori waterway – thought the statue resembled Randy Bass, an American member of the team at the time. But the dunking spawned the legend of the “Curse of the Colonel” that said the Tigers would never win another title until the effigy was recovered. The sludge-covered statue was dredged out in 2009, cleaned up and put on display, but it took until 2023 for the Tigers finally to win the championship again. The plastic Colonel was finally disposed of last year following a ritual at a temple attended by KFC’s Japan president, who offered sake and fried chicken. – AFP

A chocolate pastry made by Lignac displayed three days ahead of the charity auction. them, you don’t feel like touching them because they’re so visually magnificent,” said Oliveux, calling top-level pastry creation “a kind of culinary art”. – AFP

Decorations are seen at the KFC Christmas restaurant in Tokyo. – PICS FROM AFP