Tradition, Technology and the New Middle Eastern Pastry
From his Lebanese roots and French training to a career shaped by the Middle East and an international community of pastry professionals, Chef Karim Bourgi has developed a distinctive approach in which tradition, technique and contemporary creativity naturally meet. A Le Cordon Bleu Paris graduate and co-founder of KAYU, CALLA and OPPA, Karim is also an active consultant and educator, sharing his expertise through professional masterclasses and demonstrations around the world.
For ENSOTECH, supporting Karim and his teams over the years is a genuine source of pride. Across his production laboratories, projects and professional training activities, Karim works with the complete ENSOTECH spraying ecosystem – professional chocolate spray booths, oil-free compressors and professional spray guns. This long-term, hands-on relationship is especially valuable to us: real production use, different environments and continuous technical feedback help us test our solutions, understand professional needs and improve together.
We spoke with Karim about his roots, the evolution of pastry in the Middle East, modern cocoa butter and chocolate spraying, and the role of reliable professional equipment in today’s pastry and chocolate laboratories.
How do your Lebanese roots, French technique and Middle Eastern culture influence your pastry?
My roots are always present in my work. French pastry gave me technique and discipline, while the Middle East gave me flavours and identity. I like to respect tradition, but express it in a modern and personal way.
How is pastry and chocolate culture evolving in the Middle East?
The evolution has been incredible. Customers today understand much more about pastry, chocolate and quality. The region is very international, but at the same time there is a strong desire to preserve local flavours and traditions. That combination creates a very dynamic environment for pastry chefs.
How important are cocoa butter and chocolate spraying techniques in modern pastry?
They are extremely important, especially for bonbons and modern pastry. Spraying gives us freedom with colours, textures and finishes, but consistency requires control of temperature, viscosity, spray gun, nozzle and air pressure. Every detail has an impact on the final result.
What do you look for in professional chocolate spraying equipment?
When you work professionally with cocoa butter and chocolate spraying, the complete system matters. You need a reliable professional spray booth, efficient extraction and multi-stage filtration, clean compressed air and professional spray guns that deliver precise and consistent results.
I have been working with ENSOTECH spray booths, oil-free compressors and spray guns for years, both in production laboratories and during professional masterclasses. Using the equipment in different projects and working conditions is important because it shows what really works in everyday production.
For me, professional equipment must combine performance with practicality: strong and controlled airflow, effective filtration, easy cleaning and maintenance, reliable compressed air and consistent spraying results. Having the complete ENSOTECH range also allows us to test different configurations and applications and to exchange real technical feedback. This continuous dialogue is important because it helps improve the equipment around the actual needs of pastry and chocolate professionals.
Growing together through experience
For ENSOTECH, supporting Karim Bourgi across international projects, professional laboratories and masterclasses is much more than supplying equipment. His continuous feedback from real production environments helps us understand how chocolate and pastry professionals work, where technology can make a difference and how our solutions can continue to evolve.
It is an honour to see ENSOTECH equipment become part of Karim’s journey from one project to the next – and to keep learning, testing and improving together.
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