There was a time when most of our treats were simplified, ice cream came in three or so colours, we got adventurous and called it Neopolitana, coffee was simply…coffee.
When it comes to refining our indulgences, the world of chocolate surely carries the veritable crown. Now there’s a new generation who can reel off an entire dictionary of genre when describing the buffet on offer to the modern connoisseur. The real quality can be found in the hand made world of chocolatiers.
When it comes to refining our indulgences, the world of chocolate surely carries the veritable crown. Now there’s a new generation who can reel off an entire dictionary of genre when describing the buffet on offer to the modern connoisseur. The real quality can be found in the hand made world of chocolatiers. When something is considered art, there are no limits as to the interpretation and scope the audience can put on the piece in question. As art feeds the eyes, sometimes the ears and the sense of touch, chocolate meets the taste buds, and emotions alike
Its a niche world with customers seeking little-known makes in a similar way to a horophile would seek out a beautifully crafted timepiece, and likewise, the more unique the better. With centres such as Harrods and Selfridges in London, Bloomingdales in New York or the Mitsukoshi Ginza in Tokyo there is not far to find the golden nugget…so to speak.
Across Industries
Considering the quality of the top end chocolates, some of which can cost upwards of £300 per kilo, the appearance of multi specialist chefs is becoming more common. These days it is not uncommon to find a host of alcohol-based tastes packed into high-end chocolates, and as opposed to simply including that special expensive ingredient, the skills needed to blend such tastes takes skills from more than one industry.
A varietal chocolate for instance is named from a single type of bean, and by its very nature is more refined, using high quality cocoa solids trigger your senses, concentrate you into submission and trigger your endorphins…a price to pay for cocoa heaven.
there are four types of cocoa plant, producing forastero, nacional, criollo, and trinitario. Each with distinctive and unique tastes.
If you are unsure of what a Ganache is, your exposure to chocolate has not yet begun.
…Some Facts
- Chocolate is essentially classed as a fruit
- In some areas of the world, chocolate used to be traded as money.
- Cocoa is thought to be an aphrodisiac
- Bakers, a company in founded in the United States in the 1700s is the oldest producer
- Joseph Fry made the first chocolate bar in 1847
