With several gourmet chocolate stores popping up around the country, people are not only buying chocolate for special occasions, but also for indulging purposes.
Speaking to Chef Philippe of Godiva and chocolatier Shaimaa Mirza of home-based business Mirza, Arab News brings you the ins and outs of artisan chocolate making. What is artisan chocolate? Where is the best chocolate sourced from? What is the difference between premium chocolate and the run-of-the-mill varieties? These chocolatiers offer some tips to replicate the sensation of premium chocolate in the comfort of your home and more…
Godiva Chocolatier
With 91 years of expertise in the art of chocolate-making, renowned Belgian chocolatier Godiva is synonymous with premium-quality chocolate.
With over 600 boutiques and a presence in more than 100 countries (13 stores in Saudi Arabia), it caters to a global audience and at the same time, customizes flavors to suit the palate of a specific region. Complying with the culture of bigger is better, the Godiva Store in Riyadh is the largest in the world.
Godiva uses the finest ingredients to create premium chocolate. Cocoa beans are sourced from Peru, Venezuela, Arriba and Mexico, lemons from Sicily and blackcurrants from Bourgogne. Vanilla is imported from Tahiti and Madagascar. Hazelnuts are from Giresun and pistachio nuts are from Iran. As an example, the Truffe Praline Bresilienne uses perfectly roasted hazelnuts and vanilla, with a coat of smooth milk chocolate that is rolled in crispy caramelized hazelnuts — a taste to remember.
Philippe finds inspiration for his creations through art, local heritage and seasonal specialties. For example, Godiva has used ginger, red dates, and mandarin oranges in its chocolate creations.
Apart from ingredients, the process is complex and takes several days. For example, the coveted Godiva truffles use a base recipe of 85-90 percent cocoa and go through several stages before crystalizing and taking on the final shape.
Mirza by Shaimaa Mirza
Pastry chef, chocolatier, artist and owner of home-based business Mirza, Shaimaa Mirza explains the stages that cocoa beans go through in order to become a delightful treat. Cocoa beans are ground and after mixing other ingredients, the liquid is melted. The liquid chocolate is tempered (temperature is altered to stabilize it).
The tempered chocolate is then poured into molds and set to harden. Chocolate shells with a center filling are called Bon Bons and are popular with Mirza customers. Mirza chocolates are made of premium-quality Valrhona chocolate and are inspired by art.
Mirza offers its customers three chocolate product lines: Arabesque (Arab flavors such as ginger and spices), the Bon Bon line, and truffles. In order to determine the quality of chocolate, Mirza recommends inspecting the appearance and feel of the piece. Good quality chocolate is smooth to touch, cracks easily, and melts when held for a few seconds.
As a special treat, we bring you a recipe to create delicious truffles in the comfort of your home.
Ingredients:
100 grams of good quality, bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
60 ml of heavy cream
15 grams unsalted butter
Chopped nuts or cocoa powder for dusting
Method:
1. Heat heavy cream over medium heat.
2. Remove from heat; add the chopped chocolate and whisk until mixture is smooth.
3. Add butter, whisking continually.
4. Cool mixture (10 minutes) and place in the fridge for two-three hours.
5. With a tablespoon, spoon out the hardened mixture and roll into a small-sized ball.
6. Roll the ball in toppings of your choice: Chopped nuts, coconut, or cocoa powder and serve.
• life.style@arabnews.com
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