19 June 2016

Ciao bella e bello (hello beautiful and handsome)! I’ll admit, I have been neglecting this blog for the past several weeks. But I have the best excuse. Hubby and I have been immersed in the beauty of nature, in all its grandeur and glory. From the Italian deep blue glacial Lago di Como (Lake Como), to the UNESCO heritage rolling green hills and meadows, interspersed with orange hues of summer, and medieval towns of the awe inspiring Toscana (Tuscany). The weather could have been better, but it did little to dampen our enjoyment of this heaven for food, wine and nature lovers.

A special thanks to hubby for chauffeuring us around throughout our adventures, as we visited many beautiful and historical Etruscan and Roman towns accessible only through heart-stoppingly narrow and winding country roads, and got lost in remote locations that even GPS and Google maps struggled to locate.

We covered much ground in two weeks, taking in the sights, wines and culinary specialities of Milan, Lago di Como, Lucca, Siena, San Quirico, Pienza, Montepulciano, San Gimignano, Pontedera, Pistoia, Agliana and Prato. We also managed to fit in some cycling and plenty of walking, to balance off the indulgences. If I had to name a favourite destination, it would have to be Lucca, ahead of the more popular Siena.

Lucca boasts a monumental fortress that encircles the centro storico (old town), built around the 16th and 17th centuries, and remains intact till this present day. Standing twelve metres high and 4.2km long, the ramparts are lined with matured trees and a central path for walkers, runners and cyclists, looking down onto the centro storico and up to the Apuane Alps in the distance. The town is also the birth home of the operatic maestro, Giacomo Puccini.

The town itself is fairly flat, with cobbled streets, beautiful piazzas and a mix of Romanesque and Renaissance architectural constructs. An added plus is the restricted traffic access within the centro storico, making it pleasantly walkable and accessible to bicycles. Despite the intermittently wet weather, we spent the day cycling through the cobbled streets, discovering the history, architectural wonders and culinary delights that Lucca had to offer – a feast for all senses!

And what about the chocolates, you may ask? Of course, they weren’t forgotten. We braved the unknown to discover the Tuscan Chocolate Valley. Located between Pisa and Prato to the east, and Pontedera to the south, this Valley boasts some of Italy’s best known chocolate makers. These locations were a challenge to find – situated outside of main towns along narrow, meandering country roads that even the GPS and Google maps struggled with. However, with hubby’s patience and skilled driving, and the combined navigational input from yours truly, we triumphantly found our way to Amedei, Torrefazione Trinci, Slitti Cioccolato e Caffe and Roberto Catinari. You’ll have to wait with bated breath to find out about my Tuscan chocolate adventures:)

From top to bottom: The UNESCO heritage listed Val D’ Orcia (Valley of the River), in the heart of Toscana; The picture perfect, Etruscan-built medieval hilltop city of Siena; One aspect of  Lucca’s imposing Renaissance fortress; Lucca’s Piazza Anfiteatro, named after the Roman amphitheatre that it was built on; A teaser of my Tuscan chocolate adventures; The majestic Lago di Como, dotted with idyllic lakeside towns.

13 May 2016

Several years ago, while roaming the streets of St Germain, as you do playing tourist in the City of Love (aka Paris), hubby and I were stopped in our tracks by a life-sized sculpture of a gorilla in a shopfront window. Certainly not a common sight in a city that boasts beauty, elegance, class, style and finesse as a minimum criteria. We were compelled to walk into the shop to check it out. Upon close examination, we discovered that the gorilla was entirely edible, hand sculpted with the finest chocolate that money can buy.

Serendipitously, this is how I came to learn about the chocolate genius that is Patrick Roger. That day, I was lost in chocolate heaven; completely immersed in every truffle, praline, ganache, gianduja, rocher, glacé fruit, bar and square, each hand crafted with utmost creativity. One could not help but be drawn to the beautiful, spherical ganaches, boasting glossy, opalescent domes. Artistic perfection of the highest level. These and many others are Patrick’s signature creations. Suffice to say, my intent to spend the day shopping for fashion and shoes had taken a back seat.

The rainforest-coloured Amazon ganache caught my eye. I remember my first bite rather vividly, as if I had taken it just yesterday. The crisp and perfectly tempered dome; so thin and delicate. Then, the bursts of refreshing lime on my palate, assimilated into the smoothest caramel ganache I have ever tasted. The caramel was just the right consistency, not too thick and not too oozy. At that moment, I realised that we had stumbled upon chocolate greatness.

Since that first encounter, I’ve learnt that Patrick is not only highly accomplished but also equally acclaimed in his field, having won the lifetime title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) Chocolatier – the highest accolade in French craftsmanship. Creative, unconventional, bold, passionate, audacious, masterful and inventive are just some of the words that have been used to describe him. I’ve also watched a documentary about his chocolate journey and larger than life chocolate sculptures.

Fast forward to October 2015. I am standing with a group of keen chocoholics in the opulent Galeries Royales St Hubert in Brussels, listening intently to our guide, Wanda, as we set off on a highly anticipated chocolate tour of Brussels. Wanda asks the crowd “What is the best chocolate that you have ever eaten?”. We go around the group and when my turn comes up, I answer “For me, it has to be Patrick Roger’s Amazon lime and caramel ganache!”. She looks at me – part astonished, part disappointed and says “That is the piece the resistance of this tour. If you’ve already had the very best, you may be disappointed.” I smile to myself. I may have tasted the best but I still have much to learn and experience, Wanda. My chocolate adventures have only just begun….

So, does this rate as an ultimate chocolate experience? Most certainly yes, to the chance discovery of Patrick Roger and his chocolate masterpieces, and the affirmation of his mastery during my chocolate tour of Brussels!

6 May 2016

They say that a picture paints a thousand words. What does this picture mean to you? My initial guess is, probably not much. It was taken at world renowned Pierre Marcolini’s flagship chocolate shop, during my chocolate tour of Brussels last year.

This picture is the very essence of chocolate – the cocoa or cacao beans.

When you read the packaging labels on chocolates, especially premium and artisan chocolates, you may notice that, in addition to the percentage of cocoa, there is typically reference to a particular country. The latter is the country of origin of the cocoa beans. For example, 85% Ecuador, 65% Venezuela and 70% Ghana. Based on this fact, how many key varieties of cocoa beans do you think exists throughout the world? 10’s, 100’s or more?………..Would you believe that there are only 3??

The three key varieties are the Forastero, Criollo and Trinitario.

Let’s start with the most ubiquitous – the Forastero. It is understood to have originated from the Amazon region and was imported into Spain as the foreign variety of cocoa, hence the name Forastero or “foreigner” in Spanish. The key characteristics of the Forastero cocoa plant are its hardiness, enhanced susceptibility to diseases and high yields. Consequently, over 90% of the world’s cocoa is bulked produced using Forastero beans. However, Forastero is considered to be inferior to the Criollo and Trinitario, with some minor exceptions. Notable exceptions are the Ecuadorian Cacao Nacional and the rare Peruvian Nacional. Today,  Forastero is mainly grown in Africa, Ecuador and Brazil. The most common Forastero is the Amenolado, found in Brazil and West Africa.

The Criollo is the “red diamond” of cocoa beans, viewed as the finest and rarest. As the first variety of cocoa beans imported into Spain, from Venezuela, it was referred to as Criollo or “native” in Spanish. The beans have delicate yet complex, non-traditional, chocolate flavour characteristics, and are used to make the creme de la creme of chocolates. As the Criollo plant is highly susceptible to diseases, it is particularly difficult to cultivate. The Criollo is native to Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean islands and Sri Lanka. The most well known Criollo are the highly-publicised Chuao, and the Porcelana, both of which are found in Venezuela.

Sitting in between is the Trinitario, a natural hybrid of Forastero and Criollo, originating from Trinidad. The Trinitario combines the hardiness and high yield of the Forastero, with the refined taste of the Criollo. It is generally used to make high quality dark chocolate. Trinitario plants are cultivated more widely, and may be found in countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador, Cameroon, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Java and Papua New Guinea. Reputed varieties include the Venezuelan Carenero and Rio Caribe.

Now, look closely at the picture again. Did you experience an a-ha moment? I certainly did. At the end of the chocolate tour, I had gained a new level of appreciation for chocolate, from bean to bar, thanks to the knowledge and passion of our guide, Wanda.

P.S.The pictures below are some examples of Pierre Marcolini’s masterful and eye-catching creations, spun from humble bean-ginnings:)

28 April 2016

A feast for the eyes; breathtakingly beautiful. This sums up my first impression of Murielle Vuilleumier’s artisan chocolates. I’m so glad we managed to squeeze in this chocolate adventure during our lightning trip to Brisbane, to meet our month-old niece Amyka.

Walking in, I felt as if I had stepped into something magical, like Alice Through The Looking Glass. A rectangular window sits under the main signage, on a wall adorned with cleverly designed wallpaper of Murielle’s logo, akin to tiny clouds dancing on the wall. The window is a view into the kitchen where Murielle weaves her magic, using couverture Swiss chocolate. I was immediately drawn to the glass counter where vibrant, colourful and glossy pieces of handmade chocolates sat proudly, glinting like gems. Decisions, decisions….Thankfully, Murielle was on hand to assist on this front. Remember your childhood dreams and aspirations? Murielle’s chocolate journey is a fine example of relentlessly weaving them into reality. From an early childhood obsession and memories of daily Swiss chocolate treats, and honing her skills in several renowned chocolate schools,  to a full fledged career as a chocolatier, halfway across the world but holding true to her Swiss heritage. I selected a dozen, including her recommendations – the Arriba fig and Matterhorn, the latter being a commemoration of the first ascent of the Matterhorn.

As I bit into the crisp outer shell of the Arriba fig, I was pleasantly surprised by its thinness; just enough to hold together the layers of spiced fig purée and dark chocolate ganache. The combination was well balanced, working in unison to create a caramelised sweet, but not overly sweet, taste sensation on the palate – think caramelised fig tart. I’m not a fan of white chocolate (I’m adamant that white chocolate is not real chocolate), so was a bit hesitant to give the Matterhorn a go. But I loved the pairing of passion fruit jelly with white chocolate. The tropical, aromatic flavor injected life into the white chocolate. The only minor downside was the coconut white chocolate ganache; the coconut was perhaps a tad too subtle.

Nonetheless, I’m very pleased to have discovered Murielle and her handcrafted beauties. Continue to live out your dreams Murielle, and make people like me happy in the process:)

More often than not, we read and hear about chocolates referenced with phrases and words such as “guilty pleasure”, “sweet treat”, “decadent”, “morish”, “sugar fix”, “addictive”, “calorie rich”, “fattening” and the list goes on. Recently, I stumbled upon an article that opposes this train of thought; an interesting read and points to ponder for chocoholics and cynics alike.

Amidst all the negative press, can chocolates really be good for us? According to the article and research behind the findings, most certainly!

Putting my scientist’s hat (and coat) on, I shall attempt to demystify the health-promoting properties of chocolates, which give rise to the claimed benefits in the article including “better cognitive function” and “good for the heart and circulation, reduces risk of stroke, reduces cholesterol, and protects the skin against sun damage”.

Chocolates are generally made of a combination of cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sugar. The origins of the cocoa solids and cocoa butter are cocoa beans. The beans, in turn, contain:

• Flavanoids: Plant-based antioxidants in the form of flavanols, including catechin and derivatives, and B2, B3 and C1 procyanidins. It is these flavanols that are theorised to induce the health benefits of improved cognitive, heart and circulatory function, and to lower blood pressure and cholesterol
• Methylxanthines: Namely naturally occurring theobromine,  caffeine and theophylline. These compounds act on adenosine receptors in the central nervous system to enhance arousal, mood, and concentration levels
• Vitamins and minerals: Including Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B12 and E, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and zinc

The percentage on the labels of some chocolates, for example 45%, 65% and 99%, is the amount of combined cocoa solids and cocoa butter in the chocolate, relative to its sugar content. A 65% chocolate contains 65% of cocoa (solids and butter) and 35% sugar. The proportion of cocoa solids to cocoa butter varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. And the higher the cocoa solids content, the darker the colour of the chocolate. White chocolate does not contain cocoa solids, hence the lack of colour. Instead, other ingredients such as milk, milk powder, cream and butter are added to give white chocolate its characteristic flavour and mouthfeel. This also applies to milk chocolate.

What does all this mean, you may ask? Simply put, next time you crave chocolate…..give in to the craving, in moderation of course. And choose dark, over milk or white, to reap the health benefits of chocolate.