Ducd’O chocolates now in India!

“Ducd’O targets sophisticated chocolate consumers that are aware of the superior Belgium chocolate taste”

Mumbai: International Belgium chocolate brand Ducd’O is now available across India. Post announcing the signing of a distribution & marketing contract for the Indian market with Cosmo Fine Foods, Ducd’O has now opened its doors to the Indian market. Cosmo fine foods will distribute and market the Duc d’O brand in the Indian market.

Ducd'O Chocolaterie have been Belgium’s main producers and exporters since the past 25 year and now want to explore an opportunity to tap the growing premium luxury chocolate market in India with an unique offering of flaked truffles, mini pralines and pralines. Ducd’O currently has the truffles, pralines, mini pralines and liquor crates in the current range available under the brand.

Ducd’O ranges from Rs 525/- to 995/- depending on the choice of the assortment the customer would wish to choose from. Ducd’O is available in all modern retail stores across all main cities in India. It is also available at the Travel retail stores across all major airports in India.

About Duc d’O
Duc d’O Group is an internationally oriented, premium quality producer and marketer of consumer chocolate products. Duc d’O group is structured around 3 business units Branding, OTC and Gift. Duc d’O is the main brand in the branding department.

The Duc d’O brand targets chocolate lovers worldwide and is currently distributed in 60 countries. The Duc d’O assortment is built around premium quality flaked truffles, pralines and liquor pralines. Check out www.ducdo.com  or their Facebook page for more information.

Melted Delights - Chocolate dipping session at The Nature's Basket

When I heard (via social media, of course!) that a chocolate dipping session was going to be held at The Nature's Basket, Bandra, Mumbai, I was more than happy to register myself. I still have fond memories of my review trip of The Cocoa Trees at the store and I was excited about going back there. This time, though, chocolate promised to 'come alive' at the hands of chef Kevin Zhang and what more could a chocolate lover ask for!?

I arrived just in time with friend/ baker/ foodblogger, Reema (http://www.bakeyou.com/) to a full house and we just about got space to stand and watch the session. In his soft-spoken manner, Chef Zhang explained to the guests the types of chocolate, its history, the different manufacturing processes, etc.

Much to the audience's delight, Chef Zhang had samples passed around for pretty much everything he spoke of. Starting with very dark chocolate, he moved to regular milk chocolate, milk chocolate with no added sugar, white chocolate truffles and the pralines. He passed around samples from brands like Belgian, Frey, Geisha, Duc d'O, and Goldkenn among others - all of which are available at The Cocoa Tree outlet at The Nature's Basket.

As the participants tasted the different varieties of chocolate, Chef Zhang explained their characteristics and what the respective brands were famous for. As the session progressed, both he and the audience loosened up, and the place livened up with good cheer. Questions were asked, and with his boyish charm, the seasoned chef shed more light on the techniques of chocolate-making, storing and yes, eating! Some chocolate bars were also given away to some lucky participants, based on random numbers, which added to the excitement.

In the last part of the session, the technique of melting chocolates for the purpose of fondues, dipping or coating was explained by Chef Zhang. He also invited three volunteers to come up and try their hand at making chocolate. Cookies, marshmallows, candy and fruit were some of the things made available to the volunteers to dip in chocolate, garnish them and finally take them home.

The session ended with all participants being given some discount vouchers that could be availed at The Cocoa Trees. I don't know how many shopped for chocolates thereafter, but we left a palate-happy, chocolate-enlightened lot.

Chocosophy news: Chocolate teas, portraits and breakfasts

Chocolate pixels make this Obama portrait

 
Sixteen freshmen from Israel's Holon Institute of Technology made this portrait of the POTUS or the President of the United States, Barack Obama recently. Made using 1172 'pixels' of white, milk and dark chocolate, this  portrait is a recreation of Obama's 2008 presidential campaign poster. The students presented Obama with this work of art along with a letter saying their lives too were "full of dreams and hopes" in the context of Israel's (perpetual) unrest. Well, now that's a sweet way of driving home a point! (Source)

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An all-chocolate breakfast worth 8724 calories!!!

Epic Meal Time, the new instructional cooking show whipped up this crazy all-chocolate breakfast that clocks in 380 gm of fat and 8724 calories! Basically, don't eat for the next two days if you go for this one. The creator chefs mixed in and coated bacon, eggs and potatoes with Nesquik powder, hollowed out sausages to fill them with Hershey's chocolate syrup, pancakes with double fudge chocolate in the batter and the French Toast stuffed with Nutella! The breakfast, of course, has to be washed down with a chocolate milkshake. If this isn't evil, I don't know what is.

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UK twins create chocolate-flavoured tea

This one should be happy news for tea (and of course chocolate) lovers. Newcastle-based twins Jodi and Stella Kean started experimenting with different kinds of teas after their tea bar business failed to take off. Stella told Express, “When the lease on the shop fell through we came up with the idea for choclateas. I don’t think people realise how many calories and how much sugar is in a cup of hot chocolate. We wanted to create something that felt like a treat but was healthy .”

“The main taste you get is tea, followed by the undertone of the flavour, such as pure dark chocolate and cocoa powder in the traditional-style choclatea,” Stella continued. Each cup has less than 20 calories, and other flavours in this range include chilli chocolate, peppermint chocolate, vanilla chocolate and wild berry chocolate. The range will be launched in the UK next month.

Nestlé Milkybar

This is one of those reviews that must be written because there are Milkybars in the market. I wouldn't be caught dead with one, because who the fuck eats white chocolate? White chocolate isn't chocolate at all! Yeah, yeah, it's made of cocoa butter (and milk solids and sugar and salt), but what does not have cocoa  solids in it, and therefore none of the goodness of the theobromine and other thingamagics, is as good as useless. Basically, chocolate without cocoa = no sexy compounds = no serotonin = FAIL! I mean, there should be something in chocolate besides its waist thickening properties, right?

So, basically white chocolate is useful only for your enemies to get fat and yes, aesthetics! A slab of white chocolate is a beautiful thing to look at and touch with its creamy, ivory surface and makes for excellent chocolate porn. ;)

Okay, coming back to Nestle's Milkybar, it still sucks. I ate a bar after I don't know how many years, and it still is that sickeningly sweet product that put me off white chocolate as a child. It is smooth in the way all white chocolates are, given the amount of cocoa butter they contain. But taste wise, it is below average than even most other Nestlé chocolates.

Unsurprisingly, few other indigenous brands make white chocolate in the country. Chief players, Cadbury and Amul, have no white chocolate products for example. But if Milkybar has managed to stay in the market for as long as I remember, it must have a strong enough demand. At INR 10 for an 18 g bar, I guess it has enough takers. Milkybar even comes in variations like Milkybar Choo (in Strawberry and Chocolate flavours) and Milkybar Crispy Wafer.

  
 I don't know who eats them. I certainly don't [but for the love of this blog].

RATING: 2/5

Le Chocolatier Caramel-Chocolate Bar (by The French Loaf)

When I was taking in the sights of Chennai on my recent maiden trip there, I noticed several outlets of The French Loaf. I made a mental note of checking out one of these yummy sounding joints, but couldn't due to lack of time. However, on my way out, I happened to spot another one of The French Loaf's kiosks at the airport. But this one was a chocolate counter (joy of joys!) and not an outlet for bakery/patisserie items.

 I immediately headed over and saw the most beautiful display of chocolates I have seen in a while. I felt an almost child-like joy in seeing those variously-shaped chocolates in the display cases and revolving shelves. There were bikes and bells and spoons and rabbits - all made of chocolate! I clicked on zealously, while other airfarers looked on amused.

After a totally 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' moment, I made the tough decision of a purchase and bought a Caramel-Chocolate Bar for INR 165. I picked this one because I've never have a 2-in-1 bar before and who can say nay to milk chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate chips and caramel all at once?

Packaged simply, much in the manner of homemade chocolates, the products at Le Chocolatier are tempting to look at because of their see-through covers. Unfortunately, prettiness is all there is to Le Chocolatier chocolates - at least the Caramel-Chocolate bar.

Teeth-numbingly sweet, this chocolate bar was a put complete put off for me. It is probably an adherence to the standard Indian preference for supersweet chocolates, but a chocolate has to have some taste of cocoa, no? There is hardly any difference between the milk and the white chocolate, given the overriding sweetness, though I found the white chocolate to be a tad smoother. The chocolate chips do little to salvage the product, and the only saving grace is the caramel in it. The caramel sprinkling over the milk chocolate makes it look appealing and also lends it a welcome crunch.

I don't know how The French Loaf fares with its core bakery products, but going by this one specimen (which, frankly, is unfair), chocolate does not seem to be their forte. I'm definitely going to try some other products from the chain before I form an opinion about them, but my rating for this bar is surely going to be a lowly two.

RATING: 2/5

Ferrero Confetteria Raffaello

Frankly, I've never understood what the big hoo-haa about Ferrero chocolates is. Their most popular product, Ferrero Rocher, is as average a chocolate as there can be as far as the taste experience goes. I suppose it is the fancy layering that people like so much.

I spotted a lesser-known (at least in India) product by the same company at the Mumbai airport and promptly picked it up for a review. Confetteria Raffaello is a white chocolate-based confection and comes in these handy 3-piece packs.

Like its better-known cousin, Raffaello too is made of three layers; a top layer of desiccated coconut, a thin crunchy wafer-like middle layer and soft, creamy white chocolate on the inside. Quintessentially, it has a whole nut in the centre, an almond, creating a profusion of textures and flavours as you pop one in your mouth. Wholly, the taste is mildly sweet, but not memorable.

These Poland-made chocolates were introduced in 1989, according to the company website, and cost INR 49 for a pack of three. While I don't quite fancy them, Ferrero Rocher fans will like it, and white chocolate fans more so.

RATING: 3.5/5