Spraymintt chocolate-flavoured mouth freshener

When a friend saw that link about the Edible Anus on Chocosophy's Facebook page, he jokingly said I ought to take it easy. I don't think he was joking, though. I'm definitely going chocolate mad, keeping my eyes peeled for anything that tastes, looks, sounds or smells like chocolate. So much so, that when I went to the chemist's a few days ago to buy medicines for my unwell son, I found my eyes settling on this random product hung on the far end of the shop.

A chocolate-flavoured mouth freshener!!! I immediately thought of an article I once read about Heidi Klum. The supermodel had said while she loves chocolate, she cannot eat it, so she 'satisfies' her craving with a lip balm that tastes like chocolate. I thought I had found such a calorie-free solution to my chocolate addiction in this chocolate-flavoured Spraymintt Instant Mouth Freshener, a Lovincare Cosmetics product, marketed by MidasCare Pharmaceuticals.

But I couldn't be more wrong. I excitedly opened the pack for my first chocolate spray experience and what I got instead was this weird synthetic taste that is more peppermint than anything else. Even a little clove, maybe. But whatever else it is, it is NOT CHOCOLATE! And when the only ingredients are Pudina ka phool (mint flower), Peppermint oil, Dalchini ka tel (Cinnamon Oil), Lavang tel (Clove oil), Elaichi tel (Cardamom oil), HOW THE FUCK IS THERE GOING TO BE A CHOCOLATY TASTE?

The verdict is easily reached. Do not, I repeat DO NOT buy this product for the 'chocolate'. That said, it serves its purpose quite well as a mouth freshener and a 15 g bottle costs INR 60. What else can I say? All that is brown is not chocolate.


RATING 1.5/5

Sapphire assorted milk chocolates

My chocolate stars don't seem to be shining very bright as I run from one average chocolate into another. And now it seems to have gone from bad to worse. I don't remember the last time I crossed the 3.5/5 rating and knowing that this box of assorted chocolates from Sapphire is a Malaysian product, I didn't hope for too much. Although Sapphire's boxed chocolates seem to be present in all online stores, there is almost no information about the brand itself - no website, no Wiki... you get the picture. All I understood from the box was that Sapphire chocolates are made by Network Foods International and imported and distributed by Dugar Overseas Pvt Ltd. Curiously enough, Sapphire is not listed among the brands owned by Network Foods.

Anyhow, I opened the beautiful tin half expecting to see shiny chocolate balls rolling around, like chocolates in tins used to be back in time. But I found a brown bubble-wrap sheet on what I like to call level one. Upon removing those, level two had two foil packs sitting atop level three - a stiff plastic mould. Although it seems wasteful, extra packaging care is required for gifting products since they are subject to a lot of transport. 

I opened one of the 100 g packs and out came this assortment of milk chocolate-coated raisins, hazelnuts and almonds. No, the chocolates don't look this ugly at room temperature; the fat bloom on the chocolates are because I had just taken them out of the refrigerator when I took these pictures. But while the chocolates look quite okay at room temperature, they're terrible to taste. 

First things first, these things don't even qualify to be called chocolates because they have NO cocoa solids or even cocoa butter in them! Made from sugar, refined palm kernel fat, milk solids, cocoa powder, emulsifiers and artificial flavours + dry fruits and nuts, these 'chocolates' feel no better than flour in the mouth. They are weird and chewy and won't melt in your mouth. Their saving grace are the raisins and nuts, without which the chocolates would be rather unpalatable.

No wonder a 200 g box of 'imported' chocolates costs only INR 300. Yes, the packaging is good and yes, it will make for a gift because 'khali haath nahi jaa sakte' (cannot be visiting someone empty handed). But if you are a chocolate lover or know that the gift-ee is one, don't make the mistake of giving them one of Sapphire's box of chocolates.

RATING: 2/5

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.

The Chocolate Room - truffles, pralines and dark chocolate

I went to The Chocolate Room, Ghatkopar the week before last, and I'm pretty sure I haven't yet burned off the calories I ingested there. At that mad excessive chocolaty session, I had had so many chocolate things that I had no space for these boxed lovelies. I needed a little break to come back to another The Chocolate Room experience, albeit at home this time. Franchise owner, Kapil Agarwal, had insisted that I try their truffles & pralines and plain dark chocolate and I finally got around to having them over the last couple of days.

I absolutely fell in love with the design of the box of the truffles & pralines. With its delightful colours, it would make for such a mood-lifting gift. A box contains nine pieces of assorted truffles and pralines with a variety of ingredients like hazelnut paste, orange powder, strawberry powder, orange oil, roasted coffee powder and lemon powder apart from the usual components.   

I was impressed by what I read on the box, but not so much by what was inside it. Firstly, all nine chocolates tasted the same to me. Yes, I eventually tasted all of them to see if any one was different from the other, but they all seemed to have a mixed kind of flavour in dark chocolate - most acutely coffee and orange. Either these were not assorted, or I had lost all sense of gustatory distinction. Then, the filling part of these so-called pralines and truffles was indiscernible from the body of the chocolate. I tried them straight out of the fridge and then at room temperature, but it all seemed like a mass all the same. 

All the pralines/truffles had some almonds in it, but that made little difference to the overall quality of the chocolate. Moreover, these have no cocoa butter in them, but vegetable fat. This not only renders the chocolate not-so-smooth but also leaves a weird aftertaste and coating on the roof of one's mouth. All in all, a rather disappointing experience for a box of chocolates that represents an international brand and costs INR 224. The Chocosopher does not recommend these.

RATING: 2/5

This plain dark chocolate bar, however, was the winner. Unpretentious in its name and packaging, it offered me a smooth taste experience - courtesy the cocoa butter in it, unlike the truffles and pralines. I was also enamoured enough by the unusual blue foil inside to take a picture of it and put it here. :)

The chocolate bar itself is plain-looking with no branding or etching on it. With 56% cocoa mass, it just makes the dark chocolate cut, is smooth and very pleasing to taste with vanilla undertones. While it tastes great, it is not exceptional and forking out INR 55 may feel like a little too much for people who can get pretty much the same quality from dark chocolates from home-grown brands at lower prices. Oddly enough, both chocolate boxes have no net weight information and The Chocolate Room India might want to consider doing something about it. 

RATING: 3.5/5

All said and done, The Chocolate Room, Ghatkopar is not somewhere you go to buy chocolates, but  to enjoy their vast and wonderful range of desserts, shakes, coffees and beverages.

You can check out their Facebook page for more information or follow them on Twitter.

(Stupid?) Ass Chocolates

I don't know what to say about this, but I thought all chocolate lovers should know about this.  http://edibleanus.com

Hawaiian Host Milk Chocolate Covered Macadamias

OLORD, the world has so much chocolate! I came across this cool-sounding brand at the Andheri Landmark and had to see if the product was half as exotic as the brand name. So Hawaiian Host is a.. duh... Hawaiian brand, whose origins were laid by Mamoru Takitani of Japanese origin. Subsequently joined by his wife, Aiko, the couple began to created chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, which became a rage in Maui. The chocolates were sold locally for a while before the company, Hawaiian Host was founded in 1965.

Today, the brand has grown to market over 250 kinds of chocolates and candies to over 23 countries the world over. It has factories in Honolulu and Los Angeles, as also a distribution facility in Tokyo. Packing over 15 million boxes per year, Hawaiian Host is easily the world's largest manufacturer of macadamia nut-based chocolates.

This particular box weighing 113 g contains 21 units of hand-wrapped chocolates. Each chocolate has a pair of whole roasted macadamia nuts covered in milk chocolate. The nuts are quite crunchy and taste very much like whole hazelnuts in chocolates. Frankly, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two nuts if someone didn't label them for me.

However, the chocolate is creamy and melts beautifully in the mouth creating a lovely contrast with the crunch of the nut. The taste is quite lovely, but the chocolate pieces, as you can see, are nothing to look at. They have neither the perfection of machine-made bars, nor the finesse of hand-crafted chocolate. They just look like chocolate has been poured over the and left to dry, which is probably the case. The overall packaging is nice, but it might hurt a little to fork out INR 450 for a box of not-so-great chocolates.


RATING: 3.5/5

The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz

My chocolate obsession first led me to different flavours, then different brands, and now it slowly drags me into dark, chocolaty, technical depths. The more I read labels and the back of packs of exotic chocolates, the more I felt I knew nothing. I realised soon after I started this blog that if I were to make any serious headway as a chocolate reviewer, I would have to learn about the finer points of chocolate. I started looking for books on chocolate, but apart from chocolate recipe books there is precious little - at least in India. I turned to Google for books that would help me understand chocolate's bean to bar journey, and it threw me this book among its many results. Albeit a slightly expensive foreign publication, The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz seemed the perfect place for my initiation.

David Lebovitz

I picked this book largely because of the author credentials. David Lebovitz has extensive 'chocolate experience', having worked for 12 long years at the pastry department of Chez Panisse, has trained from Ecole Lenôtre in Paris and attended Callebaut College, a chocolate school in Belgium. And this offered me just the tiniest glimpse of the author's knowledge of chocolate. As I read page after page, I took away not just lessons in chocolate, but also his enduring passion for chocolate.

The book opens with a brief introduction, followed by a chapter called 'Chocolate Explained', which is the most useful one for a new student of chocolate. In this chapter, he explains how and where cacao is grown, what the types are, how it is processed, a historical view of chocolate and even traces the origin of his own romance with chocolate. The next chapter 'Sustainability of Cacao' addresses important environmental issues pertaining to cacao farming, especially in the rain forests of Africa, and briefly, the subject of organic chocolates. The next chapter, 'A Chocolate Primer' will be very handy for bakers and cooks dealing in chocolate, but is rather technical for a 'general' student of chocolate. That said, I will always turn to the helpful definitions provided of the types and compounds of chocolate whenever I am trying to decode information on the back of a chocolate pack. The chapter that follows is titled 'Chocolate and Wellness' and puts together the scientific findings about and the proven benefits of chocolate that the media writes about so often.

The following two chapters, 'Buying Chocolate' and 'Chocolate in Paris' are largely accounts of the author's own chocolate adventures, where he writes about the world's most famous and exciting shops he has bought chocolates from, offering tips on how to buy them along the way. There is also a seven-day diary entry of the  author's experience of working at a famous chocolate workshop. While rich in information, reading this section can get boring for a 'general' reader, especially if there is little prospect of actually visiting the mentioned places. But yes, should I have the opportunity to go on a chocolate pilgrimage, I shall be holding this book close.

Finally, there is the big fat section on recipes. While it was of no import to me, it can be an excellent resource for people who don't just like to eat their chocolate but make it too.

ISBN: 978-1-58008-495-6
Ten Speed Press
Price: Approx. INR 940

The Chocolate Room, Ghatkopar, Mumbai

While I believe that Indians don't care much about chocolate, the mushrooming chocolate cafes in the country seem to suggest otherwise. One example is the wildly popular chocolate cafe chain, The Chocolate Room, which is originally Australian, and just seven years old! Thanks to its franchise model, the cafes are now found all over the world, notably India. India has over 50 such cafes in India, with around eight in Mumbai itself. The master franchisee for India is Ahmedabad-based Vikas Punjabi, and the Mumbai, Ghatkopar cafe is owned by Kapil Aggarwal. Interestingly though, it was The Chocolate Room, Ghatkopar's social media handler, Sundeep Dawale, who invited me for a review. Needless to say, I was thrilled!

I reached this cozy little cafe, located wonderfully on a busy circle in Ghatkopar, making it impossible to miss. It's a snug little arrangement with just three tables, and gets pretty crowded in the evenings when people walk in for their desserts post dinner, but I don't think anyone's complaining because their stuff is so fantastic. 

Upon entering, the product counter seduces you in upfront with sinful-looking chocolate cakes and pastries lined up, while a product-display shelf called 'The Chocolate Shop' entices you with other offerings to your left. Odds and ends like chocolate gift boxes, warming mugs, fondue pots, cuddle cups and chocolate bouquets are there for customers to buy.

I also noticed this quaint little chocolate Taj Mahal on the counter, which is apparently a popular gift of choice for young people (in love). The half kg 'monument' costs something like INR 600 and I thought it was very cute!

I was greeted by Sundeep, who told me how he became part of The Chocolate Room story. He was a regular customer at the cafe, and eventually his passion for chocolate and acquaintance with Kapil got him involved with the cafe's social media activities. It was with his guidance that I began the difficult task of choosing from their vast and reasonably-priced menu. As you can see here, they have a huge selection of hot chocolates, teas, pastries, shakes, frappes, waffles, sundaes and coffees.

I, of course, went into my 'Charlie in the Chocolate Factory' mode and wanted to order everything. I think I covered a big base because I sampled a Choco-rum shot, a Chilli-infused Hot Chocolate, a Lindt Dark Chocolate Shake, an M&M's Milk Chocolate Shake, a Chocolate Avalanche, a Hazelnut Praline and Chocolate Tarts. And for those wondering, this shameless list had less to do with my gluttony and more with Kapil Aggarwal's generous hospitality. Here is what I thought of all I sampled:

The Choco-Rum Shot:Very sweet and very intense, the Choco-Rum shot is a drink of molten dark chocolate spiked with a rum flavour. Served in shot glasses, this is a drink for those who can handle strong flavours. I wish the rum were real, though. :)

Chilli-infused Hot Chocolate: Because hot chocolate has disappointed me in most places, I was keen to see how The Chocolate Room fares with it. I picked the chilli-infused hot chocolate to see if they could balance this tricky spice while keeping the taste of chocolate intact. The drink arrived in a cuddle cup and pretty much won me over after I took the first sip. While the chocolate was not very rich, the amount of chilli was just right. I can imagine how wonderful this warming beverage be on a winter evening.

Lindt Dark Chocolate Shake: Shakes at The Chocolate Room are pretty popular, and I therefore tried not one but two of them. I ordered a Lindt Dark Chocolate Shake first, which arrived in a tall glass, garnished with a piece of a Lindt bar. The shake was thick with whipped cream, milk, chocolate sauce and crushed Lindt chocolate. While the taste was great, I did not enjoy the graininess that came from the crushed chocolate and overall, the texture was a little too overwhelming for me.

M&M Chocolate Shake: Because one must also do justice to milk chocolate, we ordered the M&M's Chocolate Shake. Similarly blended as the Lindt Shake, this has milk, cream, chocolate sauce, crushed M&Ms, topped with whipped cream and M&Ms. This one was much sweeter, and seemed somewhat smoother than the Lindt shake. A fan of dark chocolate as I am, I found this the better of the two.    

Chocolate Avalanche:As the name explains, the Chocolate Avalance is a decadent dessert and one of the  most popular things on their menu. With chocolate mousse pudding, chocolate-walnut brownie, Dutch Truffle pastry, chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, chocolate shavings and chocolate sticks going in it, it is a chocolate lover's dream come true. Extremely rich, this dessert is best had on special occasions and with special people. I give it a 4.5/5 rating.

Hazelnut Praline: I was nearly dead from chocolate overdose by the time I sampled the aforementioned things, but Kapil insisted I try the Hazelnut Praline. I gave in to their only chocolate-cream based dessert and lost myself in the rich hazelnut textures and flavours. While I found it a wee bit hard, the taste more then made up for it.

Chocolate tarts: I must have died and gone to chocolate heaven by then, when Kapil suggested I try the tarts too. I said I would collapse if I ate anymore chocolate, so he said he'd pack some for me to take home.  I did and tried them this morning with a palate that had had ten hours of rest. And I was blown away all over again by The Chocolate Room experience.

Kapil Aggarwal and Sundeep Dawale

The only way to sum it all up is GO TO THE CHOCOLATE ROOM, GHATKOPAR NOW!

PS: I was given a bar of chocolate and a box of truffles and pralines too, but those will be reviewed in another post very soon.

Chocosophy product launches: The Milk Shake Factory, Paton's, Ghirardelli, Cadbury

's

Paton's new postcard and Royals collection

The Australian chocolate company launched their new Postcard  and Royals collections at the TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition in Singapore this month. The new postcard packs focus especially on the Asia Pacific region - the brand's biggest market, and have 21 pieces of chocolate instead of 15 to offer consumers more value for money.

For the Royals collection, Paton’s has come up with a new gift box of toffee-dipped, chocolate-covered macadamias based on the preferences of customers and retailers in key markets. The new gift box designs include more gold colouring with wider colour bands and images of the chocolates – offered in milk, white or dark flavours – have been increased in size for better on shelf visibility. The back of the box features a potted history of the family-owned company, as per moodiereport.com.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Snappers by The Milk Shake Factory

The Milk Shake Factory by Edward Marc Chocolatier announced the launch of this new chocolate innovation, called Snappers, in Costco stores in mid-April 2013. Snappers are described as a crunchy, salty and sweet snack.

“Made with crisp pretzels, creamy caramel and rich milk chocolate, Snappers are a gourmet treat everyone will love, both young and old,” the maker was quoted saying.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ghirardelli Toffee Crunch and Mint Cookie

 

American brand, Ghirardelli, has launched two new filled chocolate flavors -- Mint Cookie and Toffee Crunch -- to join their existing lineup of Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Caramel, Milk Chocolate with Caramel, Dark Chocolate with Raspberry and Dark Chocolate and Caramel. The mint Cookie can be described as a decadent refreshing mint chocolate filling blended with crunchy cookies surrounded by slow-melting milk chocolate, while the Toffee Crunch is a slow-melting milk chocolate with a filling blended with crunchy toffee bits.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cadbury Crunchums cereal bites

Mondelez is adding to its quirky snacks portfolio by introducing Cadbury Crunchums in June. Crunchums are crispy cereal bites covered in milk chocolate. Last year Cadbury launched chocolate-covered popcorn and pretzels, and this year's launch will be massive too, in true Cadbury style. The product will be available in 105 g share bags following a 1.3 mn GBP campaign.

Nutella Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread

What can I say about Nutella that the world does not already know? The chocolate spread comes from the house of Ferrero and was first made in the 1940s by Pietro Ferrero, a patisserie maker and one of the original founders of the company. To compensate for the cocoa shortage during the second World War, Ferrero started experimenting with chocolate products with additions like nuts. He used roasted hazelnuts and substituted cocoa butter with hydrogenated vegetable fat (palm oil) and eventually gave us the chocolate spread Nutella as we know it today. It was introduced in the market in 1964. Since then it has become insanely popular; so much so that people actually celebrate World Nutella Day on February 5.

Because the main ingredients of Nutella are sugar and palm oil (followed by hazelnuts, cocoa solids and skimmed milk), it is a rather unhealthy product to have at the breakfast table. Sample this bit of info from Wikipedia: Nutella contains 67% saturated fat and processed sugar by weight. A two-tablespoon (37 gram) serving of Nutella contains 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 3.5 of which are saturated and 21 grams of sugar. To put that into perspective, a typical chocolate and nut candy bar has 250 to 300 calories and 12 to 16 grams of fat.

That said, I continue to buy my jars of Nutella pretty regularly like a million others, although I'm not a fan. Before I started this blog, I hadn't paid it much heed to it. It was only when I tried the Pillsbury Choco Spread for the blog did points of comparison start cropping up between it and Nutella. Apart from its taste, it is Nutella spreadability that makes it such a popular product. See how wonderfully it glides over a slice of bread or any other carb things you want to load up with chocolate!

Nutella is smooth, creamy, sweet and everything one can possibly want in comfort food. It is both very chocolaty and hazelnutty and makes it impossible for you to stop digging in that spoon and eating it straight off the jar - the gym be damned! Yes I do that even though I claim not to like it too much. Basically, there is no hope for those who actually do and will probably polish off this 180 g jar much sooner than I will.

RATING: 3.5/5