Mc Vities Digestive Chocolate Creams

The good thing about being a chocolate blogger is that chocolate never goes out of fashion. There is never a dearth of new chocolate-based products, because chocolate can never go wrong... or so the brands like to think. It's like a company wakes up one fine morning and says, Hey, I need to increase sales...let's slather some chocolate on an existing product and bingo! Well, because there are chocolate fanatics like me, the idea works most times, but not always.

Here's a classic case in point. I really don't understand why Mc Vities decided to go down the chocolate route and dilute its Digestive category. In my opinion, Digestive biscuits, which are usually associated with healthy eating, don't really sit well with chocolate. While a lot of biscuit brands make Digestives and this is probably a good advantage over competition, it definitely does disservice to its healthy food identity.

Sadly, the end product is not great either. The biscuits are soggier because of the moist chocolate cream, taking away the characteristic crunchiness one associates with Digestives. The chocolate cream itself is also average, but much better than the kind they have in their Choco Creams product.The packaging is the only attractive thing about this product. A 100 g pack costs INR 25, which is on a slightly higher side than products in the category. But then again, one isn't sure what category to place this product in. Meh.

RATING: 2.5/5

Chocolate exhibition by BlackForest Chocolates @ OOTB

Chocolatier Shilpi Chawla with friend

As India's only chocolate blogger, I often wistfully read about the many chocolate exhibitions and events that take place abroad. India is woefully lacking in all matters chocolate and there are few, if any, events centering around this divine food. So when my friend, Nikhil, told me that there was going to be a 'chocolate exhibition' at Out of the Blue, Powai, I was more than excited. The exhibition was set up by BlackForest Chocolates, a Mumbai-based brand by chocolatier, Shilpi Chawla.

Amidst the Sunday brunch crowd and some lovely live music, Shilpi and her friend Christina sat at their one-stall exhibition in the main hall of Out of the Blue, Powai. Though I had expected an exhibition on a larger scale, the varieties I saw and tasted more than made up for it.

Shilpi Chawla, who is the chocolatier and owner of BlackForest Chocolates had many a variety laid out for display, sampling and sale. An inviting thali-ful of chocolates encouraged visitors to try them out and buy some if they fancied them. 

I, of course, tried every single variety and was impressed by their quality. What I liked most was her sugar-free chocolate blended with fresh apples and cinnamon. The fruit and spice lent their natural sweetness to the product, which had no other sugar substitutes. Though I'm unsure of the shelf life of such a product that uses fresh fruit, I loved the concept. These were so much better than the sugar-free varieties that one gets in the market.

The stall had other enticingly packaged chocolates like Mawa Paan chocolate, White Chocolate Chikki, Blue Berry Chocolate and an innovative one called Chocolate Roti. I bought a few of each to try at leisure and review later. BlackForest Chocolates makes many other varieties of chocolate, which you can check out on their website.

The stall also showcased some beautiful packaging that Chawla sells her chocolates in. You could pick up gold or silver boxes wrapped in ribbons, or paper bags with cheerful multi-coloured stripes or even delicate organza potlis for a traditional touch.

The exhibition was initially slated only for the brunch slot between 11 am and 4 pm, but was later extended to the evening slot between 7 pm and 10 pm. The exhibition received a good response, with the enthusiasm picking up towards the evening.

Chocosophy had fun visiting the exhibition and hopes there will be many more such in India.

Chocosophy product launches: New Milka range, Zico chocolate coconut water, Stone Grindz

Spain gets three new Milka chocolate snacks 

Mondelez International's milk chocolate products brand, Milka, has launched three new products in Spain including Choco Moo, Choco Tutti and Cake & Choc. 

Milka Cake & Choc is a tablet-shaped cookie filled with Milka chocolate nuggets, Milka Choco Moo is a cow-shaped cookie covered with Milka chocolate, and Milka Choco Tutti is a cake comprising two layers of chocolate sponge cake topped with Milka chocolate. These products have been around in other countries, but will be new to Spain and will hopefully be imported here too soon.

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Zico chocolate coconut water

US-based company, Zico, that sells packaged coconut water has introduced chocolate as its newest flavour.  Apart from chocolate, Zico Pure Premium Coconut Water is available in flavours like Pineapple, Latte, Passion Fruit, Mango, Strawberry-Banana, besides the natural one. The introduction of the chocolate flavour will please many health-conscious chocolate lovers, and will be available from July 1 with independent retailers in the US. The chocolate-flavoured drink will be sold in 400 ml and 1 l resealable cartons.

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Stone Grindz Morrocan Mint & Cashew chocolate

Artisanal chocolate makers, Stone Grindz, have introduced a unique flavour called Morrocan Mint and Cashew that is 100% raw and organic. Despite being made with the old-age stone grinding technique, the chocolate professes to be smooth with a lovely earthy flavour. 

What truly makes Stone Grindz chocolate unique, aside from being 100% raw and organic, is the texture. As the name implies, the company's entire product line, including coconut butter and superfood bars, is made using a stone grinder. This gives the chocolate a rough, sandy texture like that of traditional Mexican chocolate, and it means that mix-ins like nuts and fruit are ground into fine pieces along with the beans to be strewn evenly throughout the bars. Stone Grindz products are available at farmers' markets in Scottsdale Arizona, US.

Chocosophy news: Healthy chocolate, Barry Callebaut Academy, Cadbury picnic table

Indian-origin Brit creates world's first 'healthy' chocolate

Indian-origin math graduate has created the world's first 'healthy' chocolate that has a negligible 20 calories per piece. Combining his love of chocolate and his background in math, 25-year-old Aneesh Popat created these chocolates using flavoured water and cocoa. His chocolates do not have the sinful ingredients like cocoa butter, cream, gelatin and eggs. Popat's creations are already being supplied to Michelin-star restaurants and are expected to grow in popularity, especially among health-conscious chocoholics. I want some of these despite that corny punchline that follows the brand name - The Chocolatier : A niche by Aneesh. :/

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Barry Callebaut opens chocolate academy in South America

Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, opened its first Chocolate Academy™ center in South America, the 15th center worldwide. Located at Paulista Avenue in São Paulo, the Chocolate Academy™ center is a state-of-the-art teaching and training facility for culinary professionals at all levels interested in strengthening their skills in working with chocolate and learning about new techniques, trends and recipes dedicated to the Brazilian market.

The center’s offerings include a wide range of training courses and demonstrations for customers in all sectors: chocolatiers, chefs, pastry, bakery and other chocolate experts as well as culinary professionals working in hotels, restaurants and the catering business.

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Cadbury creates life-size chocolate picnic table in London

Trust Cadbury to come up with the most creative ideas for marketing. To mark National Picnic Week (June 17-23) in the UK, Cadbury made and placed a 60 kg edible chocolate picnic bench at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Oxfordshire. The bench could support a family of four and was created using 400 Picnic bars, almost 64 kg of Dairy Milk, peanuts and puffed rice. The bench was covered in glaze to protect it from the elements.

New chocolates at The Cocoa Trees

Since I first visited The Cocoa Trees, the Singapore-based chocolate chain store brand, has been throwing one delight after another my way. Apart from their impressively vast spectrum of spectrum of over 40 varieties of international branded chocolates under one roof, ranging from Belgian chocolate, Anthon Berg, Ferrero, Lorenz, Sorini, Mars and Fazer; the chocolate boutique conducts events such as chocolate dipping sessions to help Indian consumers appreciate chocolate.

Now it has added three renowned premium products Goldkenn Crystal Gold Bar, Swiss Dream Napo Box and Hershey’s Kisses Tin to their vast repertoire.

Goldkenn Crystal Gold Bar: Wonderfully crafted Swiss milk chocolate praline with a dash of cocoa sprinkles, encased in a refined gold and transparent crystal effect exterior. The premium chocolate comes in a 200g bar, priced at Rs. 1395.

Swiss Dream Napo Box: Crafted with superior ingredients having the finest taste, bringing the experience of an authentic Swiss lifestyle through the chocolates. The Swiss chocolates come in a 300g box, costing Rs. 695.

Hershey’s Kisses Tin: Uniquely shaped and deliciously tender Hershey’s Kisses milk chocolates in a classically decorated tin, with a rustic vintage charm. The chocolates with the old school charm come in a 240g tin, worth Rs. 995.

The Cocoa Trees outlets can be found at three stores in Mumbai and one Mumbai airport, three in Pune, one in Delhi T3 domestic airport and Goa.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk Orange Peel

I am spoilt I am. With every exotic foreign chocolate I sample, Indian chocolates seem to slide a notch lower  on my scale. Not that all foreign brands and makes are good, but Cadbury India's (Mondelez International) mediocrity gets more and more manifest. Disgusted by their innocent (read messy) eating ad pitch, I had kept away from this product for a long time (which adult eats chocolate like that? Ew.). But I decided to give it a shot to see what the big deal was all about.

Cadbury Dairy Milk (or CDM as they like to call themselves on the website) decided to launch Silk as a premium product above their insanely popular repertoire. In fact, popular is an understatement, because no other chocolate brand in India offers any real competition to them.

What makes Silk premium are its shape, texture (apparently), packaging and price. I like the little paper note that is wrapped over the trademark gold foil, that enumerates Silk's finer points. I agree about the dome-shaped squares fitting snugly in one's mouth. But the chocolate DOES NOT melt in it. Even at room temperature, the chocolate does not dissolve in the mouth. Unless, of course, I try my Silk in Mumbai's sweltering summer. To me, the whole 'creamy, silky' chocolate business seems like a sham.

And that's not the only let down. The orange peel flavour is mild and there are almonds in it for no apparent reason. What I expect from a flavoured chocolate is an intense enough scent and taste; a lovely tang in case of orange peel. But the flavour in this is diluted and the nuts don't help. A 65 g bar costs INR 50, which I don't mind too much, but anything seems like a waste when I am given a sweet milk chocolate. All I'm going to say is that I have felt the Silk lately, and what an underwhelming experience it was.


RATING: 2/5

Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk - Coconut Rendezvous

Whatever else the US may be famous for, it is certainly not chocolate. The only American chocolate brand that I have read about with any consistency over these months of chocolate blogging is Ghirardelli. And it is unsurprising because the company apparently has a Lindt & Sprungli connection ¹. The brand is named after founder Domenico Ghirardelli, an Italian chocolatier. Having been established in 1852, it is America's second oldest brand (the oldest being Baker's Chocolate). It is also among the few brands in the world that control the bean-to-bar aspects of production.

I was naturally excited to find it at a specialty food store in Chembur, Mumbai. However, they had only a couple of variations and I had to bring back a milk chocolate bar. So my first Ghirardelli experience was to be with Gourmet Milk Coconut Rendezvous.

Once the card wrapper is opened, one sees a lovely light golden foil embossed with the Ghirardelli brand name. The chocolate bar is also branded with the Ghirardelli logo, that has a quintessentially American eagle in it. The chocolate bar has a sweet aroma and I was afraid it might be a little too sweet by the time it reached my palate. And right I was. The chocolate turned out to be disappointingly sweet; even for a milk chocolate. I might as well be drinking Milkmaid.

That said, the chocolate is exceptionally smooth and has a lovely, creamy texture. The coconut adds texture, but I found it dry and it did not do much for me in terms of flavour. For example, I'll think of Bounty first when someone says coconut chocolate and not Ghirardelli Coconut Rendezvous. Milk chocolate lovers may like it, but it isn't worth spending INR 490 for a 100 g bar.

I'm eager to try Ghirardelli's dark chocolate offerings, but I'm definitely never buying this again.


RATING: 2.5/5

Baking Magic, Khargar, Navi Mumbai

The joy of chocolates apart, Chocosophy is beginning to get sweet new acquaintances into my life. I got in touch with Baking Magic through my dear friend, Reema, and was asked to come over and review the place. Although Khargar was far and I did curse the traffic on my way there, my tryst with Baking Magic was worth all my time and effort.

L-R: Dorothy, Yuga Sreejeev and Nalini Sreejeev

Baking Magic, a cafe & bakery in Khargar, Navi Mumbai, is the kind of place where people go for a quick bite or to satisfy their sweet cravings. The business is a joint venture by Nalini Sreejeev and her partner, Manju Daryanani. It started out as a hobby for the two women, but as orders grew, they decided to turn it into a full-fledged business. The first outlet was opened in Bandra in 2007. They eventually moved to Seawoods in Navi Mumbai and finally to Khargar, where they are currently located. Daryanani moved to Dubai in due course, where she runs a sister outlet called Cake Story. In Mumbai, Sreejeev not only handles the business, but even does some baking firsthand. She is, of course, helped by her lovely daughter Yuga, who helped design the space and looks after some of the marketing. A design student, Yuga also designed the cafe's lovely logo.

The pastry showcase and the wall shelves with breads

I was met by these lovely people at the cafe and then some wonderful sights. A shelf full of desserts greets a customer up front, to the left are shelves of breads and savouries and to the right are specimens of cutomised cakes and boxes of chocolates. I couldn't help but admire the handiwork on the cakes, imagining the possibilities. There were wedding cakes, baby shower cakes, themed birthday cakes, festival cakes... you name it!

Custom and themed cakes

These cakes are the superstars of Bakin Magic's repertoire, but Sreejeev also takes up a lot of corporate orders for chocolate. They've delivered to companies like Jet, Wipro, and Ernst & Young among others. They also make custom chocolates for private events (in bulk orders, obviously). A specimen made for a bridal shower is seen here. Inventiveness is the key word for Nalini and her peers at Baking Magic.

Custom chocolates

After a while came the difficult task of choosing goodies for the review. Trust me, a chocolate reviewer's job can be a hard one when it comes to making choices. Undecided, I threw down the gauntlet to Nalini and Yuga and asked them to pick their bests for me. Over a cup of some lovely hazelnut coffee (a Baking Magic specialty), and a tasty chicken roll, they suggested I try their Chocolate Cup Mango Mousse, the Chocolate Overload Pastry, Chocolate Waffle and Chocolate tarts.

The Chocolate Cup Mango Mousse was one of the most interesting-looking things on the menu, so I went for it first. The mango mousse is served delicate rose-shaped chocolate cups, which need to be inverted to be served. Interestingly enough, Baking Magic serves only eggless desserts at the cafe. They include eggs in their recipes only if a custom order so specifies. The mousse was quite fluffy and delicious by itself, but with the chocolate, it acquired a different, more brilliant personality. 'Embellished' with edible glitter, the mango mousse-filled chocolate rose makes for a very tempting dessert.

Mango mousse in chocolate cup

Next up was the Chocolate Overload, a chocolate pastry true to its name. Made from alternating layers of chocolate cake, chocolate cream and chocolate icing and topped with chocolate bars like Kit Kat and 5 Star, this one sure is the right indulgence for chocoholics like me. Soft textures and rich chocolaty flavours make this one great dessert.

Chocolate overload

I was almost dying of overeating at this point when Nalini suggested I try their chocolate waffles. And who can say no to chocolate waffles? Since the chefs had left for the day, Nalini herself whipped up a waffle for me and boy, was it lovely! Filled in with chocolate and topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, the waffle was a decadent treat. The waffle itself was a tad thick (I like mine much thinner), but when there is so much chocolate to go with it, who cares?

Chocolate waffle

Since I was almost dead from a chocolate OD, I decided to take the chocolate tarts home rather than stuffing my face some more. When I tried them later, I found the chocolate filling to be creamy and not-too-sweet and the tart crust nicely crumbly. I was one happy girl at the end of the day. :)

Baking Magic is making magic with its baked goodies and confections in Khargar and if you are any place near, it's a must-go-to place. Chocosopher recommends.

RATING: 3/5

Baking Magic

Shop no.9, Regency Gardens, 

Sector 6, Kharghar, 

Navi Mumbai

9819819932 

9769619932

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BakingMagic

Hot dark chocolate at Le Cafe, Chembur

Finally! A decent cup of hot chocolate.

After my disastrous run at Costa Coffee (where both the hot chocolate and the Beglian Chocolate Frappe suck) and at The Chocolate Room, where the hot chilli-infused chocolate is just so, I was beginning to lose hope. Can no one make a decent cup of hot chocolate, I asked of God. And the answer lay right in my neighbourhood! Since the hotel Jewel of Chembur opened, all their F&B spaces have been talked nd written about. I frequent their pub, Astrix, but I'd never tried their restaurant, Moksha or cafe, Le Cafe... until today.

The pretty cafe overlooks the busy station road and has a lovely ambiance. I settled in with a friend at a cozy corner table and without thinking twice, ordered the hot 'dark' chocolate. I had to put this 'famous' cafe to the chocolate beverage test, given my bad experience with them so far. A cup of steaming hot chocolate was presented to me in some time with a 'Facebook F' dusted on it. Why it was written in the reverse is anyone's guess.

I didn't care really, as long as the hot chocolate was good. I took my first sip and baby, I was in love! The beverage went down my throat smoothly, its dark and sweet flavours warming my heart more than anything. I sipped on gleefully while my friend tried to suppress his amusement at my orgasmic expressions. But I couldn't care less. I HAD FINALLY FOUND A GOOD CUPPA HOT CHOCOLATE!

Past the froth, the hot chocolate looked deliciously dark and I should have remembered to ask the cafe what drinking chocolate they use. I'm fairly sure it was drinking chocolate and not a melted chocolate-milk infusion. It still was very rich and delish. However, I have to admit, it started tasting extremely sweet halfway through the cup. Not that it stopped me from downing it wholly! This monsoon, you must have this lovely hot dark chocolate from Le Cafe, if you're in Chembur and need some heart warming.

RATING: 4/5

 

Parle Golden Arcs Choco Filled Rolls

This curiously unbranded product has been in the market for a while now and thanks to its promoted page on Facebook, has a great fan following. What I want to know is why Parle doesn't want its name stated clearly on the packet. It may have to do with Parle's primary positioning as a 'affordable confectioneries' brand, and Golden Arcs doesn't exactly fall in that category. Although at INR 35 for a 150 g pack is cheap, it is definitely not in the Parle G category - a product most associated with Parle.

Golden Arcs obviously wants to compete with the chocolate-filled cookie category, which has become very popular lately, with products such as Sunfeast's Choco Fills entering the market. Golden Arcs is much more competitively priced and will offer stiff competition to high priced products in the segment. Not to forget, it offers a number of fruit flavoured varieties, as opposed to the competition that offers only chocolate.

As for quality, they aren't far behind, though the packaging is a little sloppy. The plastic tray inside my pack was breaking apart, as you can see in the picture above. But the pack is designed well and looks premium.

The product itself is also decent, shaped square with a crunchy and not-too-dense cookie exterior. The inside is filled with gooey chocolate, which is rather sweet to taste. But the biscuit and chocolate come together well and make for a decent enough product. While Parle's Golden Arcs aren't quite at par with Choco Fills, their pricing point is their winner. Chocosophy recommends!

RATING: 3/5