BENGALURU : In all these years I have encountered numerous ingredients that have helped me create some incredible products. However, the one product I can’t get enough off has always been chocolate. This is mainly because it’s extremely versatile. So much so that, you can push this ingredient to its boundaries, and create flavours and products that are personal and emotional in nature. The origin of chocolate dates back to 2000 BC in Mesoamerica, which we today call Central America. This combines all the surrounding regions including Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Columbia. Today, cocoa cultivation happens in many other parts of the world and Indian chocolate has, in recent years, been gaining huge popularity among chefs and chocolate producers globally.
Chocolate may be referred to as the ‘food of the Gods’. However, for most of its 4,000-year-old history, it was always consumed as a bitter beverage rather than the sweet edible treat, we have today. Back then, the cacao beans were fermented, roasted and ground into a paste which was then mixed with water, honey, vanilla, chilli peppers and other spices to brew a frothy chocolaty drink. Today, chocolate is one of the most versatile ingredients you can work with.
Back in test kitchen at Lavonne, we keep experimenting with hundreds of ingredients and techniques. However, we seem to be totally obsessed with chocolate. Off late, I have been experimenting with variation of chocolate fragrances that could even evoke a certain emotion. We have been sourcing single origin chocolates grown by local farmers from around the region. Every batch of chocolate has its own distinctive personality and character.
Some farms produce cocoa that have a fruity note, some have a citric note, some are even liquorice in flavour. This depends on several factors, including weather, soil, humidity, water used and farming techniques. With every batch of cocoa, we implement various techniques to influence its flavour and character by using various kinds of sugars, flavours and tempering techniques. With every unsuccessful attempt, we make note of the lesson learnt. It’s just too much fun to work with. So much so, that I got its molecular structure tattooed on my arm.
There are various kinds of chocolate, with the newest edition being Ruby Chocolate. All chocolates have its own character, texture, smell and taste. It depends a lot on the percentage of cocoa and how it was made. To taste, place it on your tongue, let it melt, and allow the complex flavour to develop slowly, which will surely emerge in time.
The only challenge while working with it is to mind the temperature. Chocolate is extremely sensitive to weather conditions, humidity and room temperature. Tempering chocolate to perfection is the key. Going from melted chocolate to a life size showpiece that must stand the test of time, is an art that can’t be perfected without practice and skill. – Chef Vinesh Johny, co-founder and Executive Pastry Chef of Lavonne Academy of Baking Science & Pastry Arts.