The dictionary describes chocolate as a paste made by mixing cocoa and sugar together. Fitness fanatics will tell you that it is a truly dangerous substance. Nutritionists define it as a source of energy, while the palate is convinced that it is the most sublime of all pleasures. And for chefs specializing in chocolate, it is a masterpiece that enables them to show off their talents to best advantage.
Maybe in the eyes of novices to the world of chocolate, it is no more than a sweet temptation that they enjoy once in a while. Nevertheless, behind its soft consistency and tempting color, normally decorated to make it even more appetizing, lies a hidden art dating from ancient times.
It goes without saying that we are not talking about typical chocolate bars produced in industrial quantities and sold through chain stores. We are referring to a select category of sweets manufactured using typical skills developed in Europe, which has since spread throughout the world and has now achieved cult status.
This is what could be described as the gourmet league of chocolate, composed of items that begin with the basic elements of cocoa and sugar but result in wondrous creations, very often combined with other ingredients.
How can you tell whether or not you are dealing with a gourmet chocolate? Those who know about these things say that the first element to analyze is the composition. In other words, is the basic ingredient really cocoa butter or has this been replaced to a significant extent by other vegetable fats, as the presence of these will degrade the natural aroma of the product? As an example, in Europe where they take cooking very seriously, chocolate manufacturers are prohibited by law from using more than 5% of other vegetable fats in their products.
The quality of the sugar used in the mixture is also extremely important, as the finer the quality used as the prime ingredients, the nobler the end result will be. The use of artificial sweeteners and preservatives is naturally absolutely prohibited. Now we are clear on the ingredients, we can turn to the matter of preparation.
For this we need look no further than the confectionary chef Sebastián Sánchez of the Gato Dumas Culinary School, who advised on the mounting of Vietato il cioccolato, an exquisite exhibit in Bogota, Colombia, demonstrating the preparation of chocolate in the traditional manner, which has remained unchanged for many generations. ““The chocolate is melted and mixed by hand. Then it is placed in a granite vessel where it crystallizes and takes on a gloss, giving it a more attractive finish and appearance.”
The result of the process is also delicious, and even more so if you take into account the fact that you can add other ingredients to the original recipe, with the objective of taking chocolate to a different level. This is when the various different alternatives cover all possible tastes. In the Vietato exhibit for example you can find Tavolettes, which are rustic bars of chocolate with pieces of Italian almonds and hazel nuts. Then there is the Sforza, a chocolate made of black olives, white chocolate and orange foam. Or the Galileo, a specimen for adventurous palates involving dark chocolate and blue cheese with milky notes.
As you can see, the world of gourmet chocolate is closely linked to the elements that surround us in our everyday lives; the earth that produces the cocoa; water that provides the heat giving the chocolate its texture; the fire that releases the ingredients from their original solid state changing them into a delicious, easily manageable form; and the air that surrounds it while the skilful hands of the craftsman shape the paste. So chocolate emerges as the fifth element that comes to life to produce pleasure that may be sinful, but is pleasure nevertheless at the end of the day.
Vietato il cioccolato
Calle 95 No. 11 A 59
Bogotá, Colombia
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