CHOCOLATE 2008

This year was really a year of outstanding Chocolate events. New artisans joined the community. New innovations appeared on the shelves. New beans were discovered.New plantations, in new territories, began their first yields. New findings on how good chocolate is for you were tentatively revealed. Athletes at the Olympic Games, Beijing, were fuelled by chocolate. Chocolate Boutiques opened in the thousands. Experts claimed that chocolate would remain immune to the global crisis.These Blogs have been recording the progress since June 2008.

It seemed as if a lot of territory had been covered since the beginning of the year. But more arrived. Vosages launched NAGA which incredibly combined, believe it or not, Indian Curry, coconut and mik chocolate. It wasn't the only bar Vosages launched. There was also among others Mo Bacon Bar, Enchanted Mushroom,Habana.They were I was told, received with great enthusasism by chocolate aficionados.A 120 gm bar sold for around $8.00.Pity the CEO of Ford, GM and Chrysler wont not be able to afford it.



Here in Indonesia, we experimented, successfully, with chocolate banana and cassava crisps, chocolate tempe wafers, chocolate tofu, with ingredients added on like salt, cardamon,green hot chilli,pepper,palm sugar,fragrant cloves and so on. We also tried chocolate with asparagus and mushroom. And during a school function served anchovie paste on disks of white chocolate(served ice cold). Our strategy has been two fold: first,chocolate is not for flavouring, it is the main ingredient. Second, use or fond the best ingredients available locally.

Dommique Persoone, who owns one of the three chocolate shops, to be awarded Michelin Stars,calls himself a shock-o-latier. I will leave it at just that.

In Tawau, a little town on the island of Borneo(Malaysia) has experimented chocolate powder with Chinese cooking: chocolate noodles, chocolate fried prawns, vegetable stir fry with chocolate and so on.I have been invited to sample more and readers of this Blog can read about my adventures in Tawau after the New Year.

Actually none of this should come as a surprise. Chocolate composed of the five "precious tastes", Sweet, Bitter, Astringent, Umami and Sweet would logically be able to combine universally. The Chinese, a thousand years or more developed the Five Spices powder. The magical powder that would render the blandest of dishes into a treat for the palate.The Punjabis, in India, have their own version. On the other side of the world, 3000 years ago, the The Olmecs discovered chocolate.

Another movement recognised in 2008,was change in the classifying of the chocolate "target market." It has been a tradition is assume that the main consumers of chocolate were teenagers or "youth". Many advertising agencies cling to this belief because it is easy to pander to.Times are changing. Chocolate eaters cannot be classified by demographics or psychographics. They are merely chocolate lovers enthralled by the adventure, taste and experience of chocolate.

Those loosely termed as "youth" has moved away from "chocolate". They are different from the simpler youth of say, 15 years ago. You don't find the youth of today stalking up and down the confectionery aisles of hypermarkets. In fact you hardly find "youth" in hypermarkets or supermarkets. These are not the places they hang out.

The chocolate consumer may ten years old or a hundred and ten.They take great pleasure in the discovery and enjoyment of chocolate and occasionally sharing it. They are not enticed by swirling, streams of chocolate on television. Nor do they connect with gambolling about the countryside or occupy themselves in pretty and inane pursuits that advertising agencies think are "youth fun." Chocolate has become an intellectual adventure through the medium of taste.Many are mysterious journeys to be indulged in.