Today, everyone at work, was talking about infusions. Money infusions by Government into banks.I am pretty stupid about the monetary systems that hold the world together. But I keep puzzling about, if the banks and stocks lost money, who gained the money? Silvio Berlusconi, Starbucks,Campbell's Soup(their stocks have stayed up and that's why I am suspicious)?Or is there bottomless pit into which money mysteriously vanishes.Well lets talk about chocolatey infusions.
I have always admired the Australians, with the single exception of the previous Prime Minister John Howard, for their ingenuity.I wonder if it is because they are so far far away from contaminating influences.A consortium of biotechnology scientists and food wizards have come together to found Horizon Science. They set up a subsidiary called Cocoa Australia. Which is very brazen of them considering Australia's experience in cocoa farming is non-existant. So is their know-how in fermenting and processing. It was brazen of them some decades ago to enter the wine world. Now they are on top of it.
Cocoa Australia runs a plantation up at Mossman. A very pretty place with a enormous tropical forest national park, tropical fruit farms, coffee and sugar plantations. Ideal sort of place for cocoa to thrive in.The 20 hectare plantation has about 1200 trees which have begun to bear pods. Reports are that these beans are better than those of West Africa. Beans from here will go to Farm by Nature, a chocolate factory located at Scoresby near Melbourne.Incidentially, if you are interested, Scoresby was named after British Artic Explorer, of all things. Scoresby, if you are still interested, is the brussel sprouts capital of Victoria.
The Scoresby factory has already come up with excellent wine-infused bars ,sexily packaged and sold under the Cocoa Farm label, aimed at the prestige end of the market. They were exported to Germany and Britain. Some bars reached us here in Indonesia. And quickly vanished from the shelves.
Though wine-infused chocolates have already been tried in the United States, the Cocoa Farm is particularly good because as the Chief Executive of Farm by Nature, Janice Falzon says Cocoa Farm uses a patented process that is unique, "a world first that was difficult to perfect."
Two years ago J. Emanuel Chocolatier came up with a line of truffles flavored with Cabernet, Chardonnay, Shiraz and varieties. Appropriately called the Bacchus range.
Mary's Chocolate, Tokyo have champagne and kahlua-laced ganaches which are made more appealing with silver glitter sprinkles.
Cielo, which translates to "heaven" in Italian, are infused with local ingredients like olive oil, salt and decanted balsamic vinegar.
Meanwhile a Japanese Company, Fruit Functional Food Composite(FFFC) is Infusing white chocolate into strawberries and currents. FFFC is also trying infusing food with vitamins and nutrients. Sounds a bit like a bail-out, don't you think?
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Monday, 6 October 2008
SENIOR CITIZEN'S DILEMMA ON CHOLOLATE.
Marketing people are those young, fabulous people that are ensconced in those lovely towers in Sudirman or Kuningan. From these heights they formulate their strategies to capture as much of the market as possible for their bosses, Nearly all of the products target the equally young and vibrant 25 to 45 age group. Or possibly even on occasions include those under who can watch television commercials and understand them.
THE DECISION MAKERS
They are right of course. In Indonesia these are where the numbers are. Thirty -seven percent of the population is under 15, Forty-six percent are under 45.A recent study in Munich noted that many of the decisions made around the world and particularly in Asia are made by Senior Citizens. It is the Senior Citizens that more often make the decisions on what we use, eat and drink.They play key roles in new product development. They decide on everything from concept to packaging to distribution channels.They make good decisions and awfully bad ones.But they are so respected that we give give them a whacking big bonus especially for bad ones.Probably to soothe their feelings.
WEALTH AND POWER
In the same study in Munich, it was noted that in 2030 consumption by Senior citizens in Europe will be almost 60%. While those under 50 will consume about 42%.
Today in Indonesia we have almost 40million Senior Citizens. Including me. Nearly two million live in Jakarta.If you look around casually, you will see 240,000 at least who are wealthy as well as powerful.Some are close to the top in Forbes list.
Yet marketing people, researchers and particularly advertising people(who loathe us because we screw up their ads)largely tend to ignore the economic driving power of Senior Citizens.Now come on, be reasonable, if your were a young marketing-advertising buck in Milan would you ignore Silvio Berlusconi? I am counting on him to single-handed bail out Europe,before breakfast sometime this week.
The numbers are too small for the marketing department and except for a few on top, too poor.Remember in 23 year the Indonesian economy will grow by 199% and so will the numbers of Senior Citizens. So you better start planning.
THE RETAIL VIEW
The up-market Supermarkets are beginning to see the potential of the over-fifty shopper.These are some of the conclusions of a supermarket group in Jakarta:
1)The Upper Income Senior Citizens visit supermarkets less often. When they do they visit the upmarket ones that have more imported products.
2)The buy the stuff they like, not the price.
3)They dont care much for slick packaging or slogans. The go for the quiet and sleek.ONe that make good sense. Marketing is going to be baffled by this!
4)The contribute significantly to higher margins.
5)Contrary to popular belief they love chocolate.
CATEGORY MANAGEMENT
Sogo's Food Hall seems to have caught on rather smartly to this niche. The category management and the planogram seems to have been developed for the senior citizens. It works so well that the chocolates targeted to the Senior Citizens are frequently out-of-stock.
The convenience stores like Starmart, Indomart and others havent caught on yet. The customers here are largely the teens and Senior Citizens. Simply because these stores are nearer home and often within walking distance.
DESIGNING CHOCOLATES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS
In Europe the big manufacturers are already redesigning chocolates foe Senior Citizens.Over there consumption volume and value of chocolate among senior citizens is responding significantly to initiatives by the manufacturers. The smaller manufacturers and artisans have known it all along and have prospered over the years.
It is not enough to address the "concerns" of Senior Citizens.Taste , flavour, texture and mouth appeal are just as important among the different age segments of Senior Citizens as it segmentised for the 5 to 45 years.There are few studies on this.What I ask are you going to feed McCain with perchance he is elected?
THE AUSTRALIANS HAVE DONE IT
As usual the Australians seem to have come with just the right formula of chocolate that will only appeal to their palate but alsoto their health values. Cocoa Farm, Australia have come up with wine infused chocolate. At the moment they have three great bars, Shiraz, Merlot and Pinor Nior. Cocoa Farm has also a rich dark chocolate with only 0.3% natural sugar and a sperb milk chocolate "Roasted Hazlenut and Coffee".The last is my favourite. I have only had it once. The memory remains.
There are many more ideas for developing Senior Citizen chocolate, but I deal with them in future blogs.I am a bit distracted. I on pins and needles waiting for Berlusconi to write out a personal cheque and hand it over to Sarkozy. Then we can all go back and concentrate on chocolate.
THE DECISION MAKERS
They are right of course. In Indonesia these are where the numbers are. Thirty -seven percent of the population is under 15, Forty-six percent are under 45.A recent study in Munich noted that many of the decisions made around the world and particularly in Asia are made by Senior Citizens. It is the Senior Citizens that more often make the decisions on what we use, eat and drink.They play key roles in new product development. They decide on everything from concept to packaging to distribution channels.They make good decisions and awfully bad ones.But they are so respected that we give give them a whacking big bonus especially for bad ones.Probably to soothe their feelings.
WEALTH AND POWER
In the same study in Munich, it was noted that in 2030 consumption by Senior citizens in Europe will be almost 60%. While those under 50 will consume about 42%.
Today in Indonesia we have almost 40million Senior Citizens. Including me. Nearly two million live in Jakarta.If you look around casually, you will see 240,000 at least who are wealthy as well as powerful.Some are close to the top in Forbes list.
Yet marketing people, researchers and particularly advertising people(who loathe us because we screw up their ads)largely tend to ignore the economic driving power of Senior Citizens.Now come on, be reasonable, if your were a young marketing-advertising buck in Milan would you ignore Silvio Berlusconi? I am counting on him to single-handed bail out Europe,before breakfast sometime this week.
The numbers are too small for the marketing department and except for a few on top, too poor.Remember in 23 year the Indonesian economy will grow by 199% and so will the numbers of Senior Citizens. So you better start planning.
THE RETAIL VIEW
The up-market Supermarkets are beginning to see the potential of the over-fifty shopper.These are some of the conclusions of a supermarket group in Jakarta:
1)The Upper Income Senior Citizens visit supermarkets less often. When they do they visit the upmarket ones that have more imported products.
2)The buy the stuff they like, not the price.
3)They dont care much for slick packaging or slogans. The go for the quiet and sleek.ONe that make good sense. Marketing is going to be baffled by this!
4)The contribute significantly to higher margins.
5)Contrary to popular belief they love chocolate.
CATEGORY MANAGEMENT
Sogo's Food Hall seems to have caught on rather smartly to this niche. The category management and the planogram seems to have been developed for the senior citizens. It works so well that the chocolates targeted to the Senior Citizens are frequently out-of-stock.
The convenience stores like Starmart, Indomart and others havent caught on yet. The customers here are largely the teens and Senior Citizens. Simply because these stores are nearer home and often within walking distance.
DESIGNING CHOCOLATES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS
In Europe the big manufacturers are already redesigning chocolates foe Senior Citizens.Over there consumption volume and value of chocolate among senior citizens is responding significantly to initiatives by the manufacturers. The smaller manufacturers and artisans have known it all along and have prospered over the years.
It is not enough to address the "concerns" of Senior Citizens.Taste , flavour, texture and mouth appeal are just as important among the different age segments of Senior Citizens as it segmentised for the 5 to 45 years.There are few studies on this.What I ask are you going to feed McCain with perchance he is elected?
THE AUSTRALIANS HAVE DONE IT
As usual the Australians seem to have come with just the right formula of chocolate that will only appeal to their palate but alsoto their health values. Cocoa Farm, Australia have come up with wine infused chocolate. At the moment they have three great bars, Shiraz, Merlot and Pinor Nior. Cocoa Farm has also a rich dark chocolate with only 0.3% natural sugar and a sperb milk chocolate "Roasted Hazlenut and Coffee".The last is my favourite. I have only had it once. The memory remains.
There are many more ideas for developing Senior Citizen chocolate, but I deal with them in future blogs.I am a bit distracted. I on pins and needles waiting for Berlusconi to write out a personal cheque and hand it over to Sarkozy. Then we can all go back and concentrate on chocolate.
Saturday, 4 October 2008
TRIVIAL PURSUITS IN JAKARTA.
Jakarta is my favourite city. I love it. I feel sorry for Jakarta because it gets nudged aside for Bali. Which is most certainly a mistake. I love Jakarta so much that I only go to the city for trivial reasons.And every time I visit, Jakarta surprises me with something new.Usually another spectacular mall. Or even a Disney-On-Ice Show.
Last weekend, just prior to the Idil Fitri holidays, I decided to stroll down the main street of Jakarta. I would begin at the a giant statue of a near naked man carrying a flaming Bomb Alaska, and walk down Jalan Sudirman to the famous Welcome Circle and down Jalan Tamrin to the Presidential Palace. That's about 4 kilometers.
Everything in Jakarta is big. Its history is big. Though Jakartans celebrate 1577 as it birth year, the city actually existed in 397AD. Its building are big. Many are designed by prominent architects and have won awards and things. Mid-way down is the awfully pompous Samporena Strategic(who knows what it means).There are many,many more big, tall and splendid glass and steel structures. Still more surreptitiously rising. True on this main throughfare there are no massive structures like the cathedral in Cologne which can take in 40,000 people. But Jakarta, looks like, it has several buildings that can house 40,000. No problem.Sometimes you can see them all when they stream out during an earthquake.
Jakarta main street has with a snide smile given space to the world's ghastliest building, the Da VinciTower(its true). The owners had tried to provide a Italian kitsch (You know they thought that it was splendidly classical stuff and all, the ignorant bunch) setting in the middle of Jakarta for poor old Da Vinci.Horrific ornate furniture is sold in there. In the upper floors are monstrously distasteful, awful and expensive apartments. But it is okay. It is Jakarta's way of saing, "Look I have a sense of humor."Other cities may have building you can hate but not a Da Vinci Tower which you look and laugh over for half an hour.
Even names are big and impressive. The Ministry of Education which fronts Jalan Sudirman is actually called, Depertemen Pendidikan Nasional. Isn't that impressive!I love it and spend a lot of time there.
Then midway down, is the Welcome Circle with an extremely large, cool and welcoming fountain. From the center rises an obelisk with a happy couple, happily waving flowers to welcome residents and guests alike.
The Circle is the official site for very democratic demonstrations from angry ones to the friendliest, where pretty girls hand out stems of roses or condoms to motorists and the watchful police men and women. The are four, five star hotels around this Circle.and the angry demonstrators, for some inexplicable reason, seem to hurl their fury upwards towards the Grand Hyatt. Serves the Grand Hyatt right. They make such unimaginative chocolate.The other hotels go placidly unscathed.
Pacific Place, stands sedately behind the Jakarta Stock Exchange. It feels like it its lending its massiveness in support to the latter. But once you go in you realise that it is really a massive shopping mall, with elegant and fashionable stores, Starbucks, Food Courts, Cinema theatres.Close to Wendy's Hamburger is the entrance to the Ritz Carlton Ballroom.
I bought a bag of chocolates, at Paci,the famous chocolate boutique, and went to a store to have it wrapped. Two delightful ladies,asked me a series of questions to all of which I replied "Yes" because I hadn't the faintest idea what they were talking about.
"You many textured recycled of course?"
"Yes".
"With a foil backing for form?"
"Yes."
"Watermarked and embossed?"
"Yes"
"A second colour in poignant pink?"
"Yes"
"A wired ribbon flourish in gold and magenta lights?"
"Yes".
The assistants were writing it all down in the invoice, as it was explained to me that the cash register was "down". I eventually staggered out holding an embarrassingly large gift wrapped parcel, looking rather like the Da Vinci Tower I mentioned earlier. But the real pain, hurt like a stab in the guts, was the $100 I had to pay to the exuberant group of ladies.I understood why the cashed register was "down". It must have fizzed out in shock.
To soften this devasting blow to my fortunes, I went to the supermarket in the basement to look for my favourite chocolate wafer, "Take-it". This is a wonderful 19gm wafer or biscuit wrapped in delicious milk chocolate.Kit-Kat pales in comparison. If you ever have the opportunity, buy a ton.I have a special bond with "Take-it". I had in fact named it. Designed the pack. Built the merchandising unit, which called out, "Hey you, take it!" to passers-by. It had to be removed because it scared the hell of of little children. Anyway I couldn't find "Take-it".
The manager apologised and murmured something about category management and profit per meter and somehow "Take-it" didnt fit with the store's plans to make a fortune. I said"But your are talking about something I help bring into being. I designed the packs, I named it. That's virtually baptising it! The public deserve it!" He remained unmoved and suggested I try Kenny Rogers Fried Chicken. For me it was "Take-it" or nothing.
Somehow, perhaps,the way it snaked backwards,at the Circle,the last time I strolled down Jakarta I missed it. Sometimes, you know the obvious thing right in front of your nose can be invisible. But now it blazed forth in glory, the Grand Indonesia. An extravagant, giant shopping, hotel, apartment, theatre, food courts galore and heaven knows what else, complex. It was so big that I suggested to the building manager to have "ojeks"(motorcycle taxis) to take people around inside the building and prevent them from getting feeble with exhaustion or getting lost forever, both of which seemed inevitable if he ngnored my advice.
When I went in, there wasn't anybody around.Sales girls at Seibu Department Store called out "Good morning Sir." There were cheery greetings from security personnel,waiters at cafes,the toilet cleaners and so. This was not because they wanted my custom but simply because they were lonely and wanted to talk to someone.But the manager who rejected my "ojek" idea told me that once the office buildings and banks were filled there will be no shortage of friends. More than 40,000 were expected to patronise the stores, restaurants, cafes and food courts.If you are around during an earthquake, you can wach them stream out.
The toilets, like in most buildings in Jakarta, were spacious and magnificent. They only lacked gold fittings and a dash of the Da Vinci up the road.I wanted to linger on, spend more time playing at the taps and high tech hand driers but my wife called on my mobile phone and I didn't want to say I was loitering in the loo.
There was a chocolate shop by which I naturally lingered, sampled a praline. My home made pralines were better. At the supermarket, there were alas, no "Take-it".The manager, would you believe it, had never heard of "Take-it".The man should be taken to task if it is not possible to fire him.
I walked on, tripped in front of the Japanese Embassy and fell. Three people, two men and a woman, set me back on my feet, dusted me down and send me merrily on my way.The woman ran after me to return my ballpoint. Only in Jakarta can a thing like this happen.When I slipped in Copenhagen a lady in a wheel chair crashed into me and grimly prodded me out of the way with her stick. I had to stagger into a cafe and soothe myself with a coffee and a sticky pastry but went back into severe shock on seeing the bill.Don't ever eat or drink in Copenhagen if you want to remain solvent!
I walked past the United Nations building and marvelled at it shabbiness,approved the solidity of the Bank of Indonesia, admired the Museum and lurked around the Palace hoping to get a glimpse of the President.But it was not to be so I caught a bus home.
Skip Bali, readers and come to Jakarta.It is the most intriguing city in the world and you will love it here.
Last weekend, just prior to the Idil Fitri holidays, I decided to stroll down the main street of Jakarta. I would begin at the a giant statue of a near naked man carrying a flaming Bomb Alaska, and walk down Jalan Sudirman to the famous Welcome Circle and down Jalan Tamrin to the Presidential Palace. That's about 4 kilometers.
Everything in Jakarta is big. Its history is big. Though Jakartans celebrate 1577 as it birth year, the city actually existed in 397AD. Its building are big. Many are designed by prominent architects and have won awards and things. Mid-way down is the awfully pompous Samporena Strategic(who knows what it means).There are many,many more big, tall and splendid glass and steel structures. Still more surreptitiously rising. True on this main throughfare there are no massive structures like the cathedral in Cologne which can take in 40,000 people. But Jakarta, looks like, it has several buildings that can house 40,000. No problem.Sometimes you can see them all when they stream out during an earthquake.
Jakarta main street has with a snide smile given space to the world's ghastliest building, the Da VinciTower(its true). The owners had tried to provide a Italian kitsch (You know they thought that it was splendidly classical stuff and all, the ignorant bunch) setting in the middle of Jakarta for poor old Da Vinci.Horrific ornate furniture is sold in there. In the upper floors are monstrously distasteful, awful and expensive apartments. But it is okay. It is Jakarta's way of saing, "Look I have a sense of humor."Other cities may have building you can hate but not a Da Vinci Tower which you look and laugh over for half an hour.
Even names are big and impressive. The Ministry of Education which fronts Jalan Sudirman is actually called, Depertemen Pendidikan Nasional. Isn't that impressive!I love it and spend a lot of time there.
Then midway down, is the Welcome Circle with an extremely large, cool and welcoming fountain. From the center rises an obelisk with a happy couple, happily waving flowers to welcome residents and guests alike.
The Circle is the official site for very democratic demonstrations from angry ones to the friendliest, where pretty girls hand out stems of roses or condoms to motorists and the watchful police men and women. The are four, five star hotels around this Circle.and the angry demonstrators, for some inexplicable reason, seem to hurl their fury upwards towards the Grand Hyatt. Serves the Grand Hyatt right. They make such unimaginative chocolate.The other hotels go placidly unscathed.
Pacific Place, stands sedately behind the Jakarta Stock Exchange. It feels like it its lending its massiveness in support to the latter. But once you go in you realise that it is really a massive shopping mall, with elegant and fashionable stores, Starbucks, Food Courts, Cinema theatres.Close to Wendy's Hamburger is the entrance to the Ritz Carlton Ballroom.
I bought a bag of chocolates, at Paci,the famous chocolate boutique, and went to a store to have it wrapped. Two delightful ladies,asked me a series of questions to all of which I replied "Yes" because I hadn't the faintest idea what they were talking about.
"You many textured recycled of course?"
"Yes".
"With a foil backing for form?"
"Yes."
"Watermarked and embossed?"
"Yes"
"A second colour in poignant pink?"
"Yes"
"A wired ribbon flourish in gold and magenta lights?"
"Yes".
The assistants were writing it all down in the invoice, as it was explained to me that the cash register was "down". I eventually staggered out holding an embarrassingly large gift wrapped parcel, looking rather like the Da Vinci Tower I mentioned earlier. But the real pain, hurt like a stab in the guts, was the $100 I had to pay to the exuberant group of ladies.I understood why the cashed register was "down". It must have fizzed out in shock.
To soften this devasting blow to my fortunes, I went to the supermarket in the basement to look for my favourite chocolate wafer, "Take-it". This is a wonderful 19gm wafer or biscuit wrapped in delicious milk chocolate.Kit-Kat pales in comparison. If you ever have the opportunity, buy a ton.I have a special bond with "Take-it". I had in fact named it. Designed the pack. Built the merchandising unit, which called out, "Hey you, take it!" to passers-by. It had to be removed because it scared the hell of of little children. Anyway I couldn't find "Take-it".
The manager apologised and murmured something about category management and profit per meter and somehow "Take-it" didnt fit with the store's plans to make a fortune. I said"But your are talking about something I help bring into being. I designed the packs, I named it. That's virtually baptising it! The public deserve it!" He remained unmoved and suggested I try Kenny Rogers Fried Chicken. For me it was "Take-it" or nothing.
Somehow, perhaps,the way it snaked backwards,at the Circle,the last time I strolled down Jakarta I missed it. Sometimes, you know the obvious thing right in front of your nose can be invisible. But now it blazed forth in glory, the Grand Indonesia. An extravagant, giant shopping, hotel, apartment, theatre, food courts galore and heaven knows what else, complex. It was so big that I suggested to the building manager to have "ojeks"(motorcycle taxis) to take people around inside the building and prevent them from getting feeble with exhaustion or getting lost forever, both of which seemed inevitable if he ngnored my advice.
When I went in, there wasn't anybody around.Sales girls at Seibu Department Store called out "Good morning Sir." There were cheery greetings from security personnel,waiters at cafes,the toilet cleaners and so. This was not because they wanted my custom but simply because they were lonely and wanted to talk to someone.But the manager who rejected my "ojek" idea told me that once the office buildings and banks were filled there will be no shortage of friends. More than 40,000 were expected to patronise the stores, restaurants, cafes and food courts.If you are around during an earthquake, you can wach them stream out.
The toilets, like in most buildings in Jakarta, were spacious and magnificent. They only lacked gold fittings and a dash of the Da Vinci up the road.I wanted to linger on, spend more time playing at the taps and high tech hand driers but my wife called on my mobile phone and I didn't want to say I was loitering in the loo.
There was a chocolate shop by which I naturally lingered, sampled a praline. My home made pralines were better. At the supermarket, there were alas, no "Take-it".The manager, would you believe it, had never heard of "Take-it".The man should be taken to task if it is not possible to fire him.
I walked on, tripped in front of the Japanese Embassy and fell. Three people, two men and a woman, set me back on my feet, dusted me down and send me merrily on my way.The woman ran after me to return my ballpoint. Only in Jakarta can a thing like this happen.When I slipped in Copenhagen a lady in a wheel chair crashed into me and grimly prodded me out of the way with her stick. I had to stagger into a cafe and soothe myself with a coffee and a sticky pastry but went back into severe shock on seeing the bill.Don't ever eat or drink in Copenhagen if you want to remain solvent!
I walked past the United Nations building and marvelled at it shabbiness,approved the solidity of the Bank of Indonesia, admired the Museum and lurked around the Palace hoping to get a glimpse of the President.But it was not to be so I caught a bus home.
Skip Bali, readers and come to Jakarta.It is the most intriguing city in the world and you will love it here.
Thursday, 2 October 2008
ENJOY LIFE! MAKE YOUR OWN CHOCOLATE.
With all the prices going up I lived with some apprehension that one fine day I would wake up and find that I could no longer afford chocolate.Like it happened with cheese,oxtail stew,seven grain bread,crumpets,movies,restaurnats that use white table cloths, doctors,school and so on. They made petrol expensive and then stopped making cheap bicycles.
If it happens with chocolate it will have catastrophic results on my life. I have always depended on chocolate to keep my heart healthy, my brain liking up to expectations, my disposition amicable and felt little need for Prozac. Sex was going fine too.
But recently prices of chocolate in the supermarkets have been surreptitiously creeping up. That was when I decided to make and live on my own chocolate. Frankly it was to be a major milestone in my life.What a lot of luscious vistas opened up!I lie awake at nights wondering what I will do next.
Making your chocolate is not difficult, once you decide to do it. Your neighbours may laugh,"Why go through all the trouble. You can buy a chocolate wafer for 90 cents down at Starmart." Frankly, like all neighbours anywhere, they don't know what they are talking about.
The are three ways to go about making your own chocolate.
BIT OF A QUIRKY WAY
I went out and bought a carton of bitter-sweet curvature. I knocked down a one kg block to get about 300gm. I was ready to go.I filled a pot with water and brought it to boil. Added agar agar and melted in out. Then added the chocolate. Once the chocolate is melted and blended with the agar-agar solution, I let it cool.Chill over night.Next day break it and enjoy. I wont tell you how wonderful and exciting the experience can be. Find out for yourself.
THE SAFE WAY
Melt your 300gm of chocolate in your microwave. When its warm temper it by swishing it up and down with a wooden spatula a top a cool surface.Pour it into a flat plastic lined tray. Then do your creative things. Put in nuts and bits of fruit. Chill it overnight. Next morning crack up an enjoy the pieces.
THE ADVENTUROUS WAY
If you have a bit of Bond in you then, you can cut down the cooling chocolate into pieces and drop it into liquid nitrogen. When the pieces are solid, which is almost immediately, you pull it out and let it thaw in a bowl.When you taste it, you realise that you have a chocolate that melts easily in the mouth. It will have a full, intense, rich taste.Enjoy it leisurely over three or four days.
There are full recipes you may want to experiment with. Subscribe to the Java Chocolate Newsletter.
CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
Now you have the basics the creative opportunities are enormous. You can try blending types of chocolate, blending ingredients, trying savoury chocolate, spicy chocolate, coat fried banana chips, tempe or tofu slices, experiment with salt,milk powder,vanilla, flavours you enjoy, balsamic vinegar,sprinkle in your bits of your traditional Indonesian snacks. Learn what works and what doesn't.Or just enjoy and luxuriate over the intense, rich taste of chocolate.Recipes are found in our newsletter.
I haven't mentioned sugar. Bittersweet chocolate I feel contains all the sugar you need in chocolate.
SHAPE IT ANY WAY YOU FANCY.
I dislike cubes, squares and rounds. I think they are unnatural shapes to put into your mouth. Make your chocolate in any shape and avoid the traditional. Go where no man has ever gone before.Make it an art form. Please, no bunnies, gnomes and Santa Claus.
SELL
You might try to make it into a home industry. Sell your odd pieces of great chocolate in simple, plain,recyclable, paper bags.Hundred grams can go for $2.
YOUR OVERHEADS.
Three hundred grams of bittersweet curvature cost me about $2.After I made it my way,just the way I liked.I enjoyed it over three days.
If it happens with chocolate it will have catastrophic results on my life. I have always depended on chocolate to keep my heart healthy, my brain liking up to expectations, my disposition amicable and felt little need for Prozac. Sex was going fine too.
But recently prices of chocolate in the supermarkets have been surreptitiously creeping up. That was when I decided to make and live on my own chocolate. Frankly it was to be a major milestone in my life.What a lot of luscious vistas opened up!I lie awake at nights wondering what I will do next.
Making your chocolate is not difficult, once you decide to do it. Your neighbours may laugh,"Why go through all the trouble. You can buy a chocolate wafer for 90 cents down at Starmart." Frankly, like all neighbours anywhere, they don't know what they are talking about.
The are three ways to go about making your own chocolate.
BIT OF A QUIRKY WAY
I went out and bought a carton of bitter-sweet curvature. I knocked down a one kg block to get about 300gm. I was ready to go.I filled a pot with water and brought it to boil. Added agar agar and melted in out. Then added the chocolate. Once the chocolate is melted and blended with the agar-agar solution, I let it cool.Chill over night.Next day break it and enjoy. I wont tell you how wonderful and exciting the experience can be. Find out for yourself.
THE SAFE WAY
Melt your 300gm of chocolate in your microwave. When its warm temper it by swishing it up and down with a wooden spatula a top a cool surface.Pour it into a flat plastic lined tray. Then do your creative things. Put in nuts and bits of fruit. Chill it overnight. Next morning crack up an enjoy the pieces.
THE ADVENTUROUS WAY
If you have a bit of Bond in you then, you can cut down the cooling chocolate into pieces and drop it into liquid nitrogen. When the pieces are solid, which is almost immediately, you pull it out and let it thaw in a bowl.When you taste it, you realise that you have a chocolate that melts easily in the mouth. It will have a full, intense, rich taste.Enjoy it leisurely over three or four days.
There are full recipes you may want to experiment with. Subscribe to the Java Chocolate Newsletter.
CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
Now you have the basics the creative opportunities are enormous. You can try blending types of chocolate, blending ingredients, trying savoury chocolate, spicy chocolate, coat fried banana chips, tempe or tofu slices, experiment with salt,milk powder,vanilla, flavours you enjoy, balsamic vinegar,sprinkle in your bits of your traditional Indonesian snacks. Learn what works and what doesn't.Or just enjoy and luxuriate over the intense, rich taste of chocolate.Recipes are found in our newsletter.
I haven't mentioned sugar. Bittersweet chocolate I feel contains all the sugar you need in chocolate.
SHAPE IT ANY WAY YOU FANCY.
I dislike cubes, squares and rounds. I think they are unnatural shapes to put into your mouth. Make your chocolate in any shape and avoid the traditional. Go where no man has ever gone before.Make it an art form. Please, no bunnies, gnomes and Santa Claus.
SELL
You might try to make it into a home industry. Sell your odd pieces of great chocolate in simple, plain,recyclable, paper bags.Hundred grams can go for $2.
YOUR OVERHEADS.
Three hundred grams of bittersweet curvature cost me about $2.After I made it my way,just the way I liked.I enjoyed it over three days.
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
INTERSTELLAR CHOCOLATE.
It seems that the Spltze Infrared telescope gave astronomers a sharper view of the Universe. And what they saw was that nitrogen containing aromatic hydrocarbons are in huge supply throughout the universe.
Subsequently there has been a about turn in the thinking that all life on earth was homegrown. It has become apparent that comets and meteorites bring biologically important chemicals to earth.
These chemicals come to life on any hospitable environment. Earth of course is extremely hospitable. That is until Wall Street made in increasing inhabitable. But never mind lets get back to the main issue.
One of the chemicals that stowed away from deep universe on a comet or meteorite was the main ingredient in chocolate. Hence it tastes, and has an aroma that is, out of this world.
Actually this theory of chemicals(or seeds) coming to earth was started by a Greek Philosopher, Anaxagoras. Pictures show him to be a stocky, dour man,with untidy beard. He said,"There is something of everything in everything," and went on to expand into the theory of "panaspermia". This theory says that all things originated from seeds pervading from the cosmos.NASA scientists agree.
You must give the man his due. He did it without the Spitze Infrared Telescope.He did it 2,500 years ago.He did it without tax payers money. He did it with a doctrine he is credited to have found, the Doctrine of "Nous"(translates, mind).
I feel particularly fond of this man because he was born in Claizomenae. A city, in present day Turkey, Thirty kilometers from Izimir, where resides someone that reads my chocolate blogs.
Subsequently there has been a about turn in the thinking that all life on earth was homegrown. It has become apparent that comets and meteorites bring biologically important chemicals to earth.
These chemicals come to life on any hospitable environment. Earth of course is extremely hospitable. That is until Wall Street made in increasing inhabitable. But never mind lets get back to the main issue.
One of the chemicals that stowed away from deep universe on a comet or meteorite was the main ingredient in chocolate. Hence it tastes, and has an aroma that is, out of this world.
Actually this theory of chemicals(or seeds) coming to earth was started by a Greek Philosopher, Anaxagoras. Pictures show him to be a stocky, dour man,with untidy beard. He said,"There is something of everything in everything," and went on to expand into the theory of "panaspermia". This theory says that all things originated from seeds pervading from the cosmos.NASA scientists agree.
You must give the man his due. He did it without the Spitze Infrared Telescope.He did it 2,500 years ago.He did it without tax payers money. He did it with a doctrine he is credited to have found, the Doctrine of "Nous"(translates, mind).
I feel particularly fond of this man because he was born in Claizomenae. A city, in present day Turkey, Thirty kilometers from Izimir, where resides someone that reads my chocolate blogs.
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