Posts Tagged ‘chocolate’

Whisky and Chocolate Paring at Maison Claudel

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014
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Marie-Hélène Gantois - Michèle Claudel - Charles Claudel

Marie-Hélène Gantois of Mococha Chocolates
Michèle and Charles Claudel of Maison Claudel

Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The wine and whisky store Maison Claudel and chocolate shop Mococha joined forces two weeks ago to present a whisky and chocolate pairing. For me, it was a wonderful adventure into the discovery of exotic aromas and flavors.

The evening began with a presentation by Marie-Hélène, who described the process that cocoa beans go through during the production of chocolate. I learned that cocoa does not become chocolate until sugar—as little as 1%—is added to the cocoa mass. Marie-Hélène distributed raw cocoa beans, and then roasted beans, for us to taste. The roasted beans were easier to shell, because the roasting process had rendered their husks brittle. In either state (raw or roasted) they were pleasant to eat and not too bitter, because cocoa butter was present in the bean. During the process of making chocolate, cocoa butter is squeezed out, rendering the mass bitter until sugar is added. At some point during the manufacturing process, cocoa butter is added back in.

Charles Claudel then explained how whisky is produced from cereal grain. One of the early steps in the process is the production of malted barley. Wet barley grains are allowed to sprout at which point they are dried to stop the sprouting. In Scotland, during the drying process, peat is used to fuel the fire that heats the kiln in which the barley is dried. The barley absorbs the odor of the peat, yielding the smokey, peaty aroma that many whisky drinkers seek.

Charles spoke about the six aromas of whisky: malt (cereal, herbes), peat (smokey, medicinal, iodine), perfume (floral), acrid (sulfur, bitterness), fruit (dried or cooked fruit), woody (odor of the barrel in which it was aged). An acrid aroma is considered to be an imperfection, a defect. Nonetheless, Charles declared, even good whiskies have some imperfection&#8212imperfection contributes to the character of the beverage.

Whisky Afficionado Romain Berbudeau Seeks Out Those Notes of Caramel

Whisky Aficionado Romain Berbudeau Seeks Out Those Notes of Caramel
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Chocolate Aficionada Rosa Hewins Selects a Chocolate

Chocolate Aficionada Rosa Hewins Selects a Sweet
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Following the presentations, we tasted four whiskies paired with four chocolates. I preferred Compass Box Oak Cross that was served with a praline-filled chocolate. For me, the soft herbal aroma of the spirit harmonized well with the mild nutty flavor of the chocolate.

A Man Who Knows His Whisky

A Man Who Knows His Whisky
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

A good time was had by all!

Maison Claudel
62, rue Monge
75005 Paris
Tel.: 01.45.87.17.95

Mococha Chocolats
89, rue Mouffetard
75005 Paris
Tel.: 01.47.07.13.66

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Inside the Easter Egg

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014
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Easter egg from Mococha Chocolats

Easter Egg from Mococha Chocolats
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

We purchased an Easter egg from Mococha Chocolats and took it home to see what treasures were hidden within.

Teddy and Angry Egg

Teddy Bear, Angry Egg, and “Friture”
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Voilà! There were three chocolates by master chocolate-maker Pierre Chapon: a Teddy bear, an angry egg, and a “friture.” The Teddy bear was composed of white chocolate enrobing a mixture of hazelnut praliné and white chocolate. The composition of the angry egg was similar that of the Teddy, except that it contained more white chocolate than praliné. And the “friture” (which means “little fish for frying” in French) was smooth milk chocolate with a pronounced vanilla flavor. All tasted dreamy!

Mococha
89, Rue Mouffetard
75005 Paris
Tel.: 01.47.07.13.66

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Champagne and Chocolate at Mococha

Wednesday, January 8th, 2014
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Alexandre Billon and Marie-Hélène Gantoise

Alexandre Billon and Marie-Hélène Gantois
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

In December, I had the opportunity to attend a champagne and chocolate tasting at Mococha—our favorite chocolate shop on rue Mouffetard. Marie-Hélène Gantois, the proprietor of the shop, provided chocolates and Alexandre Billon, a wine merchant from the nearby wine shop La Fontaine aux Vins, supplied the champagne.

Marie declared that the purpose of the tasting was to challenge the idea that champagne doesn’t go well with chocolate.

Alexandre began by pouring a Ronseaux-Wanner Grand Cru 2005. He explained that the older a champagne is, the fewer bubbles it will have, because the carbonation slowly escapes through the champagne cork over time. Indeed, this grand cru did not have as much fizz as a younger champagne. I found its taste to be quite bitter.

While the participants enjoyed the champagne, Marie circulated with trays of different ganache (cream-filled) chocolates. We tried several with this wine, and I succeeded in determining that a fig-flavored ganache by Rémi Henry did indeed complement the champagne. However, this was not because of the chocolate, but because of the fig—the sweetness of the fruit offset the bitterness of the champagne.

Alexandre then poured a Robert Desbrosse 2006. I found it to be only mildly bitter, which to my mind gave it a better chance at harmonizing with chocolate. I thought that it went well with a peach-flavored ganache called Péché by Fabrice Gillotte, again because the chocolate was flavored with fruit. But it also went well with a bitter-sweet praline chocolate called Muscovado by the same producer. Together in the mouth, the Desbrosse and the Muscovado tasted like sweet, liquid chocolate.

The third champagne was a Drappier Brut Nature, produced from 100% Pinot Noir grape. Its label indicated that it was zéro dosage, meaning that it did not receive a liqueur de dosage (a small quantity of cane sugar mixed with champagne) during its production. Dry and refreshing, it went well with Amandes “turbinées” (milk-chocolate coated almonds) by Fabrice Gillotte.  I attributed this harmony to the flavor of the almonds, not to the flavor of the chocolate in which they were enrobed.

By the end of the event, although I had enjoyed some fine champagne and chocolate, I remained unconvinced that they actually complemented each other.  The production of champagne and chocolate is a complex process and, in my mind, they emerge as finished products that should be enjoyed on their own merits.  However, if one feels compelled to drink wine with chocolate, I recommend Banyuls, a fortified red wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France.

Marie Pours Ronseaux-Wanner Grand Cru 2005

Marie Pours Ronseaux-Wanner Grand Cru 2005
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Marie hosts numerous events of this type in her shop, introducing new chocolate producers or paring chocolate with other beverages. Join her Facebook page to keep abreast of her activities!

Mococha
89, Rue Mouffetard
75005 Paris
Tel.: 01.47.07.13.66

La Fontaine aux Vins
107, Rue Mouffetard
75005 Paris
Tel.: 01.43.31.41.03

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An Evening of Chocolate Tasting with Les Amants du Chocolat de la Couronne Parisienne

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013
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One of the advantages of blogging about chocolate tastings is that one meets people who invite you to…more chocolate tastings!

It was at the hot chocolate demonstration at Mococha where I met Sabine Malet, secretary of the chocolate appreciation club Les Amants du Chocolat de la Couronne Parisienne. Sabine told me about her club’s tasting that would feature the chocolate of Laurence Dali, who operates O Mille et une Fèves in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Naturally, I wanted to be part of that.

La Petite Fabrique

La Petite Fabrique
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The tasting was held at an organic restaurant called La Petite Fabrique at 15, rue des Vignoles, not too far from Laurence’s shop. About fifteen people were in attendance and all were in a jovial mood. Laurence set the tone by distributing bars of Santo Domingo 70% Criollo chocolate, one of the finest chocolates available. She supplied enough to taste to our hearts’ content while she talked about how she quit her desk job at the age of 40 to plunge into the world of chocolate making. After taking a two-year program at the prestigious Grégoire Ferrandi cooking school in Paris, she opened her own boutique. And the rest is history!

Laurence makes fruit, spice, and nut-coated chocolate bars, molded chocolates, chocolate-dipped candied fruit, chocolate-dipped dried fruit, and pralines. She doesn’t, however, make cream-filled chocolates (ganaches). She uses 64% cocoa as the base of her chocolate bars (except the Criollo). During the tasting, she distributed many different samples of all of these varieties — one at a time.

Chocolate-dipped Candied Ginger

Chocolate-dipped Candied Ginger
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I enjoyed the chocolate-dipped candied ginger. It yielded softly to the bite.

Espelette-dusted Chocolate

Espelette-dusted Chocolate
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The Espelette-dusted chocolate bar had a spicy sting, while the crumbled Speculoos top of another bar provided crunchy, caramelized counterpoint to the chocolate. The chocolate-dipped candied orange peel came through with full orange flavor, while the covering of the chocolate-dipped dried fig overwhelmed the flavor of the fig.

There was much more to taste. It was a chocolate lover’s dream!

Virginie

Virginie
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

At the end of the tasting it was time for dinner. The waitress, Virginie, took our orders and we tucked into a delicious vegetarian meal.

Around the Table

Around the Table
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

A good time was had by all!

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A Chocolate and Spirits Tasting

Wednesday, April 24th, 2013
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Alexandre Billon et Marie-Hélène Gantois

Alexandre Billon et Marie-Hélène Gantois
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

On Thursday, April 18, I attended a chocolate and spirits tasting organized by Marie-Hélène Gantois of Mococha Chocolats on rue Mouffetard. She invited Alexandre Billon of La Fontaine aux Vins (107, rue Mouffetard) to present three spirits in association with three of Marie’s chocolates.

Three Spirits

Three Spirits
Photography by www.DiscoverParis.net

LeRoch V.S.O.P. cognac, a blend of three Petite Champagne cognacs, was selected for the first pairing. I learned that Petite Champagne is a geographic zone of the area around the town of Cognac, where wines destined for cognac production are grown. Marie paired this spirit with a praliné au sarrasin grillé by chocolate maker Jacques Bellanger. When I first tasted the praliné, I thought that it was made from roasted peanuts, but it’s not, it’s made from toasted buckwheat. The light flavor of buckwheat went well with the light and delicate flavor of the cognac. A good match!

Alexandre Billon

Alexandre Explains the Fine Points of Rum from Guadeloupe
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The second liquor was Karukera rum from Guadeloupe. Alexandre explained that rum from this island does not have an AOC certification (controlled designation of origin) as does rum from nearby Martinique. The principal reason for this is that producers have to adhere to certain standards to receive the AOC certification, and the Guadeloupean producers choose not to. The rum was paired with Furie ganache jus et zeste de citron vert by Fabrice Gillotte. It was a clever idea to pair the rum with a ganache containing zest and juice of lime, because rum is often served with this fruit. Again, a nice pairing!

Marie Serves Delicious Chocolates

Marie Serves Delicious Chocolates to Her Guests
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The third alcohol was Glenfarclas Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. This whisky, aged 12 years, had only a hint of peat. Its slightly sweet flavor went well with the Fabrice Gillotte chocolate flavored with fève de tonka, a bean that tastes faintly like clove.

Marie Explains Tasting Procedure

Marie Explains Tasting Procedure
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The chocolate and spirits tasting was a great success. A good time was had by all!

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Beer and Chocolate Tasting with Elisabeth Pierre

Wednesday, February 27th, 2013
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Elisabeth Pierre (whom I’ve blogged about before) held a beer and chocolate tasting on Valentine’s Day and we were there!

Elisabeth Pierre Talks about Beer and Chocolate

Elisabeth Pierre Talks about Beer and Chocolate
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The tasting was held at a beer shop called La Moustache Blanche. In case you don’t know what a moustache blanche is, here is a picture of the owner, Guillaume, proudly displaying his:

Guillaume

Guillaume
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

We tasted many different beers paired with white, milk, and dark chocolates. Below is a photograph of the beers that we tasted.

The Beers That We Tasted

The Beers That We Tasted
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And below is a photograph of an Italian beer called 32 Tre+Due that you have to open first with a bottle opener, then with a corkscrew.

Opening Beer with Corkscrew

Jean-Pierre Opening a Bottle of Beer with Corkscrew
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Here is a picture of the table set for the tasting. Note that the mustache emblem of the beer shop is prominently displayed in the background. It almost looks as if the Esquire Magazine man is benevolently watching over the event.

Table Set for Tasting

Table Set for the Tasting
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

We were supplied rating sheets for our tasting notes.

Beer-tasting Notes and Frothy Head of Beer

Beer-tasting Notes and Frothy Head of Beer
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And we tasted…

Kate, Angelique, and Pascal

Kate, Angelique, and Pascal
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And tasted…

Carolyn

Carolyn
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And sniffed to capture the aromas of the brews…

Matthieu

Matthieu
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And the verdict? I enjoyed most of the beers, including one that Matthieu identified as having an aroma of crème de rose. He named that right away while I was struggling to describe it.

For the most part, I didn’t care for the taste of chocolate with beer. I prefer beer as a refreshing beverage by itself or served with African, Indian, or other spicy food. I did, however, find that 32 Atra, a brown beer made with roasted barley, went well with dark chocolate.

For Monique, the beer-chocolate pairing event got her sit down and taste a variety of beers for the first time in her life. And we’ll drink (in moderation) to that!

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Hugo & Victor Chocolates – Unbagging and Unboxing!

Wednesday, January 30th, 2013
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We passed by the Hugo & Victor boutique recently looking for Madagascar chocolate for our annual chocolate tasting. Spotting a display of Carnet de 6 Chocolats, I purchased one to take home to try. (I also purchased a bar of Madagascar chocolate…more about that later.)

Out of the Bag

Out of the Bag
www.DiscoverParis.net

Carnet means book in French, and this little book containing six different chocolates would provide a good sampling of the type of chocolates that this company produces.

Carnet

Carnet
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Opening up the book, I saw six ganaches. A brochure listed their names: Voie lactée, Montezuma, Praliné Feuilletine, Poivre de Tasmanie, Palet or, and Framboise. If this were truly a book, it would make nice reading!

Carnet de 6 Chocolats

Carnet de 6 Chocolats
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Our tasting notes:

Voie lactée: Tender bite, sweet milk chocolate, unctuous, light caramel taste.
Montezuma: Sweet, cloying. Mango and spice flavors that overpower the chocolate.
Praliné Feuilletine: Ground hazelnut and dark chocolate. Grainy texture, like fine sand.
Poivre de Tasmanie: Spicy, peppery. Tastes like Juicy Fruit gum.
Palet or: Pure chocolate from a combination of the best cocoa beans. Melts rapidly in mouth.
Framboise: Has a nice odor of raspberry and dark chocolate. Strong raspberry flavor. Slightly grainy with raspberry seeds.

We enjoyed these chocolates from Hugo & Victor. As for the bar of Madagascar chocolate, read how that fared in our annual chocolate tasting in the February issue of our Paris Insights newsletter.

Hugo & Victor
40, boulevard Raspail
75007 Paris
Telephone: 01.44.39.97.73
Open from Mon to Wed from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Thurs to Sat from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sun from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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Alexandra Makes Chocolates

Friday, December 14th, 2012
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Alexandra Whisnant

Alexandra Whisnant
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Alexandra Whisnant presented her chocolates last night at Mococha, our favorite chocolate shop on rue Mouffetard.

She tells us that she fell in love with chocolate while studying for her physics finals at university. Her chocolates were sublime! I’m all for science when it can produce results like this.

Alexandra Whisnat and Marie Gantois, Proprietor of Mochoca

Alexandra Whisnat, Chocolate Maker and
Marie Gantois, Proprietor of Mochoca

Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Alexandra’s chocolates will be on sale at Mococha through Valentine’s Day 2013. More information about her adventures with chocolate can be found on her Web site Gâté Comme des Filles.

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Tasting Bellanger Bresil 66%

Wednesday, November 28th, 2012
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Bellanger Brasil 66%

Bellanger Brasil 66%
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

A little more than a week ago, we had the privilege of attending a chocolate tasting at Mococha where we tasted three chocolates produced by Jacques Bellanger. Following the tasting, we purchased a 100g tablet of Bresil 66% and took it home to sample.

The chocolate tablet has a matte, reddish-brown color and a strong aroma of ash and burning wood. It gives a sharp snap when bitten and melts rapidly and smoothly in the mouth. The taste is mildly bittersweet with earthy notes. In short, it is a delectable chocolate!

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Tasting Chocolates Made by Vincent Guerlais

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012
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Vincent Guerlais Chocolates

The other day we entered our favorite chocolate boutique—Mococha on rue Mouffetard—where the owner Marie Gantois immediately announced some wonderful news. She was featuring the products of Vincent Guerlais, a chocolate maker in the town of Nantes, and would we like to try some? We purchased a small box containing twelve pieces of assorted ganaches and pralinés and took them home to taste.

As soon as we bit into the first chocolate, we knew that Marie had a winner. Each had a firm, yet delicate shell, and the interiors were smooth (ganaches) or crunchy (pralinés). We both liked the one named Ganache infusée au thé earl-grey. Although I found the flavor of tea a bit too subtle, Monique thought it was prominent, yet not overpowering. The Praliné fleur de sel contained delightfully crunchy salt particles mixed into a soft hazelnut purée. Gianduja noisette et noix de coco contained grated coconut suspended in gianduja, a chocolate-hazelnut paste. Although gianduja and coconut are an unusual combination, we found the flavor to be heavenly. Monique’s favorite was the Grand cru pur Madagascar, a single-origin dark-chocolate ganache that she found to be buttery and slightly fruity.

For the last three years in a row, Vincent Guerlais has won the Meilleur Chocolatier Français award conferred by the Club des Croqueurs de Chocolat. Marie will feature the chocolates in her shop until the end of April.

Vincent Guerlais has two shops in Nantes:

11, rue Franklin
Tel.: 02.40.08.08.79

Marché de Talensac
Tel.: 02.40.35.49.02

Mococha is located at 89, rue Mouffetard in Paris. The telephone number is 01.47.07.13.66.

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