When a jar is opened in fairy tales, out come some fire flies. Cut to reality. If you open a jar in a restaurant, it is most likely that you can dig your finger and lick some yummy tiramisu, chocolate spread, soufflé and a lot more interesting things that can fix your sweet pangs or, better still, your mood.
See through jar where you can spoon out your favourite dessert from is a trend in the F&B industry.
This unique style of plating desserts has caught on because, “It looks good and is practically very convenient for take-aways, ensuring no spillage,” says Swati who manages Concu Cakes. Concu Cakes have introduced their chocolate spread of various flavours in small jars, ready to be carried away or included in a goodies bag for special occasions. The idea behind it being “all you have to do is take it out from your refrigerator, dig into it with a spoon, thus ending the dessert craving.” These jars are not always large; you also find mini jars that can have just about 2-3 dessertspoons full.
But why jars? A chef at Ruci and Idoni, an all-day dining eatery, is frank: “We introduced a peanut butter dessert, for which we obviously needed peanut butter. When that sold well, we had to buy a lot of peanut butter jars. Once the butter got over, we didn’t want to throw away the bottles and our chef decided on dessert in jars. We were anyways selling lemonade in jars, so desserts in jars fit in quite well.”
Are the jars economically viable? “The mini jars definitely ensure no wastage. The quantity is small, so there is hardly any left to overload your appetite with,” adds a food lover who finds the the visual appeal on a buffet irresistible.
Practically speaking, chef Vikram at Olive Bistro whose Tiramisu is under a debate on the quantity of rum it should have, says, “Jars are spill-free. Its nice to be passed on from one person to another, and unlike when eating from a plate, it doesn’t get messy and spread all over.
The layering of the tiramisu in a jar appeals to the eye as it is a combination of two tones.” .
Vikram says jars were an ideal solution for his gelatine-free desserts as they doesn’t need much assembling and yet don’t seem like a lump of dessert. “I use mascarpone and I am against using gelatine in my desserts.
But I also do not recommend the gelatine-free tiramisu for a take away – the time travel will make the dessert lose its essence.”
So empty jam and ketchup jars are making their way from the breakfast table to buffets at star hotels to serve more than just desserts. “Those mini desserts are ‘super mini’ which can be eaten guilt free,” gushes a dessert lover.
Jar ‘o’ delight
Jars are an ideal choice for gelatine-free desserts.
Desserts which do not require much assembling can go in a jar
It is storage easy and easy to pass on when dining with friends
A combination of colours will add to the visual appeal
Make your own simple colourful desserts with a choice of fruits layered between whipped cream
