“Do you like chocolate? See, everyone smiles when you say the word chocolate,” laughs Chef Janice Wong. In a room filled with the warm aroma of coffee beans, and the hiss of an espresso machine, she talks about how chocolate is one of the most versatile ingredients, one that can never be overdone or overrated.
In the city to launch the latest Choco-Cappuccino flavour of Magnum ice creams, Janice, crowned Asia’s best pastry chef two years in a row, along with World Barista Champion and coffee expert Fritz Storm, conducted a master class at Amethyst on Tuesday evening. Together, they showcased a new take on the classic flavour combination.
Janice says, “The sweetness of chocolate cuts through the astringency and bitterness of coffee. Since both the flavours are long lasting, they complement each other. If one flavour profile is stronger than the other, it will overpower it.” Fritz adds that the combination is good because there are chocolaty notes in coffee as well. “There are over 1,000 flavours of coffee, but even the most expert palate can detect only 30, maximum 40, different ones. The flavours don’t come with different varieties, but depend on the microclimate and soil conditions,” he says.
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The class starts with Janice explaining the different types of chocolate — white, milk and dark — and how they’re made. “The earthy or citrus notes that are in different chocolates come from the method by which they’re fermented, either in banana leaves or in wooden boxes,” she says. Fritz then talks about the journey of coffee from plantation to the supermarket; apparently, it takes 2.5 kg of berries to make 1 kg of espresso powder. The two experts clearly love their chosen subjects and this makes for defensive and enjoyable repartees from both parties regarding which person’s ingredient is superior.
As a manual espresso machine is not available, Fritz quips as he steps up to the automatic machine, “I’m going to use all my craftsmanship to press a button.” He says that there has not been any focussed education for baristas like sommeliers and chefs have. “The nine-month- long journey that coffee goes through can be ruined in 20 seconds by a barista who does not do exactly what is required to make the perfect espresso shot,” he says, adding that cafes should ensure that their machines are cleaned and well-maintained, and that coffee powder should ideally be used within three months (for home use) or two weeks (for cafes) of opening the packet, as its flavour continually dissipates. He makes a perfect cup of espresso and a non-alcoholic coffee champagne.
Janice chooses to showcase the purity of chocolate: “It’s perfect as it is, so why temper it, why do anything at all?” She mixes melted chocolate — dark, of course — with egg powder, water and egg whites, then puts it through a foam gun. The resulting foam-like mousse is airy and literally melts in the mouth. The refrigerated version, topped with salted caramel is delicious. She also passes around several bowls of chilli-cinnamon chocolate with wafer-thin almond biscotti. My friend and I graciously offer some to the neighbouring table, but we should have known better, as our bowl does not return.
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To end the evening, Janice and Fritz create what should have been a chocolate-coffee margarita if the right glass was available: layers of chocolate sauce and espresso covered with a dusting of cocoa powder and grated cinnamon and topped off with steamed milk and salted caramel sauce. If indulgent flavours were the theme of the evening, this concoction surely defined it.