Chocolate as foreplay - A Lindt love affair
26 Aug 2010
Since the beginning of time chocolate has been a sensual (and essential) food and has always made much more aphrodisiac sense to me than cold slimy oysters. So I was quite willing to attend a Lindt chocolate workshop at the Chocolate Studio in the Cape Quarter. Hosted by passionate head chocolatier Dimo Simatos, who knows how to romance a good quality chocolate, it was quite a treat.
The Chocolate Studio holds many workshops, which allow attendees to create and explore the many techniques involved in chocolate work: from creating sumptuous petit desserts to cake decorating. Our course consisted of a five-sense chocolate-appreciation session (if only they had courses like that in high school I would have passed with flying colours) and a hands-on truffle-moulding and coating practical that got a little messy.
Dimo explained that Lindt chocolate appreciation should be looked at as foreplay, in which you wouldn't want to rip the wrapper and devour in one go (as you would maybe a Bar One on a bad day), but rather one should respect the chocolate and take it slowly, while allowing all five senses: sight, touch, sound, smell and taste, to appreciate the chocolate fully.
The Chocolate Studio workshops are wonderful sensory courses that are both interesting and educational as well as damn good tasting, and any course that lets you take yummy nibbles as opposed to homework home with you gets two (chocolate-covered) thumbs up in my book.
Chocolate Studio, Shop B104, Cape Quarter, Dixon Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town; +27 (0)21 811 1334; www.chocolatestudio.co.za.
