Ong Ning Geng (Ning) and team welcomed 12 Explorers to the Bangsar café for a Chocolate Masterclass on Tuesday 6th May. This small batch tree-to-bar chocolate maker is definitely worth investigating. To wake up our senses, we were able to smell and taste a roasted bean and this began a morning of fascinating insight whether you’re a chocolate fan or not!
The early part of the masterclass felt like the most interesting day at school ever – we learned a little history, geography, biology, chemistry and sociology – finding out about cacao. We were able to hold, smell and taste the cacao pod and seeds – both raw and roasted. This was a fascinating experience for us first timers and after Ning bashed the pod open it was interesting to see the white, slimy interior surrounding the seeds – the mucilage – looking suspiciously like durian. Thankfully, the smell was not at all similar, but rather sweet and fruity and as we tasted the pulp it was variously described as like lychee, melon or squash. Seeing the large yellow-orange pods was a great reminder that this is a fruit and it was special to know that these were harvested in Kepong, Desa Park City, that very morning!
This relationship to Malaysia and with the growers is an important part of the Chocolate Concierge’s ethos. They use chocolate grown in 12 main areas of Malaysia, by Orang Asli growers in biodiverse, naturalistic environments rather than industrial monoculture farms. The plant species is theobroma cacao from the Greek for ‘the food of the gods’. There are different varieties, having spread from the origins in the upper Amazon of Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, but it still flourishes best within 10 degrees of the equator, making Malaysia a perfect host. It was fascinating to learn more about how the specific locations and microclimates created by our mountain ranges and monsoons affect the flavour of the chocolate and how the cultivation of our crops can support our local communities. Among others, we tasted samples from the Semai community in the mountains of Pahang grown at 1250m, to those from Kota Marudu in Sabah, at only 40m.
We also learned about the process of making chocolate in this small batch manner – taking us from harvest to tasting. The main element is fermentation, which takes from 3 – 8 days during which the beans are held in chengal boxes covered with banana leaves and turned as required, activating the yeast and microbes which give us all the healthy nutrients we get from natural, unadulterated chocolate. The beans are then dried on tables in the greenhouse and then roasted at 115 degrees for 20 minutes. The roasted beans are then ground using a stone-on-stone method. All of these post-harvesting processes have an effect on flavour, even before anything may be added to the chocolate, for example adding dairy to make milk chocolate. The final stage in the process is tempering the chocolate to ensure a smooth, hard finish without graininess as the chocolate is heated and cooled to eliminate the unwanted crystals. This too can affect the flavour profile and really makes you realise how involved and scientific the entire process is for that brief moment we savour the end result!
Speaking of which, it was then time for tasting – but we had to work for it! We were given five samples and had to rate them for different factors without knowing their origin or content. We considered: intensity, acidity, bitterness, astringency, complexity and finally, analysed any flavours we could pick up. Only after we’d given our opinions did Ning advise us where in Malaysia the samples came from and the cocoa solids content. Chocolate Concierge developed this system of blind tasting ratings during Covid when it was easy to hold up your fingers on the screen to give your scores. Taking the time to mindfully smell and taste each square while considering the attributes and flavours definitely enhanced the appreciation and enjoyment of the chocolate. It was then time to let us loose as we chose two of their artisan chocolates each to accompany our drinks – not just any drinks – we were then able to taste three kinds of drinking chocolate – all completely different from each other!
Like many local foods, the chocolate from Chocolate Concierge is absolutely delicious. But to take it further, by rejecting industrial farming practices and promoting sustainable, fairly-paid cacao growth with Orang Asli from both East and West Malaysia, the team at Chocolate Concierge are producing a very special artisanal product that Malaysia should be proud of.
Visit their café at Bangsar Shopping Centre, the concession within Seibu at TRX or order online for same-day delivery. https://chocconcierge.com/
Thanks so much to Ay LIng Liem for organising and of course, to Ning, Stella and Eden for hosting us.
