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He makes chocolates to die for!

Parisian Chocolatier
Last Updated 03 December 2014, 13:27 IST

The fact that I liked very much to hate cakes, brought me close to chocolates,” says Parisian chocolatier, Chef Christian Vautier smilingly.

Known for his craft to melt and mould the cocoa beans to make chocolates to die for, the expert speaks to Metrolife about the flavours, quality and trend of chocolates.

At the ‘New Delhi Palate Fest 2014’, where he conducted ‘The Chocolate Making Session’, those present couldn’t get enough since every bite of his handcrafted chocolates melted in the mouth like butter on fire! “The secret is a combination of good ingredients. Things have to be balanced and the way in which these are transformed should always be pleasurable. Then one will definitely enjoy eating it,” he shares his mantra to prepare sinful chocolates.

The audience, soon, bombards him with questions and Metrolife heads to the Choko la stall to sample his creations. Some red beans stuck on the base of a chocolate bar not just appear fascinating but even taste extraordinary.

“This is a Madagascar bar from my kitchen with Goji berries. What I like is to combine some products from the country where I go. Since I have been coming to India, I have been using Indian ingredients. Be it the vanilla pods, nutmeg or cardamom, I have been using them all the more since I have visited this country,” he says praising the “flavour of cardamom which goes well with chocolate” and negating the use of saffron which “often turns out as mild”.

“I personally like a lot of Indian dishes, including the biryani. But if I have to compare chocolates with anything Indian then it has to be paneer. Cooking paneer is like preparing chocolate; different dishes can be prepared with it,” adds the chef in terms of an ingredient’s versatility. “But the most difficult ingredients here, to use in chocolate, are your spices. They behave like wine while cooking – either come up wonderfully or disappear totally,” he says.

One feels compelled to ask him about his fitness mantra, especially in view of the sinful delights he concocts. The chocolatier remarks, “I eat only good chocolate.” And what is the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ chocolate and Vautier explains: “A good chocolate uses only cocoa butter as fat. The packaged chocolates which are easily available in India make use of cocoa powder and (artificial) fat which is not good for the body. A bad chocolate will never melt in the mouth easily!”

Yet, chocolates top the sales. “As a market, India is important for a lot of companies,” he says informing about the change in trend today where people are beginning to understand chocolates. “When I first came to India in 2005, people were still discovering chocolate. Now they are sharing it,” he says offering a piece of dark chocolate to Metrolife that’s too sinful to be shared with anyone!

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(Published 03 December 2014, 13:27 IST)

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