That’s the only way I can describe the food at Berta. Each dish leaves you hanging and longing for more. I had been saving my first visit to this effortlessly cool restaurant for months and managed to make a last minute date with a friend for a long overdue catch-up.

Berta is unashamedly noisy, but there is a undeniable charm about the place. The staff are friendly and efficient with their service – especially with the line of patrons at the bar eyeing off customers who call for their bill. That said, we had no trouble getting a table despite their no bookings policy (I suggest arriving around 6pm for a guaranteed seat).

We begin with the scallops. These little parcels of flavour explode in your mouth: you didn’t see it coming, you can’t fathom how it happened, you just know you want more. Served in their shell, the scallops are just cooked, though still soft in the middle. Swirling in the olive oil are sprinkles of bread crumbs and parsley. Subtle five spice flavours also seep through, adding a nice unexpected contrast to the dish.

Scallop sugna breadcrumbs $4.5 each

The duck mandilli (or duck ‘handkerchief’, as our waitress explains) features braised duck wrapped in pillows of pasta sheets. There is a very intriguing flavour in the broth which I can’t quite decipher, which adds a rich and spicy earthiness to the dish that’s really quite appealing. My money is on the olives.

Duck mandilli de saea olive $24

We couldn’t resist ordering braised chuck steak, which is listed on the menu simply as ‘beef’, a rather amusing yet modest undersell. The meat is supple and gives way with the gentle push of the fork, but is not the ‘fall apart tender’ that I expect. It has bite and texture to it, which grows on me. The cauliflower puree is velvety smooth and soaks up the surrounding sauce.

Beef $30

The vege dish of snowpea, broad bean and horseradish is so simple, you wonder why you haven’t had it before. The vegetables are cooked to a perfect crunch and dressed with what seems like a cheesy parsley butter sauce.

Snowpeas broadbean horseradish $15

We finish on a dessert of chocolate hazelnut parfait, which is essentially a chocolate and hazelnut semifreddo with a scoop of pear sorbet on top. It is an interesting combination and the chocolate wins me over. It is so rich and creamy – even better than Lindt’s 70% dark, which is my go-to dark chocolate ice cream.

Chocolate hazelnut parfait $14

I have been won over by Berta and there’s no denying other Sydney foodies feel the same: less than 3 months from opening, Berta was nominated for Best New Restaurant in the 2011 Good Food Guide. If this is just the beginning, I see great things on the cards for this little gem!

Berta
17-19 Alberta Lane
Surry Hills
NSW 2000
www.berta.com.au
Open Monday through to Saturdays from 5pm to late.

Thanks to Tomislav Martinovic, I now have a $6,000 Pacojet on my wish list for Christmas. Watch out Mr. Taste!

When I visited Tomislav back in May, I was amazed by his use of ‘crumbs’, ‘ice’ and sorbet to bring his dishes together. The secret to all three came down to the prized Pacojet machine which churns down frozen mixtures into snow like powder.

I was invited back to Tomislav last weekend for a cooking demostration using his three most prized posessions – the siphon cannister, water bath and Pacojet. It was interesting to discover just how big a part these three devices play in Tomislav’s restaurant.

For those that have dined at Tomislav, you would have probably ordered his paper thin rice crackers to start. Tomislav tells us that this gem took seven months of brainstorming and five weeks to develop. In the biggest surprise of the morning, we learn that the rice crackers were just plain old rice paper brushed with egg whites and lightly fried. Genius!

To accompany the rice crackers, Tomislav made a sour cream and chive dip which was light as air – thanks to the siphon cannister which transforms the sour cream dip into a soft puff, which looks very similar to shaving foam.

Texture is very important to Tomislav: he manipulates dishes but not so far that they lose their true composition. He also likes to add new texture to his dishes, standing by his philosophy of ’substance, not just aesthetics’.

An example is his poached bluefin tuna dish, which features wasabi glaze, soy parsley crumbs and parsley cress. The two textures of parsley works in harmony and creates layered flavour. The bluefin tuna is cooked with olive oil and rosemary in a waterbath for five minutes at 52 degrees. The fish is then brushed with clarified butter to restore moisture, giving the tuna a soft sashimi-like texture with stacks of flavour.

The Pacojet has a hand in most of the desserts and enables Tomislav to create fresh soft serve like sorbets to order. The ice creams are also incredibly light because there is no egg or cream mixture – ingredients are simply combined with a little water and glucose. When put through the Pacojet, the razor discs cut through the ice crystals so finely that they transform into soft cream. Tomislav’s chocolate sorbet, made with 400g chocolate, 150ml of water and glucose, is liquid chocolate in its purest form. Tomislav describes the sorbet as a cold chocolate ganache.

The lemon ice which featured on the oyster entree (and possibly my favourite dish on the menu) is also made by using the Pacojet. Tomislav combines lemon juice, water and sugar to achieve the perfect topping for the freshly shucked oysters.

Another highlight from my first visit to Tomislav was the rhubarb in his cheesecake dessert. Tomislav tells us that the rhubarb is cooked in a waterbath at 70 degrees for two minutes with grenadine, which gives a red candy like colour and flavour.

It is then served with a cheesecake mousse foam topped with cream cheese jelly. These soft rubbery cubes accentuates the cheesiness of the mousse. The dessert is so light and airy, not dense and gooey like most other cheesecakes.

Tomislav will soon be introducing a dessert degustation from 9pm onwards, which includes a dessert isnpired by the Golden Gaytime and a cola slurpie pre-dessert.

Tomislav
2/13 Kirketon Road
Darlinghurst NSW 2010
# 02 9356 4535
www.tomislav.com.au
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 6.00pm – 10.00pm.

In complete contrast, Casa Barilla was a breath of fresh air and the atmosphere was incredibly relaxed: no one was here to be the next Guy Grossi, they were just looking for some inspiration to jazz up their tired repertoire. Plus, there was plenty of bubbles and vino to go around.

“We try to keep it as much fun as possible and to give a true Italian experience to the attendees from the minute they walk through our doors, until they leave. The locals love it and embrace it, so we keep working hard to improve it at all times,” says Luca Ciano, Casa Barilla’s Executive Chef who explains that Casa Barilla opened in 2008 with the aim of sharing the diversity of Italian cuisine with Australians.

“We only focus on Italian cooking, no twist no gimmicks, it’s simple and easy to understand and people can go home and truly replicate the dishes demonstrated.”

The class format is relatively easy to follow – first, Luca demonstrates the steps involved in putting the dish together and then the class breaks to their stations and replicates what they’ve just seen. The process is made a little easier with an elevated LCD which provides an aerial view of what Luca is doing.

I was won over by Luca and his assistant Angelo’s nonchalant attitude to cooking. They were also a great laugh and I really didn’t think a cooking class would be this enjoyable. Luca doesn’t profess to be an expert, but simply provides you with the basics for creating great dishes at home and giving you freedom to interpret and adapt however you wish.

Many of the classes are built around different regional dishes in Italy. The class we attended was inspired by the region of Lombardy in Italy’s north. On the agenda was Osso Buco, Salame di Cioccolato (Chocolate Salami) and Polenta.

Osso Buco is a Milanese specialty of veal shanks cooked in meat broth, flavored with white wine and vegetables. Slowly braised, this relatively tough, yet flavorful cut of meat becomes meltingly tender, and the connective tissues and marrow dissolve into the sauce, making it rich and creamy. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the luxury of time with our Osso Buco. I would really like to give the recipe a go in a slow cooker: a slow braise over six or seven hours will really soften the meat and bring out greater flavour in the dish.

Osso Buco alla Milanese
Serves 4

Ingredients
½ onion, finely chopped
½ carrot, finely chopped
½ stick of celery, finely chopped
100g unsalted butter
4 veal osso buco (300 – 350g each)
100g plain flour
1 glass white wine
2 glasses veal stock
1 tin peeled tomatoes or 3 fresh vine-ripened tomatoes (optional)
100g green peas

Gremolata
30g lemon zest
¼ bunch parsley
1 garlic clove
Salt & pepper and olive oil

Method

1. In a large casserole, gently cook the onion, carrot and celery in butter until golden.

2. Coat the osso buco in flour, season them and sear on both sides in the same pan.

3. Add the wine and let it evaporate. Add the stock and tomatoes and simmer with a lid on for an hour and a half.

4. To make the gremolata, finely chop the lemon zest, parsley, garlic and mix with a little olive oil and season to taste.

5. Five minutes before serving, add the peas and season to taste. Serve with gremolata.

Barilla Polenta

375 grams Barilla polenta flour
1.5 litre water
1 tbs salt
1 tbs exra virgin olive oil
60 grams grated grana padano
20 grams unsalted butter

1. Bring to boil the water in a large pot, add salt and oil.

2. Once boiling, add the polenta a litle at a time, whisking constantly.

3. Cook on gentle heat for 3 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and add butter and grana padano, allow melting and mix well.

Salame di cioccolato

100 grams dried biscuit, crumbled
50 grams almonds finely chopped
80 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
150 grams caster sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tbs dark cocoa powder
1 tbs rum

1. In a large bowl mix the eggs with butter, sugar, cocoa and liquor.

2. Add the biscuits and almonds and mix well.

3. Place the mix onto the grease proof paper and roll it into a salami shape.

4. Allow to rest for for 2 hours in the freezer before serving.

For more information about Casa Barilla’s upcoming cooking classes, please visit www.barillaaus.com. Classes are priced from $50 per person.

Casa Barilla
4 Annandale Street
Annandale NSW 2038
www.barillaaus.com

An 11.4kg suckling pig rolled in on a trolley somehow trumps all of the above.

A group of bloggers recently attended a ‘Pig & Pinot’ dinner at Chophouse, a moody North American inspired steakhouse located in the inner city.

The dinner was hosted by the restaurant’s General Manager, Adam Heathcote, who gave us an entree into what Chophouse does best: quality produce that’s sourced direct from the fields and retains its freshness and integrity.

Adam addressed the issue of educating the public about food. It seems that mass production and genetic modification has really brainwashed our conceptions of what food should look and taste like. One example is heirloom carrots, which is purple in colour – not orange.

Adam’s passion and dedication towards fresh local produce is truly inspiring. Chophouse’s black truffles, for instance, is sourced from the Southern Highlands, which makes them incredibly fresh having been out of the ground for less than 24 hours. I think it’s fantastic to see Chophouse support local suppliers, paticularly while they’re in their infancy.

The Mt. Lowe truffle featured on our ceviche of Hervey Bay sea scallops, which was served on the shell. It was very subtle, though the smell and taste was there. The scallops were luscious in texture, sweet on the tongue. That said, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with this dish as a ceviche, I felt it was lacking in acid and possibly a little extra dressing.

We also tasted an entree of jamon and Italian buffalo milk mozzarella. I found it a little difficult to evaluate this dish as I’m not really a jamon fan. In terms of flavour, I thought it was a nicely balanced dish, highlighted with the addition of roasted fennel, onion and almonds. I particularly liked the onion, which was beautifully rendered with balsamic. There was no rawness at all, only a smokey sweetness that was so incrediby surprising. I don’t think I’ve had onion that well cooked before!

When the big ticket item rolled around, we all went a little pork mad. Executive Chef, David Clarke carved several platefuls of the suckling pig, topped with plenty of crackling. Though it was obvious that the highly sought after parts were the nose, tail and ears.

Accompanying the sucking pig was a caesar salad ‘wedge’, a cauliflower gratin and green beans. The caesar salad was my pick of the three – so refreshing to see caesar presented so well in a restaurant. No sloppy bowl affairs at Chophouse, it’s all class!

Our dinner ended with a dessert of caramelised banana cheesecake. I thought it was a simple dessert with very little fanfare – until Adam brought over bottles of Hennessy and Grapa. I don’t think I’ve ever had dessert paired with 43% alcohol before. The Grapa was intriguing, very floral and spicy, but much too heavy for my liking. Interesting concept though.

We also devoured slices of Chophouse’s signature chocolate block, served on a wooden board with a mini cleaver. The block is made in house using a combination of milk and dark chocolate from Lindt. It was the perfect coffee accompaniment.

Chophouse will shortly be launching a 1920’s inspired New York carvery with a rotating daily special. The menu is yet to be finalised, but suckling pig is definitely on the cards. Stay tuned!

Chophouse
25 Bligh Street
Sydney City
NSW 2000
# 1300 246 748
www.chophouse.com.au

Open Monday to Friday from 12pm until late and Saturday from 6pm until late.

I was handed the opportunity by Chophouse, who generously gave away a 400g piece of dry aged Delmonico steak at a recent blogger dinner (more on that to come!). The steak came complete with an 8-step cheat sheet prepared by Executive Chef, David Clarke.

So I took the recipe for spin last night and couldn’t believe how easy it was. The steak was a perfect medium: soft, juicy and supple on the inside, beautiful crust on the outside. Topped with steamed green beans and sweet potato crinkle fries, it was just the thing I needed after a hard, long week. I was pretty darn pleased with myself!

8 Steps to the Perfect Steak

1. Take the steak out of the fridges for 20 minutes before to temper.

2. Set the oven to 200 degrees.

3. Heat a thick bottom flying pan to hot.

4. Season steak with oilve oil and salt flakes.

5. Place the steak in the hot pan and cook for 90 seconds on each side, turn and repeat. Do not add any more oil.

6. Place in oven for 4 minutes and take out, rest for 8 minutes on a rack in a warm place

7. Place in the oven for 1 minute to reheat.

8. Slice, serve and enjoy!

NB – For those looking to try this recipe, the timing may need to be altered depending on the size of your steak.

I recently met with Ghazaleh Lyari, the founder of Ghermez Cupcakes. Ten years ago, Ghazaleh was a high flying investment banker on Wall Street. Now she’s the head of a booming cupcake business, concoting new flavours and managing the day-to-day of her brand’s three stores.

“Having worked with so many entrepreneurs, I’ve always wanted the opportunity to be the girl in charge,” Ghazaleh tells me and admits that she explored several business models before settling on cupcakes. What prompted this decision was that serious businessmen in the US were investing in cupcakes.

Sydney is no stranger to cupcakes and Ghazaleh has cleverly identified a gap in the market. Ghermez caters for a different kind of consumer, one perhaps like Ghazaleh herself who doesn’t have a sweet tooth but will indulge in a seriously good piece of cake.

Having done her research, Ghazelah set out to make quality cupcakes with a variety of unique flavours set out in a stylish environment. Her cupcakes are baked fresh everyday, using wholesome natural ingredients. No thick slabs of fluro buttercream on her cupcakes, everything is made from scratch – including the strawberry icing which is made fresh daily with real strawberries.

Ghermez currently have 20 flavours on their menu, with new flavours added seasonally. Dulce de leche is one of these flavours as is the new gluten free orange and almond (with more to come!).

“My inspiration for new flavours come mostly from my mother’s cooking. She is an amazing cook, and I grew up in a household where fabulous, wholesome and delicious food was around no matter when you walked through the doors!” Ghazaleh says, “She makes a lot of beautiful sweets and uses a lot of ingredients from the east, including pistachios, rose water, orange blossom extract.”

I got to sample a few of Ghazaleh’s creations, which included Chocolate Honey, Chocolate Marshmallow, Red Velvet, Dulce de Leche and Strawberry.

The standouts are undoubtedly the two chocolate flavours, both fluffy and moist – a rare quality missing in most cupcakes. The flavour of honey in the Chocolate Honey cupcake is subtle, well-balanced and not too overly sweet. Meanwhile, marshmallow forms the gooey centre of the Chocolate Marshmallow and makes a very clever (and addictive!) combination.

Ghazleh has big plans for her brand in the years to come, “My objective with Ghermez is to make sure we are regarded as ‘best in class’. I am hoping that ‘Ghermez’ will be a brand associated with all things delicious and stylish.”

Expanding beyond cupcakes is definitely on the cards. Ghazaleh has her eye on the next venture, and we’re all excited to find out what it is!

I just didn’t know how wacky until I saw him on Masterchef. I remember sitting there, amazed and bewildered as he unveiled his three Michelin star dishes one by one, including the iconic Sound of the Sea (edible sand! foam! iPod!).

After watching a sneak peak copy of Heston’s Feasts, which airs on SBS ONE next Thursday, I’ve come to the conclusion that the man is not only wacky, he’s an absolute nutter.

In each episode of Heston’s Feasts, Heston explores a period of extraordinary gastronomic innovation, recreating ‘lost’ recipes and discovering forgotten ingredients. He takes you behind the scenes and travels to remote areas to source unusual foods, where he uses his unique scientific approach to cooking to assemble his own versions of great historical and mythical feasts.

Some crazy creations featured in the series include: A chocolate waterfall that ‘unmixes’ to form chocolate water… A flying dessert complete with flying saucer… An edible house made from gingerbread, cakes and candy… Lickable amuse bouche wallpaper…

Heston’s Feasts is as much a food show as it is a science, travel and history extravaganza. You pick up lots of nifty facts about various historical periods in history and come to appreciate his one-of-a-kind genius when it comes to reinvention.

Heston is a joy to watch on camera and you can’t help but be swept up in the excitement of his child-like wonder. He doesn’t take food too seriously and puts the fun back into dining and entertaining.

Perhaps the most outlandish episode (and my favourite) is where Heston prepares a Willie Wonka feast based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, complete with Oompa Loompas!

Other episodes in this series include an Edwardian Titanic Feast, a Fairytale feast inspired by his favourite stories which thrilled and scared him as a child, and Heston goes ghoulish in an eye-popping Gothic feast that takes inspiration from iconic works of horror such as Frankenstein, Dracula and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

The second series of Heston’s Feasts will air on SBS ONE on Thursday 19 August at 8:30pm. Don’t miss it!

And here is a sneak peak if you can’t wait until then…

For more information, please visit www.sbs.com.au/hestonsfeasts.

As the region borders Laos and Cambodia, the food is quite different from the Thai that we are used to. First of all, there are a lot of salads and soups, and most dishes are eaten with sticky rice (kao niao). The flavours are explosive and not only because it is spicy.

All the memories from my journey to Isaan came flooding back when I dined at House, the latest offering from the Spice I Am family. House looks like a cross between a bistro and a beer garden. While the setting works perfectly for the food, it is a little irritating to have to venture next door for drinks (there’s also no BYO, unlike the original).

The grilled dishes at House are outstanding and easily the staple here. The pork neck skewers (Moo Ping) are perfectly marinated and cooking by chargrill adds a smokey caramel flavour to the meat. The ox tongue (Ping Lin) is tender and fleshy pink in the middle, accompanied with a tangy dipping sauce. The grilled chicken (Gai Yang) isn’t as juicy and plump as pictured on the menu, however, the flavours are aromatic and nicely balanced.

Moo Ping $10

Ping Lin $10

Gai Yang $16

The salads are vibrant and fresh, although the flavours slightly one-note as they all share the same chilli and lime dressing. The Som Tum Thai is as tongue numbing as the original Spice I Am. Eating this at the start coats your tongue in throbbing chilli, a sensation that stays with you long after the meal is over.

The Yum Woon Zen, which combines vermicelli with pork mince, calamari, prawns and celery, is milder and features a nice sprinkling of ingredients. Meanwhile, the Yum Naam with steamed fermented pork sausage is an interesting take on what’s usually eaten plain with sticky rice.

Som Tum $7

Yum Naam - $12

Yum Woon Zen - $14

The soup selection also lack variety – the base in each dish is essentially the same (tom yum) so ordering two soups almost seems redundant. The flavour in the tom yum is more pungent and amplified than the Thai version. The Tom Yum Powng Kai with embryo eggs came highly recommended, but I found them very rubbery with no real texture or flavour at all. The Tom Nua Toun, a slow cooked beef spicy soup, is an easy favourite with its meltingly soft beef pieces.

Tom Yum Powng Kai $16

Tom Nua Toun $14

We finished off our meal with a slew of desserts, including the now famous BTS or ‘Better Than Sex’. This dessert features one thick sliced brioche deep fried and topped with a scoop of pandan ice cream and palm syrup. It is a really interesting combination and is strangely addictive. However, at $15, it’s not a cheap dessert.

The other two desserts on the menu – a shaved ice number with taro and ruby chestnuts and a simple ice cream sandwich combo – lack the drama and cheekiness of the BTS. They are nice desserts but no real wow factor to be seen.

BTS $15

Kati num kang dai $5

Bread and ice cream $5

I don’t immediately see Spice I Am fans taking a liking to House. Like Spice I Am’s restaurant in Darlinghurst, the menu is completely different to the original. House has a very limited offering when it comes to main dishes, however, dishes are under $18 which is an attractive price point for budget conscious diners.

Having been three times now, I’ve noticed that the serving sizes have gotten smaller as House gets busier (thanks to the string of positive publicity in all the key food review sections). On our last and most recent visit, our portion of Som Tum was only two thirds the size of our first visit and our BTS was pricier. We couldn’t help but feel a little ripped off, especially given our relatively positive experience during the first two visits. Let’s hope they introduce some consistency to their sizing and pricing, or they may struggle to find loyal customers.

House

House
202 Elizabeth St
Surry Hills
NSW 2010
# 02 9280 0364

Open daily from 12pm to 2am.

Until now, it was something of an enigma.

We were recently invited to attend Max Brenner’s 10th Anniversary Choctail Party which took place at their headquarters in Beaconsfield.

As the clocked ticked 7:30pm, we hopped out of the car and rushed to the door. Our names were checked off and we ascended the stairs trying to hold back our excited giggles. As we reached the top, all we could see, smell and hear was chocolate.

Chocolate, chocolate, everywhere, in all its wondrous forms.

We were first greeted with shots of liquid chocolate, which churned on in background in two giant drums. Nearby were plates of fruit, banana bread and marshmallows free for the taking.

As we made our way inside, we were invited to write a birthday message in liquefied chocolate on a giant wall-sized canvas.

Towards the back of the room, there was a station to create your own chocolate truffles, although it was clear to us that Max Brenner’s in-house range was hard to beat, each sporting smooth tops and luscious praline centres.

Nearby, guests were squaring off in a game of checkers using nothing but Max Brenner pralines for board pieces. What could be more motivating to ‘check’ your opponent!

I also spotted a couple of open fire light fixtures around the room. Each had a round opening in the glass, which looked like they’d be perfect for roasting sticks of marshmallows. Sadly, I had too many eyes on my back to try.

The real standout for us were the cocktails. We ordered the Chocolate Revolution, which was Frangelico shaken with milk chocolate and chambord. This drink was ice chocolate gold – the hint of black raspberry from the chambord really brings the chocolate alive. Other flavours included Enjoy the Max (Baileys with a hint of coffee, milk chocolate and espresso) and The Paddington 2000 (Bacardi with muddled lime, fresh mint and raw sugar).

Could a Max Brenner cocktail bar be on the cards?

Then there was the treatment room, where hand massages were being dolled out to anxious and willing guests. I was treated to relaxing hand massage using Max Brenner’s BODY range, which smelled divine. The girl tells me my hands were tense and overworked… no surprise there!

All through the night, Max Brenner staff were passing around plates of rice paper rolls and dumplings by Miss Chu as well as pastries created by Max Brenner’s resident patisserie chef Jean-Marc Masset.

The cafe was also pumping out cups of hot chocolate and coffee, just in case you weren’t already buzzing from all the sugar.

While we didn’t stay long enough for the birthday cake, we hear it was a four tiered beauty standing at 1.4 metres high. It was made up of three decadent chocolate cherry mousse cakes topped with an amazing croquembouche cone.

Our time at the Max Brenner party restored our faith in the brand. We’ve been led astray by dissapointing service at times but seeing Max Brenner at its best is really comforting. Now we know that what Max Brenner can do with chocolate, they do so tremendously well.

For more info about Max Brenner, log onto www.maxbrenner.com.au.

Not true, according to Lindt, the other senses also play a part.

Lindt runs regular chocolate appreciation classes hosted by Swiss-born Master Chocolatier, Thomas Schnetzler and we went along to a recent session at the Good Food and Wine Show. They’re not only an excuse to sample Lindt’s most popular creations, but also gives participants the opportunity to learn the processes and history behind chocolate.

It goes without saying that chocolate is universally loved around the world. It’s reported that the average Australian consumes around 5.5 kilos of chocolate every year. Although the preference is milk, dark chocolate is slowly but surely gaining a following locally.

Lindt happens to be the fastest growing chocolate brand in Australia – and there is no surprise why. It is their chocolate’s signature ‘melt in mouth’ sensation which makes it so irresistable.

Thomas tells us that this is due to the way Lindt refines their chocolate, a method called ‘conching’ invented by Rodolphe Lindt in 1879. The friction created by conching grinds down chocolate particles into a smooth paste, which not only develops flavours but also takes away any bitterness.

Lindt cultivates the chocolate making process from the bean all the way through to the final creation. The cocoa beans are roasted at controlled temperatures to bring out the rich cocoa flavour. Once beans are roasted, they are cracked and refined to form a cocoa liquor. From there, the liquid is conched and finally tempered.

Lindt produces their Excellence chocolate blocks from South America cocoa beans – they are higher quality and more expensive than the variety from Africa (around 85% of the world’s cocoa originates from Africa). Lindt also offers single original varieties to highlight the attributes of that region. I tried the Madagascar, which had a very buttery taste, no real sharpness, which could be good for those who are curious about trying dark chocolate but not 100% sold on the taste.

I was really excited about trying the new ‘Touch of Sea Salt’ flavour for the first time and it certainly lived up to the hype (a girl sitting two seats away from me squealed when Thomas unveiled the block). The salt used in the chocolate is fleur de sel, which is a high quality sea salt seven times more expensive than the average household kind. The salt rounds out the flavour in the chocolate and also adds a slight sweetness too.

We also got to taste the new Swiss Gold range, which was developed with the Australian palate in mind. There are four varieties, including Milk Fruit & Nut, Milk Hazelnut, Milk and White with Almonds. The chocolate is just as you would expect, velvety smooth and satisfyingly rich – there are also whole nuts and fruit. I think this range will do really well in our market and also win over the chocoholics who are used to buying big family size blocks of chocolate.

And finally, I leave you with a tasting plate we spotted at the beginning of the class. Look at the size of that delice!

For more information about Lindt and their chocolate appreciation classes, please visit www.lindt.com/au/.

Thank you to Sarah at Entwistle PR for organising our visit.