The very word chocolate slips from the lips as sweetly as the dark tempter itself. Revered by cultures and advertised as something approaching a spiritual experience at one end of the quality spectrum to a schoolboy bribe at the other, it is the king of sweets. Christopher Columbus on his fourth visit to the “New World” came across cacao beans when he robbed a Mayan trading vessel in about 1501. Columbus thought the beans were some new type of almond. He wrote: “They seemed to hold these almonds at a great price for when they were brought on board ship together with their goods I observed that when any of these almonds fell, they all stooped to pick it up as if an eye had fallen.” So he stole them, returned to Europe and presented them to the Spanish court. It was nearly 20 years later and during his conquest of Mexico that Hernando Cortez noticed that the Aztec Indians used cocoa beans in the preparation of the royal drink of the realm “chocolatl,” meaning warm liquid. Montezuma's chocolatl was very bitter and the Spanish did not take to its taste. To make the drink more to the liking of the Europeans, Cortez and his countrymen sweetened the Aztec Chocolate with cane sugar. There the European and later, the world's love affair with this subtle bean began. From these piratical beginnings in the shadows of empirical history to the 21st century, chocolate has been associated with mystery, luxury, a hint of sinfulness and pure enjoyment. As chocolate spread across the social spectrum outward from the rich and privileged minority into the public realm, its magic dissipated like smoke in the wind. However, in the corners of commerce resided chocolatiers who preserved the art and craft of making chocolate of exquisite quality and taste for connoisseurs. One such is at Chocolat, a small exclusive but infinitely friendly Parisian-themed café in Jeddah. Although its best chocolate is expensive, the better the chocolate the less is needed to experience the exquisite taste and satisfaction that it brings. “It is not about quantity but a whole consumption experience, ambience, taste and history,” said Waleed Hambishi, founder of Chocolat. “I wanted it to be friendly yet a rich and warm experience.” The resident French chocolatier, M. Benoit, constantly develops new, closely guarded and unique recipes that are presented at the café, and if approved by clients they become part of the range that Chocolat has to offer. Hambishi has created the whole Chocolat experience with extreme care and thoughtfulness, bringing to the table his long expertise in presentation and marketing. The café is welcoming, intimate and minimalist with signature rich dark-brown and luscious pink highlights focusing the eye and the soul on the presence of fine gourmet chocolate. Sourced from the finest European chocolate makers in France and Belgium, the chocolate blocks form the foundation from which Chef Benoit brews unique drinks and creates sweets and confections that are the core offering of Chocolat. A visit might begin with a simple cup of hot chocolate to tempt the palate, a thick creamy chocolate with subtle pleasures hinting at more to come. And perhaps the drink could be followed by a slightly astringent Cranberry and Raspberry tartlet from the cold cabinet, or if its your initial foray into the rich world of chocolate then you may opt for the delicately-flavored chocolate meringue tartlet. Chef Benoit's heavenly chocolate mousse cake will give your palates a wonderful experience, as he takes the mousse to a whole new level with his own recipe. The quantities of each ingredients are rebalanced and recreated in textured layers before topping them with chocolate shavings. It is a gastronomic show-stopper that floods the senses with textures and flavours combining and competing for attention. Perhaps the orange and chocolate cake with its rich bittersweet chocolate and fresh orange sharpness provides a subtle counterpoint to the richness is more to your taste? The soft barely solid chocolate coating is just sweet enough to complement the fresh acidity of the sliced orange that accompanies it. “Chocolat is about the experience of chocolate in the broader sense,” said Hambishi. “It's not about quantity, but quality, a level of chocolate creation and consumption in an ambience at a level that brings a new quality of appreciation of chocolate to the client.” Yet still the cake cabinet beckons with confections that drive your will to resist to breaking point. Maybe it is time to be wilful and resist the temptation by savoring a perfect strawberry cake – just to prove who is in control here. Appreciating chocolate at a new level is one thing, but there are limits. Aren't there? It won't work. The chocolate sweet cabinet will mount an offensive and you will be sniped at by pralines, raspberry ganache, truffle, mint fondant and a whole cornucopia of freshly made and presented chocolates. The best way out of this chocolate ambush is abject surrender and a sample selection box of the enemy ranks to deal with later. Victory is yours only when the box is empty. It is usually a quick victory.
