Chocolate is one of our most beloved ingredients – you can drink it, eat it, bake and cook with it. Now, on the tip of Africa, our love affair with this confection has been taken to new heights with a number of artisanal producers popping up. Di Burger has turned her attention to chocolate in her latest book, exploring its history and its classifications and variations. She looks at how chocolatiers around the country are creating it, and how patissiers and chefs are using it in culinary creations such as bon bons, tarts, truffles, cakes and drinks. It’s a loving, indulgent look at the chocolate industry, from bean to shelf, and filled with exquisite pictures. Take a look at the recipe below, sourced from Chocolate’s African Odyssey.
Cape Malay Spiced Hot Chocolate
250ml milk
25ml cream
100g Nyangbo chocolate or 68% couverture
1/2 vanilla bean
2g cassia
2 cardamom
2g chili
1 star anise
Bring the milk and cream to scalding point with the spices. Pour onto the chocolate and mix. Allow the spices to infuse for 10 minutes then strain. If you can, it is better to allow the mix to stand overnight to get maximum flavour from the spices then you can gently re-heat, strain and enjoy.
Chocolate’s African Odyssey is written by Di Burger and published by Stacked Publications. For more information visit the publisher’s website www.stackedpublications.co.za. Photographs by Riehan Bakkes.
*Article from The Culinary Artist, Issue 2