TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Arif Syarifudin stirred the pale green-colored chocolate dough inside an aluminium pan at the Chocomory Riverside chocolate store, Puncak, Bogor. The 38-year-old man has been working as a chocolate maker at the factory.
“Chocolate-making should be done with patience, deligence, and full of love. Cold hands are also needed,” said Arif.
Arief was casting a Matcha, a green tea-flavored chocolate. He casted the dough slowly into the 90-gram chocolate bar mold. Using a mica blade, he trimmed the top side of the mold to make the chocolate flat. He then put the chocolate into a vibrating machine to develop the air inside the chocolate.
The thick chocolates were then stored in a fridge at 10 Celcius degree for 20 minutes. In one minute, Arif can finish molding up to 25 kilogram chocolate which is equal to 300 bars. Each day, not less than 300 kilograms of chocolate is produced by Arif and 20 of his team mates without the aid of machinery.
With the date approaching Valentine’s Day, more guests are coming to the chocolate store owned by PT Cisarua Mountain Dairy. It can be understood, since chocolate is a typical gift for the loved ones on February 14.
The Director of Chocomory Axel Sutantio said that the green tea flavor is the most favored.
“It is highly sold out,” said Axel.
The Macha chocolate is made from the mixture of white chocolate and extracts of green tea leaves. Axel said that it is made according to the combination of Belgian and Swiss recipes. The white chocolate used in the recipe contains 30 percent cocoa butter.
When the making-process is done, the result is bars of pale green chocolate with leaf-green spots. The bar would melt right away once it touches the tongue. It is delicate sweet with strong green tea aroma and flavor. However, the bitter taste typical to the green tea is not too strong.
Not everyone fancy sweet-flavored chocolates. The 35-year-old Hellena Yoranita, for example, prefers the dark chocolate as a gift for her husband.
“My husband loves the pre-dark chocolate with 50 to 70 percent cacao content,” said Hellena.
She wrapped the dark chocolate with a greeting card inside.
Ari Parikesit, a culinary observer said that chocolate contains a compound that triggers production of endorphine in the brain. Consuming the Aztec’s food of Gods can make someone to feel sensation of happiness. However, he suggests not to eat chocolate excessively.
“A half or one third of a chocolate bar is okay,” Ari said.
KARTIKA CANDRA
