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THE TASTE OF PASSION
BY AMENA BAKR
Chocolate. No other word in any language – with one or two
well-known exceptions – exerts quite such a pull on the passions.
A child’s treat, a woman’s obsession and a universal token
of celebration, chocolate assumes myriad forms to lure its many
enthusiasts, as attested by the 2000 Hollywood film, Chocolat. If
you’re out to impress on this Valentine’s Day, however,
you’ll want to venture beyond the cellophane-and-peanut offerings
at the corner kiosk. The delectable offerings at these fine chocolate
shops will make it more likely that your love will live to see the
Ides of March. It might well prove the beginning of something sweeter.
Among the newest of Cairo’s cacao purveyors is Chocofolie,
a small, tastefully appointed Dokki chocolatier that opened its
doors last May. Unlike other sweets shops, Chocofolie targets a
single niche by specializing exclusively in chocolate. Even the
food and drinks at its attached café adhere strictly to the
chocolate theme. “We are the only place in Cairo that specializes
in chocolate. This was our biggest risk,” says Ranya El Gamal,
PR and marketing manager of the family-owned business.
Menu items blend traditional mainstays of the chocolate world with
a taste of the contemporary. Tempting offerings such as the Batata
Split (£E 13.95), a finely baked sweet potato served with
vanilla ice cream and melted dark chocolate, add a traditional Egyptian
touch to the usual banana split, while Crepolies (£E 16.95-18.95)
are freshly baked crepes served with a variety of fillings including
raspberry with apple and cinnamon, and marshmallow and chocolate.
Drinks, meanwhile, run the gamut from the old-time cup of hot chocolate,
here known as Folie Hot Chocolate, to Mexican Choc Shot, a spiced-up
scion of the hot chocolate family whose trademark is a pinch of
chili powder.
“One of our main aims was to suit the tastes of different people,
so we had to have different types of chocolates,” says El Gamal,
who along with her mother and her brother Omar, spent months researching
chocolate-making techniques before the store opened. “We decided
that the best mixtures come from Belgium and Swiss chocolates, so
that’s what we use.”
Though young, Chocofolie is already developing a touch of character.
“The best thing about our chocolates is that they don’t
leave that typical soapy aftertaste,” she says. “And unlike
other shops, we’re not afraid to display our chocolates without
wrappings, because we’re sure their taste won’t change
when exposed to air.”
The staff at Chocofolie are free with their advice to customers
about choosing chocolate to suit a person or occasion. “For
the adventurous, I’d pick a chocolate with a little bit of
spice,” says El Gamal. “For formal occasions I’d
advise a more traditional chocolate, like hazelnut.”
For Valentine’s Day, February 14, Chocofolie is offering a
range of custom baskets that customers can load with an assortment
of their favorites. House specials include Earl Gray and Orange
truffles (£E 180 per kilo), spherical creations with a smooth
interior. They melt in your mouth, if you’re patient enough,
releasing hints of tea and citrus along the way.
L’Amandine, a well-known competitor, offers chocolates tempting
to even the non-sweet tooth. L’Amandine Dokki branch manager
Ossama Abd El Monem says that Valentine’s highlights will include
heart-shaped lollipops and, of course, their special Palern chocolate
that features a special blend of almond and hazelnut (£E 110
per kilo). L’Amandine will also provide its customers with
attractive packaging, such as handmade baskets and heart-shaped
platters (£E 85-110).
For more practical family-sized gifts this Valentine’s Day,
L’Amandine is showcasing its famous chocolate mousse cake (£E
106), a delicious cake filled with smooth, rich chocolate and light
powdering of cocoa. While certain to win amorous accolades on its
own, presentation can earn extra kudos. “The customer can choose
to place it on a heart platter or simply use the normal box that
can be decorated with hearts from the outside,” says Abd El
Monem.
Market heavyweight Choco Chocola offers a wide variety of chocolates,
more than two dozen different fillings, and a few unique ideas for
Valentine’s Day. General manager Ayman Faragalla says that
in Egypt the typical Valentine’s gift has changed with the
years, from a bouquet of roses to a packaged combination of items
that might include a teddy bear, perfume, flowers and, above all,
chocolate.
This year, Choco Chocola will be joining forces with Mazaya, a beauty
and cosmetics store, and with other small gift shops to provide
just such a package in attractive ladybug boxes that come in three
sizes (£E 100-700). “Since most of our customers ask
us for unique ways to wrap their gift,” says Faragalla, “we
try to have different ideas for packaging every year.”
Most of the Valentine’s customers Faragalla sees are between
the ages of 15 and 22. With this market in mind, Choco Chocola is
constantly working to come up with “young” and “fresh”
ideas. “We also have to understand the nature of our customers,”
he says. “Eighty percent of them are girls that come in with
a big gift in mind, while the boys go for the less expensive simple
gifts.”
For unconventional tastes, Choco Chocola will be offering romantic
items such as bed sheets dotted with hearts, red pajamas and candles,
sold in combination with a selection of Swiss, Belgian and French
chocolates (£E 120-180 per kilo).
Since some Arab countries make a point of not celebrating Valentine’s
Day (with Saudi Arabia going so far as to prevent the sale of red
roses on February 14), Choco Chocola has partnered with Aramex to
offer delivery service throughout Egypt and the Middle East. “We
get a lot of people sending gift packages to their loved ones in
Saudi Arabia since they are not allowed to celebrate the event there,”
says Faragalla.
Patriotic chocolate lovers need not look abroad for their fix. Hometown
chocolatier Swiza is offering a range of chocolates made in its
Alexandria manufacturing unit. “We import all the material
needed to make the chocolate from Europe, and the cacao is from
countries in Africa, but all our chocolates are made in Egypt,”
says Atef Hassan, Swiza’s marketing director.
For Valentine’s Day the shop is preparing a wide array of heart-
and lip-shaped chocolates with various nut and fruit fillings (£E
60-350 per kilo). “What is special about our chocolate,”
says Hassan, “is that it is made out of natural ingredients
with no preservatives, unlike so many of the imported chocolates.”
Swiza has a unique selection of sugar-free chocolates made especially
for diabetics, which mainly comprise dark chocolate (£E 65-120
per kilo). Hassan says the key reason for manufacturing chocolates
for diabetics was to expand the store’s customers and encourage
everyone to try their chocolates. “We are the only store in
Egypt that sells these chocolates; we want all people to be happy
when they visit our store and enjoy the taste of chocolate without
fearing side effects,” he said.
Another point worth noting, explains Hassan, is that the price of
chocolate does not necessarily relate directly to the ingredients
used. Wrapping and accessories like ribbons can add cost... and
value. Here again, Swiza prides itself on its close-to-home touch.
While the wrapping materials come from Italy, each treat is hand-wrapped
in Egypt.
In shopping, the chocophile can take heart in one scientific fact:
fillings and filberts aside, dark chocolate contains a battery of
antioxidants, effective in clearing blocked arteries and improving
cardiovascular health. To most aspiring Romeos, however, their own
heart is their last concern on Valentine’s Day. For these,
any combination of the sweets mentioned above will have the desired
effect.
CHOICE CHOCOLATERIES
| Name |
Area |
Address |
Tel. |
|
Antopola
Candy Bouquet
Choco Chocola
Chocofolie
Fauchon
L’Amandine
La Bouchee
Le Carnaval
Panache
Passionelle
Patchi
Swiza
Trianon
|
Heliopolis
Heliopolis
Mohandiseen
Dokki
Zamalek
Dokki
Heliopolis
Mohandiseen
Mohandiseen
Zamalek
Mohandiseen
Nasr City
Alexandria
|
14 Samir Moktar Street
40A Baghdad Street, Korba
106 Mohieddin Abul Ezz Street
33 Amman Street
4D Gezira Street
12 Messaha Square
67 Osman Ibn Affan Street
48 Michel Bakhum Street
14 Wadi Al Nil Street
15 Marashly Street
15 Lebanon Street
Abbas Al Aqqad Street
6 Sharm Al Sheikh Street,
Raml Station
|
262-9763
290-2550
336-6167
3761-3389
735-0636
3761-9000
419-3862
3338-8902
347-6303
736-6828
414-2333
304-0129
(03) 483-1567
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