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Our universal love of chocolate stretches back three thousand years to when it was first cultivated in Mexico and South America. However,

it is only in the last two hundred or so years that the varieties of chocolate and the various forms it comes in have grown extensively. In essence it has always been seen as a treat, an indulgence and also as a healing food.

It is said that chocolate can have positive effects on the body, raising serotonin levels in the brain and in turn having a positive effect on mood. Dark chocolate (eaten in moderation), meanwhile, provides antioxidants that can help lower blood pressure.

Our passion and enjoyment for this food stuff has seen us link it to almost every major festival or occasion in life, and it has become intrinsically linked to love and romance. However, gourmet chocolatiers reveal that if it’s a truly memorable gift that you want to give a loved one, or yourself, then you need to go for a more exclusive chocolate. As they say its quality not quantity that counts!

Premier gets the lowdown from two unique chocolate companies that are committed to producing quality chocolates with a difference.

LIKE MOST THINGS IN LIFE, WHEN IT COMES TO THIS TASTY TREAT, QUALITY COUNTS.BY // GEORGINA WILSON-POWELL

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Premier: Why use camel milk - what inspired the decision? What does camel milk add to the product?Martin van Almsick: The question should maybe rather be why did it take us 130 years since the invention of milk chocolate by Daniel Peter to come up with the world’s first camel milkchocolate? The decision and idea was mainly inspired by the fact that it is only recently that first class camel milk hasbeen produced, which is the basis for a premium chocolate. Camel milk has fivetimes more vitamin C, is rich in minerals and antimicrobial. It is the best milk from the region, which we use to create the perfect chocolate for the region. P: How successful has your product been since it was launched last year?MVA: We are seeing an overwhelming response from literally the entire world. In addition, there has obviously

been a huge interest from the Arab world and of course visitors to Dubai keen to try something truly unique. Due to increasing demand, Al Nassma Chocolate is now available in many renowned places, including Burj Al Arab, Emirates Palace, Bab Al Shams, Emirates Towers, Atlantis and Dubai Duty Free. It is also available at our own shops in the Mall of the Emirates and at our farm shop Umm Nahad in Dubai. P: How do you plan to improve future sales across the region and are you targeting markets abroad?MVA: We operate an ever growing delivery service from our farm shop, which is located close to the Dubai Outlet Mall and next door to our partner camel farm, Camelicious. We are available in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and we are already in promising talks regarding Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. Since

Al Nassma is a true Arabic chocolate our main focus will always be our home base – mainly the GCC countries and the Arab world. On the other hand we must admit that we are experiencing a strong interest from across the globe, in particular Europe, the US, Japan and Australia. P: How important is the restaurant and hotel market for you?MVA: As Al Nassma is a premium chocolate, you will find it stocked onlyin the most distinguished outlets and resorts. It is not the aim of Al Nassma to flood the world with camel milkchocolate. Our resource is limited and so is our availability, you will find usonly in the best of places that fit thisluxurious brand. P: What trends, in regards to the Middle Eastern chocolate market, have you noticed since you began trading in the area?MVA: Since we began operations just a few months ago we should probably be humble enough not to try to explain the Middle Eastern chocolate market. We are trying to concentrate on the feedback from our consumers and,

based on this, we are currently in the process of developing some exciting new flavours.P: What do people in the Middle East want from their chocolate products?MVA: To my mind, like most discerning consumers of gourmet chocolate, the chocolate loving community in the Middle East expects the highest possible quality from us. Our main aim is to deliver to our customers the best quality chocolate with exceptional taste. Anyone who has tried Al Nassma chocolate will instantly be able to tell that ours is a premium product. P: Recent research found that the Middle East was in the top five regionsfor chocolate consumption worldwide – why do you think this is?MVA: This research is focusing probably on quantity. We are trying to take a step forward to promote quality chocolate. We firmly believe you should have a little

bit of an outstanding product rather than having plenty of an average one. P: What other chocolate products are regional chocolatiers producing?MVA: There are only very few real chocolatiers left. Most “chocolate producers” buy ready chocolate mass from suppliers.

We produce our chocolate from the cocoa bean and are in full control of all ingredients and the entire production process. P: Can the Middle East ever become one of the world’s top chocolate manufacturers or will it always be behind the traditional European chocolate producing nations?MVA: I do not feel the Middle East can compete in terms of quantity, and to be honest I doubt it will ever be able to, but quality chocolate is a different story.

WWW.AL-NASSMA.COM

“OUR MAIN AIM IS TO DELIVER TO OUR CUSTOMERS THE BEST QUALITY CHOCOLATE WITH EXCEPTIONAL TASTE.”

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For a different type of exclusive chocolate, why not try the UAE’s own groundbreaking Al Nassma Chocolate made from camel milk? Its rich, sweet and slightly bitter taste provide a distinctive flavour. Al Nassma Chocolate usesBourbon vanilla, the highest grade of cocoa beans, and plenty of time and care to brew its unique chocolate. Premier meets General Manager Martin van Almsick to discover more about this unique chocolate.

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SO WHAT ARE THE MOST EXPENSIVE CHOCOLATES IN THE WORLD?

Knipschildt Chocolatier make a dark chocolate flavoured with truffle oil and wrapped around a Perigord truffle... it will set you back $2,600 a pound.

Noka Chocolates are rare single source chocolates from Africa, made with 75 per cent cacao they are priced at $854 per pound.

Swiss chocolatier DeLaFee makes a range of chocolates with edible gold in them, the 24 karat gold is applied by hand and surprisingly they cost only $508 per pound.

The most expensive chocolate dessert in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records is the Frrozen Haute Chocolate Sundate at New York’s Serendepity 3 restaurant. It costs $25,000, has 28 types of cocoas, 14 of them from the most expensive in the world and it’s dusted with five grams of edible gold. It comes in a crystal goblet you can keep and at the bottom of the pudding is a diamond and gold bracelet.

Chocolate products are now available in just about every conceivable shape, style and colour, however, there are still artisans out there trying to perfect the recipes and make high end chocolate the ultimate food stuff. One of those artisans is only just eighteen. Louis Barnett runs his own company, called Chokolit, and founded it when he was only twelve. After being diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia, Barnett switched to home education and shortly after discovered a love of cooking. He now creates a unique range of chocolate which sells in, among other places, a number of UK zoos. His range of Biting Back Bars™, could be described as chocolate with a conscience, as a percentage of the proceeds from every bar purchased goes to helping endangered species around the world.

Premier: What makes chocolate so loved by people?Louis Barnett: The enjoyment of chocolate comes from the very moment you think about it. Thinking about buying chocolate is enough to start the endorphins in the brain getting ready for such a lovely treat.P: Why is chocolate expensive?LB: I don’t think that real chocolate is expensive. It’s more that cheap chocolate is a poor imitation of what real chocolate should taste like. Obviously the beans are grown in different parts of the world and the farmers should get the proper market price for their

beans. It is… water[ed] down chocolate with palm oils and cheap cocoa butter equivalents [that] distort the price of quality.P: What are the benefits of buyingquality chocolate? LB: Certainly I have always thought that chocolate should be revered like a wine, buying a single origin bean is the same as buying a wine made with a single grape. It reflects the environmentin which it grows and absorbs flavoursthat give it the characteristics that are unique to that area or plantation.P: How did you find the rightingredients?LB: Trial and error, and feeding a lot of chocolates to my friends and family!P: What’s the most ambitious thing you’ve made out of chocolate? LB: The Chockolit Christmas tree that I have just delivered to the Save The Children charity to raise funds at its festival of trees auction.P: What kind of chocolate is right for Valentine’s Day?LB: Mine of course, because it’s quality and made with passion. Do you really want to buy your loved one a cheap box of chocolates from the petrol station?

WWW.CHOKOLIT.CO.UK

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