8/3/2019 Pierre Marcolini Newsletter UK October 2011

1/5

e l e c t r o n i c n ew spape r f r omoctober 2011

of 78% cocoa, to give it a deliciouscrackle. And then filled it withpraline made from Piedmontesehazelnuts, chopped fresh walnutsfrom Grenoble, real crme fracheflavoured with Ethiopian coffeeand a drop of coffee fondant.

And that is not all! Vanilla and ca-ramel versions are also available.The box marked The Classicproudly bears the colours of ournational flag. As Pierre neatly putsit: Our Belgian identity in a littlebox

See how the manon is made.

Le Manon revisited...

B

ut when he explained howit was made, he realisedthat the manon was not co-

ated in chocolate, but iced like anclair.His version of the classic sweetstarted by shedding surplusweight: the piece went from 22 to

7 grams, giving a ligh-ter, more refined ba-lance of flavours and

textures.He added a shell ofdark chocolate fromEcuador and Ghana,with the bitter aromas

One day, at a press conference in Japan, Pierre Marcolini wasasked which Belgian specialty he thought best incarnated chocolate.He immediately answered, as many Belgians would probably havedone: The manon?

http://www.youtube.com/user/MarcoliniBrussels?feature=grec_index#p/a/u/1/4p8BWUM7h1Ahttp://www.youtube.com/user/MarcoliniBrussels?feature=grec_index#p/a/u/1/4p8BWUM7h1Ahttp://www.youtube.com/user/MarcoliniBrussels?feature=grec_index#p/a/u/1/4p8BWUM7h1A

8/3/2019 Pierre Marcolini Newsletter UK October 2011

2/5

brusselsoctober 2011 e l e c t r o n i c n e w s p a p e r f r o m

Shortly after he set up his

workshop in 2001, he began tomake his own chocolate. He

discovered that there used to be overeighty chocolatiers in Brussels whoimported cocoa beans directly fromcocoa plantations, and roasted thebeans themselves to make their cho-colate.He realised that this process wouldenable him to capture new flavoursand develop the taste potential ofchocolate. That is why he decided to

reorganise his workshop to revive theproduction techniques of the past.In Belgium, this art had completelydisappeared. Chocolatiers boughttheir supplies from couverture choco-late manufacturers, who roasted thebeans in bulk to make chocolateblocks. The quantities were such that

the chocolate was delivered in tan-kers. Flavour and aromas were stan-

dardised and it was more a matter ofmass marketing than tasting choco-late from a particular estate.Pierre Marcolini is now the only cho-colatier in Belgium to do the entireprocess himself. In Europe there areabout fifteen chocolate workshopswhich still practise this art to somedegree. Note that Pierre even makesthe shells for his chocolates. Yet ano-

ther exploit in a world which prizesquantity and profitability over quality.We shall see that making chocolaterequires a long apprenticeship, whichenables the chocolatier to bring out

the flavours he wants in hischocolate. But before that, it isimportant to select crus andfind farms which manage tocreate ideal conditions, sothat the beans will be cram-med with flavour.

Selecting the plan-tationsIn the same way as wine orcoffee, exceptional chocolateis made from high-qualityraw ingredients, in this case,cocoa beans. They generallycome from small estateswhich combine highly spe-cific conditions needed forthe proper development ofthe cocoa bean and its or-ganoleptic profile. The

quality of the soil andplantations must be of thehighest level. They have areal impact on the final quality be-cause the bean stores its characteris-tic aromas.

Selecting the beansSelecting crus from exceptional es-tates is the essential preliminarystage. The best cocoa beans usuallycome from trees which are neither

too old nor too young, but descenddirectly from the original plantationsexploited by the Spanish in SouthAmerica and other colonists in coun-tries which did not initially grow

cocoa trees. These are cal-led pure strain or old beans. That isthe case for Madagascan beans im-ported by the Dutch for example.Nico Regout Marcolini, cocoa expertat Pierre Marcolini tells: Shade is veryimportant. The plantation must be pro-tected and some producers even plant ba-nana trees which take the strain off the

cocoa tree in a storm. Some plantationshave outstanding conditions; in Chuao,in Venezuela, the mountains which sur-round the village and hem it in on thecoast prevent insects, which could da-

From the outset, Pierre Marcolini has aimed for perfection in every product he makes.Even if he knows perfection is unattainable, he gets as close as he can, to share a littlewisp of a dream, a new experience and emotion through his creations.

Did you know?

Roasting isthesouloftheMaisonMarcolini

8/3/2019 Pierre Marcolini Newsletter UK October 2011

3/5

brusselsoctober 2011 e l e c t r o n i c n e w s p a p e r f r o m

mage the trees, from reachingthe plantation. Drying andfermentation must be done per-fectly because that is when thearomas are caught in the bean.It is all made possible by reallocal knowledge which hasgradually been built up overthe years. In most cases, the

producers we select are realpurists who do their utmost to pro-duce a grand cru which is really out ofthe ordinary.

The secrets of the processFor a chocolate maker, roasting thebeans is probably the trickiest opera-tion. About 30 kg of beans are pouredinto a roaster and heated. The roasteris a cylindrical or spherical vat heatedover a low fire and lined with a metal

mesh which prevents the beans fromtouching the burning hot sides of thevat.This operation dries out the cocoanibs; the husk becomes brittle and the

tates the stomach, like a strong stimulant.If, on the contrary, roasting has not beendone at a sufficient temperature, the nibwill lose none of its principles, but the but-ter will not develop, its aromas remainlocked in the mass. The chocolate will beheavy, very nourishing, and the stomach,being under stimulated, will have troubledigesting it.The chocolatiers skill lies in his mas-tery of this stage because the cocoa ac-quires different qualities dependingon the degree of roasting.The greater the quality of the bean, themore carefully its flavours must be preser-ved,warns the manual.Pierre Marcolini confides: Travellingthe world to meet these producers who are

so passionate about their workis both a duty and a pleasure.They enable me to discoverbeans that are ever rarer and

more precious. Once they arerespectfully processed in our

workshop they will yield cou-verture chocolate that is more

delicate, more harmonious,more intense and so more alive!Today, all Marcolini chocolateis made in the traditional way.Pierre Marcolini roasts beansfor all his production andeven makes the shells of hischocolates.For a chocolatier, selecting androasting the beans is a way of

giving each creation a particu-lar style and taste identity.It all depends what he wants to

highlight. The organoleptic characte-ristics of the beans and the harvestsare different each time. To make a ju-dicious choice, he needs flair and mustknow the characters and qualities ofeach variety. He must be able to com-pare them with one another to ima-gine what they will give when they arecombined.

* Le manuel du confiseur et du chocolatier, encyclo-pdie Roret L.Mulo, librairie-diteur 12, rue Hau-tefeuille 1896, Paris.

nib can then be quite easily re-moved. This is when the aro-mas stored in the bean arecaptured.It is particularly well descri-bed in a manual for confec-tioners and chocolate makerspublished in 1896*. The ma-nual gives instructions fortraining professionals andhelping them improve theirskills and the quality oftheir creationsNo matter how good theroaster is, the operation mustbe supervised by a skilled hand, and an experienced

eye and ear,

which can nonetheless still sometimes bedeceived by the colour, flavour and soundof the bean. Roasting must be done lightlyand gradually and must not go beyond thelimits of complete desiccation.

When exposed to heat, the kernel ofthe cocoa tree can easily be separatedfrom its butter, but the process is stilldelicate. The manual goes on: If roas-

ting is done at too high a temperature, theroaster devours a large part of the foodvalue of cocoa with the cocoa butter; theresult is a blackish-brown chocolate whichis not very nourishing, and dries and irri-

8/3/2019 Pierre Marcolini Newsletter UK October 2011

4/5

brusselsoctober 2011 e l e c t r o n i c n e w s p a p e r f r o m

I

f you went pastour shop, you

have probably al-ready seen our splendidsummer collection. Deliciousand refreshing, a delight for those who were impatiently waiting forsummer.Pierre presents choco-lates that break the es-tablished codes withmouth-watering results.Subtle fruit sauce tea-med up with white anddark chocolate. As

usual, the Yuzu and thelime are meticulouslyhand-grated in ourworkshop. When the Pastels arebeing prepared, thescent of fresh mango and passion fruit fills thewhole workshop. It istruly mouth-watering.These chocolates shouldbe eaten at 6C, just out

of the fridge. Chilling at-tenuates the flavour. Itwas a challenge to com-bine coolness and anoptimal flavour balance.

The entire recipe was care-fully studied so that the Pastels

are at their best at that tempera-ture.They contain very little sugar andeven a pinch of salt, with a fine shellof white or dark chocolate forsweetness and structure.

Pastel,the sweet

side ofsummer!

Click here to see

how they are made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLO8_lYj-_4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLO8_lYj-_4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLO8_lYj-_4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLO8_lYj-_4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLO8_lYj-_4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLO8_lYj-_4

8/3/2019 Pierre Marcolini Newsletter UK October 2011

5/5

e l e c t r o n i c n e w s p a p e r f r o m

Shippingunder optimalconditions throughoutEurope!

You can now have our products sentto all the countries in the EuropeanUnion. Specially designed control-led temperature packaging protects

the chocolates against impactand temperature variations. We

continue to extend our ship-

ping zones to new countrieswith the priority of delive-ring our creations to youin the best conditions.

New products

A NEW FORMAT FOR THECOLLECTIONS You can still fill your boxes with your favourite chocolates. A newsingle-collection box is now availa-ble in addition to the two- and

four-collection boxes previouslyproposed.Novelties are proposed each seasonwhich can easily be combined withMarcolinis great classics.

brusselsoctober 2011

TABLETS

Let us take you into the heart of cho-colate making: the work from thecocoa beans, our search for exceptio-nal grand crus and new taste expe-riences. Why not try our complete

range of 17 tablets? You will findtheclassics revisited as well as ourgrands crus de proprit and, ofcourse, the limited editions.

TREATS

Give in to the enchantment of asquare of chocolate deli-

cately sprinkled withdried fruit and nuts. Pierre

has invented 15 exclusive creationsfor you to taste or share. He hasworked on the complementarity offlavours and textures between eachingredient and one of his choco-lates. A real delight.

Suggestions for tryingsomething new

Click on suggestions to order an as-sortment which we recommend ifyou are trying our products for thefirst time.

Personalised gifts

Personalisation has been extendedto all the products available online. You can now personalise eachpackage and send a message to the

person of your choice for each pro-duct you send.

www.marcolini-eboutique.com

For more information

e-boutique@marcolini.be

Novelties atE-BoutiqueExciting

newproducts

from

Pierre

Marcolini

E-Boutique

to delight

those whodo not live

near

one of

our stores.

http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/http://www.marcolini-eboutique.com/