This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Chocolate. A small word of only three syllables, but with immense power of attraction. Since the use of cocoa by the Mayans and the Aztecs, chocolate has been discovered, tasted or devoured. It comes in a myriad of shades, shapes, colors. And it transforms, according to cultures, trends and innovations. So, let’s take advantage of the Easter period to celebrate this food, which is constantly reinventing itself to seduce us, again and again.
Temptation is everywhere within the Montreal Chocolate Academy. In the spacious kitchens of the establishment, between a masterful chocolate sculpture, a series of irresistible desserts and the sensual aroma that emerges from a large blender, pastry chef and director Nicolas Dutertre explores the current and future trends of this product pleasure par excellence.
Since he arrived in Quebec 13 years ago, the chef has seen the chocolate market transform. “At the time, you could mainly only find products made from cocoa compounds and palm oil. There’s still some left, but people are now willing to pay more for real chocolate, made with cocoa paste and butter,” he says.
In the wake of this craze, more and more gourmets are interested in original chocolates and, more broadly, in the exclusive and multisensory experiences that they can have with them. “This ranges from chocolate from a microplantation, to bean to bar and custom chocolate, like our Black Gold collection, developed for restaurants and hotels,” explains Nicolas Dutertre. Before adding that beyond tasting, chocolate lovers are looking for a beautiful story that links them with producers and artisans.
There is only one step to take for it to be a question of locavorism, seasonality, ethics and ecology. Chocolate is no exception to the values that affect more and more consumers. We are interested in its traceability, the working conditions of the producers, the list of ingredients that make it up, and even its compostable packaging.
“We must also not forget the health trend that chocolate has taken,” says the chef. This product indeed reaches a very wide audience: athletes who want energy, vegan people, those following a ketogenic diet or who are sensitive to allergens. Every new need now has its own range of chocolates.
Chocolate trends
Innovation in the world of chocolate is crystallized as much in values as in much more concrete concepts, such as new technologies. “There are now 3D chocolate printers, machines that make millimeter-precise cuts using a pressure water system, others that coat and garnish chocolate bites in a single step,” explains Nicolas Dutertre. This equipment allows artisan chocolatiers to gain in efficiency as well as creativity. »
And precisely, since it is a question of creativity, let’s not forget the trends. In Quebec, they are more discreet than in Europe, where sophisticated chocolate montages and large filled bars to share are popular. But they are still present. “For example, at the moment, chocolatiers are fond of everything that is snacking, in particular sugar coating: nuts or fruits coated in chocolate,” says the chef. Crispness is also in the spotlight, in the form of popped corn, pretzel, sponge cake or speculoos mixed or covered with chocolate. And what about local ingredients? They are found, whole, in puree, in powder or freeze-dried form, in the creations of a growing number of artisans, like those of Fays, a chocolate terroir.
A chocolatier off the beaten track
Daughter of French bakers and pastry chefs established in Quebec since her adolescence, Mathilde Fays grew up in a family that was committed to local products, their artisans, as well as the gathering of wild ingredients. “It’s part of me, this proximity to the earth,” admits the woman who launched her chocolate factory far from urban centers, in Oka, in 2011.
When the company grew, the chocolatier understood that her trademark was truly that of the Quebec region. “For me,” she says, “making good chocolate is not just about reducing sugar or fat. It’s the search for good ingredients that guides me. » And there is no shortage of inspiration in his environment. Geranium, apples, sweet clover, mead, Labrador tea, anise marigold, dune pepper, lavender, St. Lawrence salt… the combinations of flavors in Mathilde Fays’ seasonal creations are as confusing as they are delicious.
“I draw my inventiveness from the products I taste and the people I meet,” she says. For example, in 2018, during the summer, I discovered Chaleur B chocolates, Radoune gin with mushrooms and shiitake powder. Well, by combining all three, I got a perfect bite! »
Obviously, not everyone is ready to venture off the beaten track, Mathilde Fays is aware of this. So she adds her signature in touches: “For our more family-friendly Easter collection, this year I focused on small fruits from Quebec. Blueberries are familiar, but I’ve also incorporated saskatoon berries and haskapberries into my local animal casts [réalisés avec une thermoformeuse à partir de ses propres dessins]. » The chocolatier also began to color them with natural pigments from fruits and plants. Its little Easter eggs are tinted with pitaya (dragon fruit), blue spirulina and matcha.
“It always represents work, to bring new things and innovate,” she says. But I know that at some point, these efforts are rewarded. And I am convinced that a quality chocolate factory with meaning has a bright future in Quebec. »
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.