Check out the first Indian origin chocolate meets Belgian waffle festival

Belgian waffle batter whipped with a hit of Chikmagalur coffee? I’ll trade my cuppa with you  for one of that please...
Check out the first Indian origin chocolate meets Belgian waffle festival

“This is going to be an intense exp-erience,”says L Nitin Chordia. Quite the opposite of what you expect to hear before a chocolate waffle binge. As it turns out, chocolate works a little bit differently on the senses of a certified chocolate taster. The lay person lights up on first bite. These folks tend to radiate a glow just talking about it. Settling in for a sampling of the country's first Indian origin chocolate meets Belgian waffle festival — expect bases lavoured with cocoa powder sourced from Idukki, Kerala or a hit of Arabica coffee from Chikmagalur.

The collaborated effort between Nitin’s chocolate knowledge initiative Cocoatrait and Waf O’Bel run by  Belgian chef Christophe Bonello, takes care to keep the waffles lighter by going dairy-free, and the chocolate easier on the stomach using only cocoa butter (plant-based fat). Instead of the indigenous brands we were expecting to be regaled with, we discover parts of the cacao fruit sourced directly from desi farms. And better yet,  whipped right into batter. Think cocoa nibs (roasted cocoa beans) that offer some crunch alongside a hint of bitterness, for some restraint on that sugar rush.


Incidentally, we haven’t even got to the toppings yet. Our personal favourite was the Nibs & Chips waffle — that you guessed it, has both chocolate chips and nibs baked in the waffle and is plated with cocoa-infused cream and dollops of vegan sauce. The chocolate for the latter is a blend from Kerala and closer home in Tamil Nadu.


Meanwhile, the Classic Fudgy waffle panders unbashedly to those with a sweet tooth. For others, there is the Peanut & Choco waffle and the Cocoa nibs & Almond. If you are a caffeine addict, the Coffee & Nibs is a must try. “Baking at 200 degrees,  the taste of the Arabica coffee beans transports all the way through the waffle while it is baking,” explains Nitin. And the result is a pronounced flavour of coffee in every bite. Heavy on the texture, but light as air to eat because of that classic Brussel’s waffle recipe, here’s raising a well licked spoon to more of these collaborations in the future. 


Till May end. Price: Rs 240 to Rs 290. At Waf O’Bel, 13th Avenue, Harrington Road. Details: 65550028
 

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