Monday, October 30, 2006

Food Destinations #3

Emily from Chocolate in Context is hosting this month's Food Destinations and has settled on the most appropriate theme of My Favourite Chocolate Shop!

Xocolatl is an Aztec word meaning bitter water and it's where we get our word for Chocolate - it's also the name of the chocolate shop I'll be featuring.

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Head east from Melbourne to the rather gentile inner suburb of Canterbury and in particular well-known Mailing Road and amongst the antique market and lace stores you'll find the rather funky Xocolatl.

Besides being home to a large range of hand-made Belgium chocolates, they also offer a variety of hot chocolates. We particularly recommend the intensely flavoured orange chocolate - think of a warm, molten jaffa and you'll come close to how good this tastes. If you're after something a little more subtle then the Spanish chocolate with hints of cinnamon and vanilla is for you.

When it comes to chocolates - you'll be spoilt for choice with over 40 on offer at any one time. Belgium couverture is used and price wise, all chocolates are equal and are $1.50 each. Whether you buy one or 40 they are all hand packed in these simple white boxes.

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For this post I'll take you through 6 of these chocolates.

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Strawberry - under it's white chocolate heart, is a milk chocolate ganache speckled with strawberry pieces.

Hazelnut Praline - the top is a rather thick layer of white chocolate with a milk chocolate drizzle. Inside is a wonderfully morish hazelnut praline ensconced in a milk chocolate ganache.

Lemon Verbena - a dark chocolate ganache is subtlety flavoured with lemon verbena then encased in a dark chocolate shell.

chocolates

Morello Cherry - a traditional combination of liqueur morello cherries and dark chocolate. A whole cherry lays inside the pyramid.

Summer Pudding - a blend of glacé fruits and white chocolate ganache is encased in the signature dark chocolate casing.

Basil and Champagne - probably the more unusual combination but the basil is a delicate note in the ganache and has quite a refreshing effect when combined in this chocolate.

The details:
Xocolatl
123 Mailing Road, Canterbury
Phone: 03 9836 3100
Open: Daily

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6 comments

  1. These chocolates are surely addictive! Can't wait to try out.

    Thanks for the post Haloo!

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  2. Thanks WP - there are so many different truffles available it's hard choosing - I'm sure you'll have a great time testing them out.

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  3. yum yum yum. why does it have to be so far away???

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  4. Hi Jessica - you're so lucky to live in the land of chocolate, it's too far away from here!

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  5. beautiful, beautiful looking chocolates. i think the lemon verbena would be my favourite.

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  6. Hi Abby - the lemon verbena was quite lovely and the basil was a real surprise.

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