How to buy it:
According to Chef Ruben Herrera Aguilera, the chef de cuisine at Maya, when buying chocolate, you should look for a high cocoa content and a low sugar content. Says Ruben, ‘The higher the cocoa content, the more chocolaty and healthy it’s going to be.’ Also, the origins of the bar make a difference. ‘Personally, I think nothing beats the chocolate made in Oaxaca in Mexico,’ says Aguilera.
Where to get it:
‘I would recommend Chocoa,’ says Aguilera. ‘It’s a small shop behind the Mall of the Emirates. The quality of the chocolate they sell there is excellent.’ For those who want to try their hand at a Mexican mole sauce (which combines chocolate with chilli and other spices), Ruben especially recommends using tablets of Mexican Ibarra or Abuelita chocolate.
How to cook it:
One of the best ways to bring out the flavour of chocolate, says the chef, is in mole sauce, which often accompanies savoury dishes in Mexico. Recipes, however, can be complex. For a simple chocolate recipe, try making hot chocolate. Combine 90g of a good quality Mexican chocolate and one litre of hot milk in a blender. Add suger to taste, and stir until all the ingredients are mixed, then serve. It’s that simple, and goes great with a couple of biscuits.
Maya (04 316 5550), Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa
