G.B. Mantelli, Master Chocolatier and Brand Ambassador at Venchi.
For G.B. Mantelli, being a chocolatier means so much more than just making chocolate; he sees chocolate makers as chemists.
“If you study the tradition, it’s automatically an innovation,” he says.
The first printed book with a chocolate recipe was, after all, published in Italy in the 1600s. “These chemists used spices such as cardamom to put in the chocolate for the well-being of the body,” explains Mantelli.
“They looked at the yin and yang of chocolate by observing the temperature and the spices, even adding digestive herbs such as those used in vermouth, which was then used as medicine. With the influence of chocolate in the 18th century, chocolate was viewed as a good ingredient for a long life.”
As the Master Chocolatier and brand ambassador for Venchi, Mantelli is the mastermind behind some of the brand’s most bestselling products. We met him at Capella Singapore, where Venchi has brought us together for an exquisite chocolate tasting journey with a selection of Venchi bestsellers paired with unexpected ingredients.
First up, the Venchi pistachio of white chocolate and pistachio paste with slices of pandan cake brought out the nuttiness of the chocolate and the soft fragrance of the pandan to a new level.
Next is the smooth and creamy Venezuela milk chocolate with 47 percent cacao that was paired with dried jackfruit. The result is a creamy smoothness combined with a tender fruitiness.
But it was the raspberry nibs white chocolate paired with balsamic vinegar, that brought out a burst of flavour, fit enough to be served as an appetiser on its own.
The takeaway we learned from the chocolate tasting is, not only is Venchi excellent at innovative recipes, but they also take into consideration the nutritional value of each piece.
As consumers become more aware of the origin of the product they’re consuming, this is something Venchi has always highlighted in following consumer wants. “There is a trend, for sure,” says Mantelli on creating recipes suited for different markets.
“I think the good news is that the young generation takes care of this, and they control the ingredients and the characteristics of food. They go in deep, straight to the harvester and ask questions like ‘how do you make the chocolate? So, they’re really engaged about this,” says Mantelli.
He goes on to describe how Venchi’s only competitors are themselves, “because we need to do better and better and better with each year. We want to bring the pleasure of this indulgence,” says Mantelli.
As for their retail presence, Mantelli wants guests to experience the pleasures of the world of Venchi, which all ties back to his philosophy of chocolate as a magical ingredient that should be enjoyed by all.
“This is magic, even at the beginning, chocolate is the only ingredient tied to divinity. In pre-Columbian history, there was even a special event for chocolate with Quetzalcoatl, the mythical snake who protected the paradise of chocolate. Then, you could buy your richness through chocolate, then it became a medicine for the people, and now it’s chocolate.”
