A brand new bean-to-bar Chocolate Factory opened in Dubai and they offer super engaging tours. We tested it for you and here's what you can expect.
The Workshop and the Tour are hosted by Co Chocolat which was founded by two sisters who couldn’t find truly healthy chocolates around. Therefore they studied cacao, the main ingredient of chocolate, and become cacao doctors. Yes, cacao doctors, how cool?! They not only opened their chocolate factory in Dubai but have been supporting cacao farmers in the Philippines where their cacao beans are from. Co Chocolat produces healthy chocolates from beans to a chocolate bar or any other form and shape of chocolate art.
Who doesn't like chocolate?
I'm sure the number of people who say "No" can be counted on fingers of one hand. And yes, I am in that large majority of people who love chocolate. However, most people think chocolate is unhealthy. Well, I had the same opinion before I was given an opportunity to attend a workshop hosted by Co Chocolat. During the Workshop and Factory Tour and after watching the process and tasking samples, I realized chocolate can be healthy too. But this is not all I learned. Let me share my experience with you from the beginning till the end.
Let's get started: The soothing environment of the Chocolate factory
First of all, the Co Chocolat factory is located away from the noise of the city, it is approximately 30 mins drive from Downtown Dubai. Even though I call it a "factory", don't expect a huge industrial factory, but rather a calm sweet oasis. As soon as I stepped in, I was welcomed by a very soothing environment that made me feel at home. My mood was lifted by the irresistible smell of chocolate.
There is a gorgeous café with delicious treats at the entrance, and the production section where you can watch the chocolate production through a window is right next to it. Actually, this is where our tour began. I was part of a small group of people. Although we were not allowed to enter the chocolate production section due to hygienic protocols, we could observe the step-by-step process thanks to the transparent window. The production area is where the cocoa beans turn into chocolate.
See the cocoa bean turn to a chocolate
Our chocolate guide told us in detail about the machines and the work they do. The most surprising fact for me was that one machine grinds cocoa beans without using any heat and turns them into a creamy chocolaty consistency in 7 days.
Right after we watched a short video about the process of growing cocoa beans on the lands of the Philippines and how they enter the chocolate factory doors. And we finally came to my favorite part of the tour and this was not the chocolate-tasting stage. Not just yet! Keep reading. :) What if I told you that you would be given a chance to see and taste the first form of chocolate which is the bean? Well, thanks to Co Chocalat, I could see and taste all the stages that chocolate goes through from the bean to its final form.
Chocolate workshop: make your own chocolate
And that brings me to the second favorite part and that was.... chocolate tasting! I loved this part! :) We were tasting chocolate bars produced by Co Chocolat while our chocolate guide explained their contents and how their chocolate bars are named. The chocolates produced at Co Chocalet are not only delicious and healthy but also serve a purpose as you can understand from their names, for example, my all-time favorite was "no stress here". :)
Lastly, it was time to make our own chocolate bar to take home. The most fun activity of the whole workshop. Our chocolate guide brought us melted chocolate, mold, and ingredients to add to our chocolates. After we molded the chocolate bars and added other ingredients such as nuts, dried fruits, etc., they were stored in a separate room to cool down. In the meantime, we chose our paper cover from a selection of colorful variants. Chocolate bars were frozen in 15 - 20 minutes and we could pack them up in our paper cover.
Hardest task: create a name for your own chocolate bar
We packed the chocolates we made with our own hands, and took note of the production dates. Now was the time to name our chocolate bars. I named my chocolate "Tastes of the world" because I used so many different ingredients. When I came home and shared my chocolate bar with my husband, we realized that the name was chosen well, because every bite offered a different taste.
One and only Chocolate Experience
To summarize, I had a very enjoyable time at Co Chocolat and I learned so much about chocolate production. At the same time, I discovered delicious and healthy chocolates I can order any time or come back to taste. I broke my prejudices against chocolate. Not all chocolate bars are unhealthy, you just need to eat the right ones. Go see, discover, taste, and make others taste!!!
