Olivier de Loisy's blue eyes reflect his deep delight. A few cocoa beans from Sambirano in Madagascar, embodying the flavours of honey and citrus fruit, have set him dreaming. Which is not surprising for a man who's "pure chocolate" – who grew up to the music of the conching machine amid the scent of crushed cocoa beans. He's the third generation of a family of chocolatiers and the man responsible for Pures Plantations®, a line of innovative coating chocolate for the food industry and, now, the consumer. He's an oenologist of chocolate and a tireless prospector around the world's plantations. His five senses are on the alert as he takes a bite. The particular shade of mahogany brown brings a gleam to his eye, he breathes in the aromas and his ear picks up the snap of the chocolate breaking between his teeth. Then his palate responds to a texture, a flavour, a bitterness; a meltingness brings a purr to his throat. Even touch is at the core of Olivier's trade. From the plantations where he picks pods to the beans held in his hand on delivery and the square he raises to his lips, this is almost a religion! For the 20th anniversary of the Chocolaterie de l’Opéra®, Olivier and his son Nicolas have opened a new plant at Châteaurenard, with research laboratory, factory and international development offices. His latest discovery, a plantation in Vietnam, seems to prove that the family saga is far from over yet.
846 Chemin du Barret, 13160 Châteaurenard – Tél. 04 90 87 00 10
By Valérie Rouger
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