The chocolatier Olivier Piffaudat is breaking the conventional chocolate mold with with his black garlic chocolate for Saint Valentine’s Day.
Have you ever heard the proverb “Birds of a feather flock together”? When I take a look around at my friends, I realize I truly live by this proverb. Most of my friends are not afraid of the weird, the unknow, the exotic. And one friend who truly brings this to mind is Olivier Piffaudat, a passionate chocolatier who really knows how to think outside the box. Or should I say outside the chocolate shell in his case.
When it comes to creating his flavors, he is a mad genius. You can count on one hand the more traditional flavors in his store. All the rest are very unusual. And I love how Olivier groups them: fruits, vegetables and cocktails. One chocolate is making its debut too, a very special one for Saint-Valentine’s day…one made with black garlic!
Let me just say first that this is not a sponsored post. I am just supporting a friend with an amazing culinary vision. Olivier Piffaudat invited me to his shop for a tour recently. Imagine being alone with a chocolatier in his store and workshop for well over 2 hours and have basically full access to his product and knowledge. Heaven! I asked every question I could think of while sampling some mighty fine chocolates.
Olivier Piffaudat and the Wall of Ingredients!
Passionfruit chocolate with a heart – better than any Twix inspiration bar – the pimbina fruit
Olivier Piffaudat is in the true sense of the word an artisan. He picks his own berries and flowers as much as he can, makes his own infusions, prepares his own ganaches and jams to fill the chocolates with, etc. I got to taste three of his liquor infusions: spruce, lavender and – wait for this one – chanterelle mushrooms – which are used to make some chocolates. Now I want to make some infusions at home.
One of his popular chocolates is made with a fruit I never had hear of, the pimbina (or squashberry). I got to taste the fruit which is so tart, acidic and astringent. But cook it down and wrap it in chocolat, totally works. Every chocolate is handmade, from start to finish. There is no production line here. Let’s take a look at some of his chocolates:
Chocolates from the vegetable collection
The vegetables: beet, squash, tomato and basil, carrot orange ginger soup, and my favorite the mole poblano. The first heat will knock your socks off but the chocolate and caramel cools everything back down.
The Fruits: blueberry, pimbina, passion fruit, balsamic strawberry, lemon/lime, and my top one here is the fresh raspberries cooked down with lots of mint.
Chocolates from the cocktail collection
The cocktails: Bloody Mary topped with pepper celery salt, Margarita topped with salt, Sake matcha, Violettini, Hibiscus. I had the Bloody mary and Margarita. Olivier Piffaudat said to eat it in 2 bites so I could get the salts on top in each bite. OMG it was totally like the actual cocktails and tasting the rim of the glass. I also got to taste the newest creation that does not have an official name yet but it is filled with yuzu, toasted green tea and a Japanese whisky. I think this is the most unique chocolate I have ever tasted in my life.
The Gousse d’amour, or Love Clove, made with black garlic!
And the newest creation in his store, called Gousse d’amour, translates to Love Clove…as in a garlic clove. This chocolate is made with black garlic, a very slowly caramelized garlic head which develops a sweeter, molasses or balsamic vinegar like taste. The dark chocolate and garlic ganache is really well balanced and will not ruin your breath, it is actually quite subtle. The whole chocolate is paired with a pinch of gomashio, a Japanese seasoning mix of salt, sesame seeds and seaweeds. A truly unique Saint-Valentine’s chocolate!
Decoration prepped chocolate molds – the new chocolate creation with yuzu, toasted green tea and a Japanese whisky
Olivier Piffaudat Chocolatier Alchimiste
Boutique du Chocolatier Alchimiste
1127 rue Bélanger
Montréal, QC, H2S 1H6
Canada
You can order online and if you are in Montreal this weekend Feb 5,6,7 2016 check out his stand at the Je t’aime en chocolat event at the Marché Bonsecours.
When I see lots of chocolates like this I miss Switzerland! Just trying out tasting the chocolates in there shop by shop will satisfy you cocoa cravings and best of all its free.
Totally remember doing that in Brussels! So gooooooood!
I have died and gone to Heaven! OMG..he is a pastry genius!I wish I could visit his shop. Right now I’ll dream of these dreamy flavours and creations.
Just got a flash of you 2 pairing up for a chocolate decorated cake…OMG 🙂
Hi Evelyn,
He made the Forrest Gump quote real, the one with “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get” (or something like that, lol).
I think it’s super cool if I’d have a Chocolatier friend like Olivier. It’s so nice of you to support a friend. 🙂
Thanks Marge for your great comment, I do believe in helping friends. And what a great quote to bring up from that movie!
How lucky for you to have such a talented friend. I wish him the best of luck.
Hi hi endu, it is good to be well surrounded. Will pass you wishes along
Now that’s a creative chocolatier! His chocolate looks quite yummy!
They are MJ 🙂
One of the girls at my work has done chocolate courses with world famous chocolatiers, we had weeks of trying strange combinations, curry was surprising exceptional. So I bet all these combinations were amaze. 🙂 Also, I am going to sneak into Eileens suitcase and visit too. 🙂
That is awesome that you have had your fair share of unique chocolates. OK I will expect both you and Eileen 🙂
Those flavours sound incredible! I’ve always wanted to improve my chocolate skills and now I definitely feel inspired!
Thank Lauren, I would love to do the same
You had me at passion fruit chocolate. It looks amazing!
Oh it was Rosemarie!
Wow, they look amazing. Some of those combinations sound a little unexpected, but I think you can find some really tasty food with strange mixes of ingredients. I would not have thought of black garlic chocolate, or the one with the Japanese seasoning mix.
Elissa the garlic and Japanese seasoning is one and the same chocolate, and I can vouch for its deliciousness 😀 Thanks for stopping by.
What an incredible chocolatier!! He is so inspiring and the flavours are mouth watering 😀
Definitely a unique and brilliant chocolatier. Wish you could taste some Lorraine.
I have a new mission in life… and it is to travel to Canada and try every single one of these chocolates. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks Eileen and come on over 🙂
Oh yum! Now I am in the mood for chocolate ♥
summerdaisy.net
It does wet the chocolaty appetite 🙂
What unique flavours! Lucky you getting to taste them.
They were different and some out of this world 🙂
Oh wow, they look and sound amazing ?
Indeed they were, wish I could share hi hi
Evelyne, you are succeeding in giving me a ‘je pense retourné a Montreal’ moment – I *have to* go back to Montreal. I am a huge dark chocolate fan and savoury chocolates are a chocoholic’s dream come true. (Sweet and salty, with the occasional mix of spice or unique flavour, is such a sensual pairing of taste palettes when it comes to chocolates!)
My husband would totally love the chocolates injected with whisky, ha ha.
Good luck in your culinary friend’s endeavours. Let us know when we can order online.
You have to come back Cynthia, we could have more fun lol. You would be in love then with this place. Yeah that whisky one is super unique! Actually you can order online already!
How incredible!! This is like a dream, a modern Willy Wonka. 🙂
What a great comparison Krista, thanks for stopping by!
Wow, these flavors sound incredible—though I know I’d be drawn to the cocktail inspired chocolates first 🙂
They were my faves too, and boozy
OMG, what unique chocolates! Chocolates with beets, squash and tomato? I never heard of such a thing, but I’m sure I would DEVOUR them all!
i know Melanie his flavors are insane but I assure you all are delicious 🙂