Nathaniel, left, Alayna and Alyssa, right, taste the fruits of their labour.
Nathaniel, left, Alayna and Alyssa, right, taste the fruits of their labour.

Children and the chocolate factory



Desperate to prevent a holiday meltdown with the children? Chocoholics and future pastry chefs alike will find the ChoCo'a factory tour in Dubai entertaining and delicious. Three siblings share the flavour-filled secrets of their own chocolate taste test

Do you like chocolate? I certainly do. Chocolate is produced in a chocolate factory. I was lucky enough to visit one. The one I went to, ChoCo'a, produces wonderful variations and flavours from the basic bar of chocolate.

On arrival at the factory, we were introduced to the pastry chef, Frederic Legras, who told us that ChoCo'a buys its plain chocolate from the quality Belgian brand Callebaut in five-kilogram blocks.

In the factory they add their own unique flavours, shapes, design and wrapping to the chocolate, or include it in their cakes and muffins.

First, we were told how chocolate is made: cocoa butter and cocoa powder are combined, as well as plenty of milk and sugar. White chocolate is slightly different: it doesn't contain cocoa powder; it is the cocoa butter that gives it its chocolatey texture.

Afterwards, we were given a visual explanation of how the chocolate is melted and reformed, and then moulded into shapes, using machines that heat and cool it to the right temperature, as well as being whipped and stirred to keep it light and frothy.

In the packaging room, we were shown how the wonderful shapes of chocolate are packed and sent around the country. They have a new machine that wraps the small bars in shiny paper and seals them with a ChoCo'a sticker. The more complicated shapes are wrapped by hand.

After that, we were invited into the storage room to sample various types of chocolate. The thing that makes ChoCo'a so unique is its diverse variations and flavours of chocolate - they have 48 different types. Some of the ones we sampled were classic vanilla, chocolate with sesame (seeds and spices inside the chocolate) and English toffee - smooth, soft toffee coated in milk chocolate. The chef's favourite - chocolate molasses - was a sweet, brown sugar-tasting bar with an aromatic scent.

Finally, we visited the pastry room where cakes and muffins are produced. The cake batter is spread over silicon mats, baked 16 at a time, then layered with creamy fillings to produce sponge cakes. Cakes are made to order - they prepare about 200 cakes a week. Chef made some warm cupcakes specially for us - sponge cake on the outside and warm melted chocolate inside. It was the best ever.

It was a wonderful experience as I am a budding chef and a chocoholic.

Nathaniel, 14

On Saturday we went to the ChoCo'a factory where we met the chef called Frederic, who was going to show us around and was going to tell us stuff about the place and show us four different rooms.

First we went to the storeroom and Frederic showed us a huge carton of cocoa butter and he let us taste a tiny piece. He told us some facts about it and showed us the basic chocolate that they get from Europe and use to make the ChoCo'a chocolate.

After that we went to a room where they package the chocolate and put them in boxes ready to go to hotels and the shops. And we saw these big boxes of chocolates which were neatly wrapped by a machine. There were ladies working there whose job was to wrap small chocolates and box them.

Next we went to a room where they make the chocolate and pour it into moulds and fill with caramel etc. We saw a machine which "enrobes" a chocolate bar - it gets coated with melted chocolate and in 12 minutes goes through a really long tunnel machine. When it comes out the chocolate is cool and set and ready to eat.

Then we went into the testing room to taste chocolates and we tried so many chocolates - classic vanilla, chocolate with figs and sesame seeds, chocolate with molasses and last of all the English toffee chocolate, which was my favourite.

Finally we went into the baking room where they make cakes, cupcakes and cookies and decorate them. We watched the staff decorating cakes - one cake looked like a white, fluffy cat and another one was like ballerinas doing gymnastics and one was Daisy Duck and one was Minnie Mouse.

Lastly, we made these delicious cupcakes - Chef let me have a go, and I carefully poured the batter into the muffin case! They cooked in 10 minutes and we ate the cupcakes - which were sponge cake on the outside and oozed with warm dark chocolate when cut open. They were delicious and hot from the oven.

Alayna, 8

My mum Vea, my brother Nat, my sister Alayna and I went to the ChoCo'a factory. When we arrived, we met Frederic, our guide.

First of all, we had to wash our hands and wear a hair net. Then we visited the storeroom. The ChoCo'a factory doesn't make its own chocolate - they buy the chocolate from a company called Callebaut - the finest Belgian chocolate. They add cocoa butter to it along with other ingredients to make the chocolate that we are familiar with. I found out that the cocoa butter is tasteless and it can either be hard or liquid, not spreadable like real butter.

Next, we went to a room where there were many machines. Frederic told us about all the machines and their jobs. There were also all these different shapes and sizes of chocolate kept to cool on racks, and I was surprised to see some edible chocolate shoes.

We then went to the tasting room where we were given different flavoured chocolates to taste from boxes that were stuffed full to the brim. We tasted the classic vanilla, sesame nougat, milk chocolate and English toffee, which were all beautifully machine wrapped.

After we had eaten all those delicious chocolates, we went to the pastry department where staff were decorating cakes made to order - a white, furry cat, a cake with ballerinas on it, a huge figure-3 cake and little decorated cupcakes.

Chef then took us to the preparation room where he taught us to make warm cupcakes. The ingredients were: dark chocolate shavings, flour, melted butter, sugar and eggs all blended together. He poured the batter into muffin cases, and baked them in the oven for about 10 minutes, gas mark 180 degrees. Chef then cut through the middle of each cupcake and warm dark chocolate ran out - such a treat. I loved it and will try to bake some at home.

Chef Frederic was welcoming and entertaining, and I had a wonderful, memorable time at ChoCo'a.

Alyssa, 12

For a personalised tour of the ChoCo'a chocolate factory, go to www.chocoa.ae/en/factory/special-visits tour.

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

Nepotism is the name of the game

Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad. 

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
'Moonshot'

Director: Chris Winterbauer

Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse 

Rating: 3/5

Ahmed Raza

UAE cricket captain

Age: 31

Born: Sharjah

Role: Left-arm spinner

One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95

T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28

MWTC info

Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hoopla%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jacqueline%20Perrottet%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20required%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

World Cup warm-up fixtures

Friday, May 24:

  • Pakistan v Afghanistan (Bristol)
  • Sri Lanka v South Africa (Cardiff)

Saturday, May 25

  • England v Australia (Southampton)
  • India v New Zealand (The Oval, London)

Sunday, May 26

  • South Africa v West Indies (Bristol)
  • Pakistan v Bangladesh (Cardiff)

Monday, May 27

  • Australia v Sri Lanka (Southampton)
  • England v Afghanistan (The Oval, London)

Tuesday, May 28

  • West Indies v New Zealand (Bristol)
  • Bangladesh v India (Cardiff)
Panipat

Director Ashutosh Gowariker

Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment

Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman

Rating 3 /stars

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries


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