Food
These Asian Chocolatiers Are Spicing Up the Global Sweets Scene
- Southeast Asian chocolate makers are overcoming tropical heat
- Asian spices and flavors are winning Westerners and locals
Soy sauce and noodle soups aren’t the most natural flavor pairings for chocolate, but a rising crop of artisanal chocolate makers are daring to try—and succeeding—in the unlikeliest of places.
In Ho Chi Minh City, artisans are creating world-class chocolate bars and adding a splash of spices for a “pho” confection. Chocolate-makers in the Philippines are mixing soy sauce with their sweets, while in Indonesia chocolatiers are producing cocoa with a “tobacco aftertaste.”