It’s All White with Noosa Chocolate Factory
Melanie Rosettenstein samples Noosa Chocolate Factory’s white chocolate range and discovers the sweet taste of the Sunshine Coast.
A visit to the Noosa Chocolate Factory is always a treat thanks to the delicious, handmade chocolate adorning every shelf – and General Manager Nick Southon and his team, who bring the good vibes. It was an alright, all-white day when I had the chance to sample the wondrous white chocolate range! Nick and I caught up over a housemade hot chocolate where he explained that white chocolate was actually invented by accident!
“In the late 1920s or early 1930s, white chocolate was initially developed in Switzerland as a coating for kids’ medications,” he said. “Nestlé was credited for its creation,
While Nestlé helped lay the foundations for a global chocolate revolution, we can all be grateful to Noosa Chocolate Factory for their chocolatey artisanal sensations that are handmade locally without any unnatural additives, are 100% sustainably sourced (you won’t find a drop of palm oil in their products) and where possible, feature locally-sourced ingredients. Well known for their dark and milk chocolate creations, I ask Nick what makes Noosa Chocolate Factory’s white chocolate delights stand out.
He explained that while they use the same natural products as the dark and milk chocolate range, white chocolate contains only 29% cocoa and because it’s far sweeter than anything else, they produce it in fewer varieties.
“Unlike other chocolates, white chocolate doesn’t use cocoa powder,” he shares. “Instead, it’s made with cocoa butter, combined with a lot of sugar, milk powder, and vanilla. It picks up other flavours well, so we combine it with things like mango, berries and nuts to create a good taste contrast.”
I’m invited to try the berry good 29% berry options. What a daydream! Sinking my teeth into a creamy slab of Smashed Raspberry white chocolate laced with freeze-dried raspberries was an instant taste explosion. The sweetness was offset by the tart berry taste, both flavours doing the macarena in my mouth. I reach for the Smashed Strawberry! Again, amazingly tangy with the strong fresh flavour of strawberry bursting onto my palate! Both options are perfect for berry lovers with a sweet tooth. They also come as crowd-pleasing, bite-sized, whole freeze-dried fruit, wrapped in a luxuriously smooth white chocolate coating that’s simply irresistible.
Next, Nick shared his favourite – the Mango Macadamia – a sweet, round, creamy and very real taste of mango with the delicious crunch of macadamia in the middle. As one of Noosa Chocolate Factory’s top sellers, it just screams Sunshine Coast and is so good that it immediately tops my favourite of the taste session. With the mango and berry mangoes dutifully tasted, it was time to get nutty!
Sunshine Coast Macadamias perfectly blend milky white chocolate and crunchy fresh macadamias that simply melt in your mouth. I swear if you pop one in your mouth and close your eyes, you can hear the rustle of the mac trees blowing in a hinterland breeze. Next up on the taste safari is the South Australian Almonds featuring freshly roasted almonds enveloped in a silky coat of white chocolate – a harmonious and delicate combination of chewy and crunchy.
But it was the nutty delight of Marble Hazelnut that truly won me over! After savouring the deliciousness of all the others, the triple hit of white chocolate, gianduja, and hazelnut delivered an irresistible combination that lit up my taste buds and sent my brain into a delightful spin. Sorry Mango Macadamia, without a doubt, Marble Hazelnut is #1!
Nick explained that the hazelnuts were another good pairing as they toned down the sweetness of the white chocolate.
“Our hazelnut variety includes a paste called gianduja and a touch of milk chocolate which creates a marbled effect,” he said. It’s simply delightful!
When I ask Nick what sort of beverage pairs well with white chocolate, he suggested coffee or even white wine.
“Coffee works well, but for something more formal, white wine complements our white chocolate beautifully,” he enthused as I take careful note.
“When we’re entertaining at home, we’ll even create a chocolate platter with some of our favourites mixed up with some fresh fruit. This pairs extremely well with wine and our guests love it.”
Count me in! And, don’t forget Easter and Mother’s Day for the ultimate points scored in gift-giving! So, whether you’re mad for Mango Macadamia, salivating for a Smashed Raspberry Slab, or a die-hard Marble Hazelnut fan (I see you!), everything’s all white with Noosa Chocolate Factory’s delectable white chocolate range!
CHOCOLATE FIX
Next time you’re in Brisbane and are craving your favourite Noosa Chocolate Factory fix, be sure to pop into their newly-revamped Café and Retail outlet at 156 Adelaide Street where you can sit and enjoy a coffee and chocolate – bringing the sweetness of the Sunshine Coast to the City!
Visit the Venture Drive Factory where the magic is made; Visit noosachocolatefactory.com.au to shop the range or find your closest Noosa Chocolate Factory fix!
