Anvers Confectionery started out as a cottage industry by Igor Van Gerwen and is now a flourishing business. Entering the retail shop one is greeted by an abundance of temptations from hand made chocolate truffles, chocolate delights, fudge and moulded pralines. 
Igor took the time to talk to me about his passion for chocolate and his long association with confectionery, icecream, pastry and his training in Belgium at a patisserie. As part of his culinary skills Igor learnt the art of handling chocolate from Roger Geerts - world renowned confectioner and master craftsman. On his arrival in Tasmania Igor worked for a bakery for many years before turning his attention back to confectionery. His dream and vision fulfilled with the opening of “House of Anvers” whose home is a stylish “Californian Bungalow” set on 1.12 hectares of beautiful old tree gardens and plants from all over the world which are all named thanks to the input from the Tasmanian Arboretum.
A small museum dedicated to the history of chocolate has been incorporated along with viewing areas to watch the chocolate process.
What I learnt from delightful chocolatier Igor is that Cocoa has a long and colourful history, the earliest evidence of cocoa bean is from the Forests of the Amazon four thousand years ago. The Mayan and Aztec cultures started to drink cocoa as a beverage about two thousand years ago. They worshipped the sacred tree and believed the pods were Gifts from the Gods hence the term “Food of the Gods” . The Mayan god Ykchaua was the Patron of Cocoa and no doubt a few sacrifices were made in his honour as well as being used in ceremonies and rituals the beans were also a form of currency.
The early Conquistador Cortez took the bean to Europe where it eventually spread through Spain, France and Italy where Napoleon being a man of the people took it from being a beverage for the elite to a drink for the people, still quite bitter and spicy. The science of chocolate is a very complicated one and there are many secrets to success.
It was not until 1828 when Dutchman Van Houten revolutionised the industry by inventing a hydraulic press that squeezed out the cocoa butter leaving the cocoa powder which was much more easily made into a palatable beverage. At this stage the cocoa butter was being discarded. It was Henry Nestle who on his quest to develop a formula suitable for babies developed condensed milk. The next step was taken mixing cocoa butter with condensed milk and milk chocolate was established.
After fermentation of the cocoa bean, it is dried, cleaned, roasted and the shell removed to produce the cocoa nibs which are then ground and this is pure chocolate in rough form.
It was Rodolphe Lindt chocolatier who helped unearth the secrets of chocolate by developing the conching method which transformed what was still a crumbly some what bitter product to a melt in the mouth world of pleasure. This saw a shift from being mostly a beverage to solid chocolate which in turn has become a favourite food type for many. The conching process of agitation promotes flavour development and the more the product is conched the finer the particles become, 35 microns being used for block chocolate and 18 microns for extra fine melt in the mouth chocolate.
Central and South America, West Africa and parts of Asia are now the areas producing the most Cocoa beans, and like a fine wine the basis of the the beans individual character is shaped by it origin”terroir”. Different cocoa has different characteristics and the roasting and acidity levels define the chocolate. Trinitano is a hybrid from Trinidad and has the characteristics that suit the team at Anvers. The dark chocolate has a cocao content of 64% and the milk 38% and is conched to a very fine stage. Add to this the Tasmanian cream, pure butter, exquisite natural flavours and you have a premium product.
The popularity of premium dark chocolate with high cocoa content has increased but as with wine there is a chocolate for every occasion and taste preference. Igor as a master artisan is continually creating flavours and fillings for specific matches for chefs for their menus.. Anvers situated at Latrobe on the highway between Launceston and Devonport is a chocolate taste sensation so food lovers drop in for an enjoyable experience as there is lots on offer here and a liquor license now allows people to also enjoy a delightful Tassie wine or beer either inside or out in a beautiful garden setting. At present you may prefer to be inside by the fire!!!!
Tasting Chocolate
Become a chocolate connoisseur. When tasting chocolate use all 5 senses.
Seeing - Look at the chocolate check the colour, consistency and silky sheen
Touch - Feel the surface of the chocolate - you want smooth, sleek and firm
Hearing - Listen for the snap which tells a firm compact structure, look for the edge of break to be smooth
Smell - Breathe deeply for full range of aromas you may get caramel, vanilla, cocoa and others
Taste - Melt in the mouth slowly check for harmonious blend of sweet and bitter, you may get dried fruits, and liquorice.
Whatever else you may taste there is bound to be an array of flavours and that bit of magic that makes chocolate so special to so many of us.
What do you love about chocolate?
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