Images

Updated 25 Feb, 2019

If there was ever a chocolate diet, we'd be the first ones on it!

Safe to say, we take our chocolate very seriously. So when we heard news of an all-chocolate store called Aztec opening in Karachi, our sweet tooth radar immediately went on high alert.

Sorry boss, we have a meeting with Willy Wonka and we won't be back anytime soon.

Situated on Main Khaybane-e-Badar, Aztec promises sweet indulgence and chocolate at its finest. Hoping it lived up to its word, we swiftly made our way inside the little shop and only briefly stopped to feast our eyes on the colourfully packaged chocolates meticulously laid out in front of us.

A side glance at each other and a satisfied smile screaming 'Cha-ching!' later, we were gorging on decadent chocolate presented elegantly on small silver platters to us.

And would you believe it, we found the Promised Land.

Photo courtesy: Sehr Pirzada
Photo courtesy: Sehr Pirzada

"I've been wanting to [open a chocolate store] for a long time - I used to make handmade chocolates 17 years ago and sell them on occasions," a jaunty Naila Naqvi, the brains and CEO behind Aztec, tells us.

Offering 45 varieties of chocolates, many of which come in pairs of milk and dark, Naila explains that not all the chocolates required experimentation, like the mini-Oreos covered in chocolate. However, chocolates like The Pyramid, which is milk chocolate stuffed with feuilletine, brittle crispy flakes, and the Cheesecake, took quite a few trials to get right.

None of the chocolates contain local ingredients, Naila adds, and all of them are made abroad. "We worked with a Belgium supplier - the flavours and everything. They use the best Belgian chocolate."

It would be a sin to talk about the chocolate on offer and not let you in on our favourites. Here are our picks in order of the most loved.

1. Lotus Biscuit Milk

An absolute winner and not surprisingly, Naila's personal favourite from the lot. The Lotus Biscuit Milk is the love child of the widely popular Lotus Biscuit (a caramelised, crunchy biscuit) and milk chocolate. Yes. It's that simple.

One expects the biscuit to be heavy, but the minute you bite into it, the camarelised biscuit splendidly melts in your mouth
One expects the biscuit to be heavy, but the minute you bite into it, the camarelised biscuit splendidly melts in your mouth

One would expect the biscuit to be heavy, but the minute you bite into it, the camarelised biscuit splendidly melts in your mouth with the chocolate coating and leaves a feel-good taste. It's super light and if you're hoping one would be enough, you're wrong. Because the biscuit is so light, the rectangular bar can easily be broken into pieces and shared, which we did, but you should not! Do not share this chocolate!

2. Dragee Coffee

Can we just take a moment to say that the Dragee collection is flawless.

One would hesitate before biting into a solid coffee bean, but there's nothing to fear here
One would hesitate before biting into a solid coffee bean, but there's nothing to fear here

These tiny pellet-like chocolates pack some serious punch, especially the Dragee Coffee, which are coffee beans covered in milk chocolate. One would hesitate before biting into a solid coffee bean, however, the chocolate coating provides the needed sweetness and definitely gives you a kick - you'd be good just eating one and savouring it. Trust us.

3. Heart

The Heart is pure chocolate indulgence. If you're into rich chocolate with a creamy filling, then this is your best bet. The hard chocolate shell paired with a cream praline filling is enough to make any heart flutter. (Gosh, aren't we cheesy?)

Which brings us to our next favourite.

4. Cheesecake

Honestly, we were eyeing this one from the start and we were so afraid this would be a disappointment but we were wrong. The Cheesecake chocolate actually tasted like cheesecake! We know. Surprising.

The Cheesecake chocolate actually tasted like cheesecake!
The Cheesecake chocolate actually tasted like cheesecake!

The cheesecake cream filling worked wonderfully with the hard chocolate coating. The filling even had a cheesecake-like consistency to it, which made the chocolate even more of a treat to eat.

5. Cigar

This one intrigued us the most, mostly because of its name. Though it didn't taste anything like it, this cylindrical chocolate is a rolled wafer covered in milk chocolate. Again, super light, and the combination of the two — the crunch and flakiness of the wafer and the chocolate melting in your mouth — adds welcome texture to the chocolate.

The crunch and flakiness of the wafer and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate adds much-needed texture to this chocolate
The crunch and flakiness of the wafer and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate adds much-needed texture to this chocolate

Bonus: the wafar (like the Lotus biscuit) was not soft or soggy, it was actually crisp.

6. Milk Carre

A classic taste
A classic taste

Pure milk chocolate is a classic you can't go wrong with. Period.

7. Dark Carre

This one was dark, oh so dark and rich. We loved it. The Dark Carre with a hot cuppa would be divine right about now.

Dark Carre could make Pakistani avid consumers of dark chocolate!
Dark Carre could make Pakistani avid consumers of dark chocolate!

Even though Naila knows Pakistanis prefer milk chocolate above everything else, she made sure to include dark variations of as many chocolates as she could and boy are we glad she did.

8. Diet Dark Carre

First of all, kudos to the team for making chocolate for people with diabetes. The Diet Dark Caree is 85% dark and contains no sugar.

Kudos to the team for making chocolate for people with diabetes!
Kudos to the team for making chocolate for people with diabetes!

The chocolate surprisingly did not taste as bitter as we expected and was a little on the sweet side (a tad bit sweeter than the Dark Caree), but we savoured it nonetheless. Who are we to say no to good chocolate?

9. Pear

This without a doubt was the fanciest of the lot. Shaped like a pear and wrapped in a gold sheet, it was a treat to look at and unwrap. One of these and you're probably good for the day.

This without a doubt was the fanciest of the lot
This without a doubt was the fanciest of the lot

The hardened chocolate when bit into oozes a generous amount of milk cream filling in your mouth and you're left with the chocolate's hard texture, some truly rich cream as well as some crunch. Delicious.

10. Dragee Almond/Dragee Raisin

The quality of raisin and almond coupled with rich milk chocolate makes one go gaga
The quality of raisin and almond coupled with rich milk chocolate makes one go gaga

Like we said, you simply can't go wrong with the Dragee collection. It may seem basic but the quality of raisin and almond coupled with rich milk chocolate makes one go gaga. Sometimes it's all about enjoying the simple things.

To truly enjoy these treats, Naila lets us in on a care tip: Make sure the chocolate is room temperature before eating it, so you can savour its actual taste.

Having tried a bunch of Aztec chocolates, the only thing we're looking forward to? A spiced chocolate flavour.

Now, please excuse while we enjoy our chocolate coma.

Comments

A Pakistani Oct 20, 2017 05:26pm
O my God. Loving it
Recommend (0)
zebswati Oct 20, 2017 05:37pm
impressive !
Recommend (0)
ABE Oct 20, 2017 06:44pm
Best chocolates in the world come from best dairy regions around the Alps, namely Switzerland and Bavaria, Germany. Aztec were of South American origin, mainly Mexico. Chocolate was not what they were known for, since they lacked the ingredients and skills. Hence they had none. Odd choice of name for a confectioner.
Recommend (0)
Salman Oct 20, 2017 10:27pm
If your quality is good, then all you now need is good marketing and you can take on the world! Good luck!
Recommend (0)
Saeeds Oct 20, 2017 10:49pm
Chocolate making is an art and as far presentation goes you got full point. I am hoping taste will be great too. Thanks for sharing
Recommend (0)
fus Oct 20, 2017 11:03pm
@ABE My friend, there is nothing odd about the name. Chocolate was actually started by Aztecs using seed of cacao tree, which is its main ingredient. Even today Mexico is among the top exporters of Cacao. Aztec considered Cacao tree seed as gift from their god. European started making chocolates many centuries after Aztecs. Hope you learned something new :).
Recommend (0)
Khaleesi Oct 21, 2017 04:19am
What a fun read! Very well written and kudos to Naila! In a country obsessed with foreign brands - it takes guts to go for the road less travelled. Bravo!
Recommend (0)
ak4pk Oct 21, 2017 05:25am
I could never have eaten that many chocolate in one go as you did. And after eating one variety followed by another, it is a miracle that you could describe what they all tasted like. I am afraid you are telling fibs. I think these are Naila’s words that you’ve penned down. T As I can gather, these chocolates are made in Belgium for Aztec and are imports into Pakistan. It’s an irony that at a time when we are down the slippery slope with our foreign exchange reserves, we can afford imported Belgian Chocolates. It is the silliest joke I have ever heard!
Recommend (0)
Saira Oct 21, 2017 05:14pm
@ABE Do some research and get your facts right. Chocolate was initially introduced by the Aztecs through hot drinks and cooking!
Recommend (0)