How Dubai’s Mirzam Chocolate Factory helped me become a chocolatier for a day

They say art imitates life, but in some cases it’s the other way round as well.

I can’t help but imagine that when Kathy Johnston, the self-titled chief chocolate officer at Mirzam Chocolate Makers, followed her heart and channeled her passion and energies into setting up the chocolate factory in the industrial sector of Dubai’s Al Quoz in 2016, she understood and realised that comparisons would inevitably be drawn between her and the lovable character of Willie Wonka from the Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The novel was later adapted into a screenplay for a Hollywood production that has since seen several remakes, the most well known of which features Johnny Depp as the eccentric chocolatier.

The similarities are striking — Johnston, like Wonka, followed her heart, and her passion for chocolate eventually led her to set up a chocolate factory, only hers is in the heart of Dubai’s industrial neighbourhood that is fast gaining a reputation as an upscale, commercially social hub.

Also inadvertently following in Wonka’s footsteps, Johnston’s experimentation with cocoa beans led her to produce in what in all probability is the most wholesome and fulfilling chocolate experience in the world, treating the cocoa beans with the love, care, and the respect they deserve to create a chocolate manna that is veritably the food of the gods.

Johnston’s little helpers are everywhere, busily going about their assigned tasks of roasting and grinding the fermented cocoa beans to yield bars upon bars of the dark brown gold. They go about their work with utter diligence and commitment, not once leaving the chocolate-making process unattended or unchecked lest the end product suffer from negligence.

As our party of five wide-eyed soon-to-be amateur chocolatiers toured the factory, I realised what the titular character of Charlie Bucket must have felt while exploring Wonka’s factory. We were walked through the entire process of the intricate and painstaking chocolate-making at Mirzam Chocolate Factory through glass-panelled screens by our charming Sri Lankan host, as even the slightest change in temperature or human exposure could change the trademark flavour of the high-end product.

The word Mirzam — Arabic for herald — is taken from a star once used for celestial navigation by dhow sailors on the historical Spice Route, a passage that no doubt helped the once-humble cocoa bean travel from their native origins and take up their rightful place on the world stage as the king of desserts, and the choicest of confectionary.

The Mirzam Chocolates experience wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the chocolate-making process from end to end; ie from the roasting and grinding of the fermented beans to the fun-filled chocolate bar-forming process which visitors are urged to experience and savour. Even minute details, such as the folding of the foil and paper wrapper are keenly supervised for a more wholesome experience.

Mirzam Chocolates are available in a wide variety of exciting flavours with prices on the slightly steeper side due to their exclusivity and a definite edge over other popular commercial brands. Among some of their top sellers are the Pistachio Stardust (AED 185), Dark Chocolate with Candied Oranges and Orange-infused Toffee (AED 40), Dark Milk Chocolate with Sea Salt (AED 83), Dark Chocolate with Cardamom and Coffee (AED 39), Milk Chocolate with Whole Roasted Hazelnut Slab (AED 90), Dark Chocolate with Rose (AED 39), Dark Chocolate with Pistachio Praline (AED 46), Alphonso Mango White Chocolate (AED 43) and White Chocolate with Orange Blossom and Roasted Almond (AED 43).

Then there’s the display area with extended product displays, yummy free samples and a bakery and open cafe where connoisseurs can enjoy a wholesome cup of hot chocolate and nibble on tasty chocolatey treats while meeting up with friends and family.

Earlier, our party of five had walked in as eager visitors on a media familiarisation trip on behalf of the Dubai Tourism Authority willing to try out something truly new and unique but as we walked out, we had transformed into amateur chocolatiers during the two-hour stay and exposure to the intricate art of chocolate-making at the Mirzam Chocolate Factory. Thanks to the visionary efforts of Johnston and her cherished dream to give the gift of pure unadulterated chocolate to Emiratis and the world, the intricate art of chocolate-making has been transformed into a joyous experience and one not easily forgotten.

All photos from Mirzam Chocolate/Facebook