The much-loved ice cream tubs from Confiserie Sprüngli have long enjoyed cult status. Whether smooth and creamy or light and fruity, the classics in different flavors are a sheer taste experience thanks to their outstanding natural ingredients. One very special highlight of the range is the Grand Cru Sorbet au Chocolat.
We put a few questions about the irresistible Grand Cru Sorbet au Chocolat to our Senior Confectioner Philipp-Marius Renggli.
What is so special about the Grand Cru Sorbet au Chocolat?
What makes it special is that it is a sorbet rather than the usual milk-based chocolate ice cream. Then there is the exquisite and particularly intense grand cru chocolate that lends it its lusciously smooth flavor. The sorbet is also absolutely free of artificial additives and is still made in our own production facilities using traditional artisanal methods.
What kind of chocolate is used in the sorbet and what sets it apart from others?
For our sorbet, we use a pure grand cru couverture made from premium Criollo cocoa de Maracaibo, Venezuela, with 65% cocoa content – a superb, select chocolate with intense, subtly complex aromas.
What does 'grand cru' mean?
'Grand cru' is a name given to exquisite, select cocoa varieties from the world’s best growing regions. Only one type of cocoa is used when making a grand cru chocolate. This makes them so incredibly smooth-melting and aromatic in flavor. The characteristics of a grand cru cocoa are its single-variety selection, its origin, the harvest at the best possible point in time as well as sustainable production and gentle processing. It is also characteristic of a grand cru chocolate that you can taste its intense, subtly complex aromas.
Where did the idea of making a chocolate sorbet come from?
Confiserie Sprüngli is a pioneer in Switzerland in the area of grand cru chocolate products. We wanted to express this knowledge and expertise in our range of ice cream creations too.
It sounds as if it is a special challenge to produce a chocolate sorbet.
Capturing the desired intensity in taste in a sorbet is indeed a fundamental challenge. Unlike ice cream, a sorbet lacks the most common flavor carrier fat, in this case, butterfat. What's more, we do not use any flavor enhancers and rely entirely on the natural flavors of genuine, high-quality chocolate couverture. The Grand Cru chocolate we use has very little cocoa fat, is tart and refreshing in taste and intensely chocolaty, yet beautifully balanced. To sustain this exquisite taste in a creamy consistency is tricky, even in a fruit sorbet. With a chocolate sorbet, I would dare to call it a very demanding process.
What would you say goes particularly well with the sorbet?
It is a real taste experience to enjoy this sorbet on its own for dessert, but it is no less ideal as a cooling afternoon snack. Foodies should try the sorbet as part of a multi-course meal just before the main course, preferably with a drop of whisky.
Everyone should try this sorbet at least once. Why?
Nowhere else on the market is there a comparable sorbet that uses this first-class chocolate. It’s a must for every lover of grand cru chocolate and I’m quite sure that the first tasting won’t be the last.
Where do you most like to enjoy your sorbet?
My favorite way of enjoying it is relaxing on my balcony, watching the sun go down, reflecting on the day, surrounded by peace and quiet, all by myself.