KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — In a chocolate market dominated by a number of big foreign brands with brick and mortar shops that feed the masses, Cocoraw hopes to create a niche for their handmade chocolate truffles sold via their website or Facebook page.
New to the business, Cocoraw’s founders Lee See Pin and Michael Woo only started this part-time venture last January.
They believe there’s a gap in the market for these kind of handmade chocolate truffles that are in between the upper end premium chocolates and Cadbury chocolates. “We want Cocoraw to be more accessible in pricing and we are trying to fit in between those who buy say more upscale brands and Cadbury.”
The chocoholics’ love affair with chocolate saw them making their own versions in their kitchen with recipes picked up from the Internet. “We have always been making our own chocolates to taste for ourselves and to share with our friends,” said See Pin.
Late last year, they were inspired to take their hobby further after visiting an independent artisanal chocolate place called Monsieur Truffe during a trip to Melbourne. “They do their roasting and selection of beans themselves. That’s probably what we want to do later in the future,” said Michael who also appreciates good coffee.
In January, they decided to test the waters out for their chocolate venture by joining a flea market at Gaslight Cafe. Happy with the response from the public, they also joined other markets held at DR.Inc and Jaya One’s Markets to get word out on Cocoraw.
Cocoraw’s basic range includes two types of chocolates made from Belgium couverture. The Raw 70 is dark chocolate that is crafted using couverture that has 70 per cent cocoa mass. For those who prefer a milder chocolate flavour, there is The Milk with a creamier texture and hints of caramel. It’s made from couverture with 33 per cent cocoa mass.
Apart from this, they have also introduced special flavours like their Salted Gula Melaka and The Alcoholic Anonymous that is made with rum. In order to reach out to the public, they plan to introduce chocolates with a unique Malaysian twist every two months.
Expect flavours familiar to our local palate, like Ipoh white coffee which has a nice smoky taste that will be rolled out in June. Michael also hopes to introduce an adventurous combination of tuak and chocolate. Tuak is the traditional alcoholic drink from Sarawak that is made from the fermentation of rice. When distilled, it can taste similar to vodka, as Michael explains. He hopes to source for a supplier for tuak for him to experiment with the chocolates.
Cocoraw’s chocolate truffles is wrapped in paper to keep the air out and packed in a brown box stamped with their label. See Pin believes the simple packaging works for them since most chocolatiers tend to be more elaborate and they look rather similar with their printed paper packaging. In the future, there may be more tweaks to the packaging to refine its look but Cocoraw prefers to just stick to the minimalistic look, which is their signature.
As the chocolates are highly perishable, currently Cocoraw only makes their chocolates upon order. It’s recommended that the chocolate truffles are consumed within one week since it does not contain any preservatives even though it can last up to three weeks, when it’s properly stored in a box and refrigerated.
When it comes to preparing the truffles, it’s a two-person job. See Pin who has a sweet tooth loves to bake so she makes the truffles. As Michael explains, “This is her forte, as she has to measure and do it exactly.” Michael who prefers to cook takes on the role as the tastemaker that sees him developing their special flavours.
Unlike conventional chocolate truffles that are usually covered with tempered chocolate, Cocoraw prefers to make this type of chocolate truffles that is popular in Japan and marketed as Nama chocolates. “It’s more refreshing and I like the style. I like it chilled and how it just melts in the your mouth,” explained See Pin. As Michael adds, “The main thing is how it melts in the mouth when it touches the tongue unlike the Western style of chocolates as it’s tempered, it takes some time before it fully emulsifies in your mouth.”
These type of truffles also make it easier for you to taste the flavours straight away since it’s combined straightaway with the ganache and it melts together in the mouth. “If you have chocolates with filled centres, it’s harder to put in the funky flavours. Moreover the flavour is separated hence the flavours need to settle in the mouth before you taste it,” explained Michael.
In terms of business opportunities, Cocoraw is exploring options on how to market their truffles. “There are endless possibilities,” said See Pin. One idea they are considering is supplying the chocolate truffles to a cafe.
However, this is still subject to discussions since the freshness and proper handling of the chocolates is of utmost importance to Cocoraw to maintain the quality of their product.
Another avenue includes supplying the truffles as wedding favours. However, that is still in the R&D stage, as currently the truffles are incredibly heat sensitive. This may involve developing a tempered chocolate shell to prevent the truffles from melting in the heat.
In the meantime, Cocoraw has kicked off a collaboration with 50Gram florist. For the Mother’s Day celebrations that just passed, they did a give-away for their customers.
There will soon be an option for customers of 50Gram to send Cocoraw truffles together with their bouquet of flowers to create a special gift. Cocoraw will also be launching their website to reach out to more customers who can order their chocolates online and get them delivered. Currently the chocolates are only delivered via pick-ups arranged at Bangsar.
You may think Cocoraw makes raw chocolates from its name but in actual fact, it’s inspired by the translation for Nama, which means “raw” or “fresh” in Japanese.
“It’s also how we see our products, so we want to make sure it’s fresh and that is why it’s made to order. We also do not keep our products for more than three days after we make it and we prefer to ship it out the next day after it’s made,” said See Pin.
Indulge with Cocoraw by ordering via https://www.facebook.com/cocoraw.me or http:\\cocoraw.me. Each box is RM30 or RM55 for two boxes. One box contains 18 pieces that weigh approximately 195 grams.
