Conspiracy Chocolate's mahjong bonbons are a deliciously auspicious start to Chinese New Year
- Asia Family Traveller
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
The golden tiles are causing quite a stir. Carolynne Dear headed over to the Wong Chuk Hang chocolate factory for a tour
Conspiracy Chocolate's Chinese New Year mahjong bonbons - a winning golden hand
A Hong Kong start-up has released a ‘lucky’ set of chocolate mahjong tiles in time for Chinese New Year.
Conspiracy Chocolate, a boutique ‘bean to bar’ chocolate company based in Hong Kong Island's Wong Chuk Hang district, is the brainchild of Amit Oz and his partner, Celine Herren, who quit careers in finance to start the company in 2018. Their flagship annual product is a set of edible tiles that are snapped up by local hotels, restaurants and retailers.
The company began, as these things often do, by chance and by good fortune. The couple had been experimenting with chocolate making and started distributing batches to friends. One fan of their product suggested they hire a stand at a corporate Christmas fair, which led to a large order being placed, which was enough to give them the confidence - and the finances - to set up properly.
Like a fine wine, the chocolate-making process is an involved one. The initial step is to source a good product, in the case of chocolate, the couple quickly discovered it was imperative to work with a quality cacao bean grower who is also skilled in the art of fermenting the beans. As Oz explains, a thorough fermentation means less roasting is needed, which means the beans can undergo a more gentle roasting process and maintain their flavour and nutrient-dense qualities. In essence, fermentation is the most critical part of the chocolate-making process.
Cacao beans are grown in areas of the world that are between 10 degrees above and below the equator. Typically, producers are located in South America and Africa, but the industry has expanded to include growers in Southeast Asia. Oz and Herren pinpointed Vietnam as a potential supplier and spent an extended period of time travelling the length of the country in search of a quality grower. They found their perfect farm in Daklak in central Vietnam, an area also renowned for its coffee beans.
There are two harvests a year, one in November, the dry season, which, as Oz points out, is perfect timing for Christmas. Because of the lower humidity at this time of year, the beans can be dried in the sun, lending them a nuttier flavour. The second harvest comes in March during the rainy season. This means a slower fermentation in a greenhouse, resulting in a more complex, earthy flavour.
Once the beans arrive in Hong Kong, they are gently roasted and aged and then undergo a five-day stone-grinding process. It’s at this point the chocolate making process ends and the chocolatier takes over, carefully tempering the chocolate, moulding it and preparing the fillings. The mahjong tiles are cut to size and then hand stamped and finished with gold.
During my visit in late January, the factory was taken over with mahjong tile preparation. The tiles have three fillings this year, tie guan yin milk tea, coconut-sesame and black sesame ginger, and are presented as a set of 14 depicting the mahjong hand ‘13 Orphans’, or Sap Sam Jiu. This set was first produced in 2022 and was developed by chefs Zarah Tang and Jason Ho, who were leading Conspiracy’s research & development and confectionery production at the time. The Sap Sam Jiu hand is the rarest and most powerful winning hand in mahjong and uses all the tiles a player can hold at one time.
This year’s fillings were chosen by chef Ho who wanted to include his favourite Chinese desserts like black sesame dumplings in ginger soup. The almond praline is inspired by Hong Kong milk tea and the sesame-coconut tiles after Hong Kong-style mochi desserts.
The proof, as they say, is in the eating, and having nibbled on a fair few tiles as I was shown around, I can confirm these chocolates are quite delectable. If pushed, I’d say my favourite was the coconut-sesame. Their presentation in a red and gold box is stunning; all in all, this is a Chinese New Year gift to be treasured.
Conspiracy Chocolate products can be found in restaurants and cocktail bars across the city, as well as for sale in City’super, Feather & Bone, The Whisky Library, Brisa, La Cabane and online from Conspiracy’s e-shop.
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