Cracking Crax
Imagine non spicy, non-yellow Cheetos what after years of school I learnt to call extruded snacks. Flavorful, Delightful rings. Came in a red or green bag.
And then vanished off the face of earth (Calcutta)...came back to New Delhi markets a few years later and then again vanished off the face of earth..as in the whole earth.
Bonny Mix
came to my life when the sun didn't always smile on my side of the bed (my first recognizable signs of depression and I was 8yrs old)...loved the gritty chocolatey flavor, they'd always insist I pour more milk in but I liked my porridge tighter. The first few times of pulling the milk container out of the fridge by myself made me feel very grown up. I still get that feeling sometimes. When it started to fade ff the market, first to go was chocolate flavor and man was the regular one horrible! I blended in nestle cocoa or nutramul in it and it was better than nothing which was soon to follow.
(By the way, lesson that I use in my job now (powders, blending, flavors and the effect of particle size on the same...came from the Cocoa vs. Nutramul blending in Bonny Mix)
Chantico was not hot chocolate at least not what you'd get anywhere in the name of hot chocolate its not mocha either. it was better.
Graduate school-I hated everything even the guy I was dating then (and am married to now). The work, the cold, the team, the neighbors, their fun, my food, just about everything. Just not Chantico. Did not care about the calories (8X regular coffee), did not care about the cost (3X regular coffee). One good sip would be a hot shower + home food + old friends + well slept charm.
But that vanished off their menu too.
I dont understand. Is it me? My tastes are weird and no one likes what I love? But whoever I talk to about this seem to miss Chantico, Bonny Mix etc I'm not a Marketing Guru, but isnt it counter intuitive to take something off the market that people like and want? that is probably not very expensive to produce either, else it would not have survived for all those years!I would really like to know this one? Or was it a new employee trying to show his superior intellect and decision making skills? Our industry doesn't lack that creed!
Bring Back Chantico or if not, let Espresso Truffle be!
Kothakoli-came from 'Kolikar kotha', in an effort to log the monologue-ous conversations that rage in conundrum, the arguments and questions that rumble inside to make me, 'me'. Kothakoli strives to stay true to the name: a dance, an exotic, challenging, colorful, beautiful dance. Somewhat like life itself.
5 comments:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2006-02-10-chantico_x.htm
In a rare flop for the fast-growing No. 1 coffee shop chain, Chantico was pulled from Starbucks' menu in January, a year after its introduction, spokesman Alan Hilowitz said.
Described as "a drinkable dessert," Chantico resembled the thick, sweet hot chocolate found in European cafes but was only available without any variations in a 6-ounce size.
In the end, that limitation irked customers who are used to dictating not only the size of their lattes and cappuccinos, but also whether they want regular or decaf coffee, non-fat, whole or soy milk, sugar-free or regular flavor shots, and even extras like whipped cream and caramel.
"It was something that customers did like, but they wanted to be able to do something else with it," Hilowitz said. "We wanted to go back and give customers what they are looking for."
The chain is testing other kinds of chocolate beverages and food offerings, Hilowitz said, but added that they were unlikely to resemble the now-defunct Chantico.
"I wouldn't say (it will be) a replacement for or a Chantico-like product," Hilowitz said. "I'd say kind of the next evolution of what an indulgent product would be at Starbucks."
Found a Recipe for Chantico... will try it tomorrow. Reviews to follow...
ingredients:
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz or 350ml)
3 heaping tbs cocoa (I used Penzey’s)
1/4 cup golden syrup (you could use light corn syrup)
3 oz or 100 gms Ghiradelli semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup or 60 ml heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
(optional) 2 tablespoons ginger syrup
Place everything except the heavy cream together in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, over medium low heat until the chocolate melts and the liquid is heated through. (Don’t let it boil.) Add the heavy cream and heat another minute or so. Pour into individual small cups. Makes approximately 4 five ounce servings.
http://www.blogaholics.ca/archives/2005/02/what_other_peop.html
So, what’s the synopsis. Well, if you like really dark rich chocolate, you will probably like it. But, if you know the difference between good chocolate and bad chocolate, you probably won’t. My opinion, whether as a drink or a dessert, it sucks. It’s not like a chocolate bar (in my opinion) even if it is a dark version of hot chocolate – mine was not even that thick. Perhaps, as one person over at CoffeeGeek observed, I am one of those “chocolate purists making fun of Hersheys like we make fun of instant coffee.”
My opinion, just buy some of your own high quality chocolate and make yourself something even better. It’s easy. Really. Here is how (vanilla bean optional).
Where does the word Chantico come from?
According to The Gods of Aztec Mythology, Chantico is the ” Domestic Goddess of the Home and Domestic Hearth Fires.” Oddly enough, she “symbolises the combination of pleasure and pain,” a pretty close mirror of the experience people have been having with Starbucks Chantico!!
Why the small cup and the high price?
Well, traditionally, rich hot chocolates are served in demi sizes because they are thick and intense – usually a combination too intense for a larger cup. Additionally, they do not contain milk, the common denominator in a standard hot chocolate. For most of history, chocolate was a drink – the “bar” is a recent invention.
Disclaimer: We are not sure it is actually pure chocolate and cannot find confirmation on the Starbucks page that it is. When we went to get it, we saw a barista mixing powder with milk and then steaming it.
From Starbucks we know that Chantico has:
390 Calories
190 Fat Calories
21g Fat
10g Saturated Fat
40g Sugar
It is, in fact, one of their most fattening beverages, even if it is the smallest. Luckily they don’t add whip, which would make it THE MOST fattening beverage in their lineup.
The Chantico recipe, not from Starbucks, is claimed to be: cocoa butter, cocoa powder, sugar and steamed whole milk.
Side note: the bad taste is likely coming from the lack of cacoa, while the fat comes from all that cocoa butter.
Price: this 6-0z concoction will set you back between $2.65 and $2.95.
Baristas over at Starbucks say it is a pain to make.
I MEAN C'MON PEOPLE!
Hi Kolika,
I was searching "Bonny Mix" after some zillion years of my life simply reminiscing the heavenly taste and mourning over its sudden demise (vanished from the market)I stumbled upon your blog. I read somewhere its back in the market, do you know if it really is or where can I find it in Kolkata? I am dying to grab one...
Lopa: I don't know. I wish it would reappear :)
Good Luck!
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