With Läderach founded by his grandfather in 1962, Elias Läderach grew up surrounded by the product. “Even as kids, my memory revolves around him bringing us to buy Easter bunnies and baking with him—he was so passionate about chocolate,” smiles Elias, when I meet him in Läderach’s flagship store in TRX. “From an early age, he infused his love for chocolate into all of us and I’ve never lost that joy of working with it.”
On his first-ever trip to Kuala Lumpur, we speak to Elias about what it takes to be a world chocolate master and the chief creative officer of Läderach Switzerland, as well as how much chocolate he really eats in a day.
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What goes into the most premium chocolate?
Elias Läderach
Great ingredients. You cannot put something low quality in and result in a high quality product. Also, freshness, which is usually associated with vegetables or fruit, but also matters when it comes to chocolate. Chocolate does not get mouldy or go bad, so it can last for years, but there is a huge difference between eating fresh chocolate and old chocolate.
At Läderach, we really control the whole process of the supply chain, as well as paying attention to temperature and circumstances, as we produce everything in Switzerland and ship it around the world.
If you had to choose one flavour of chocolate for the rest of your life, what would it be?
My favourite chocolate depends on my mood. But if I had to choose one, the milk chocolate with caramelised hazelnuts. It is also our bestseller and the flavours and textures are amazing—the hazelnuts are caramelised and the combination of the crunchy nuts and creamy chocolate works so well.
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What is the proper way to consume chocolate?
I always say to use all your five senses. Touch and feel it, break it—it should have a nice snap if made with high quality cocoa butter—and smell it.
When it comes to storing, it should be between 16 to 18 degrees, not in the fridge, as when you taste cold chocolate, you won’t get as rich a flavour. If eaten from the fridge, let the chocolate get to room temperature first.
On a daily basis, how much chocolate do you consume?
I eat chocolate every day! On average, about 50 grams a day, sometimes more if we’re doing large tastings from each market, and sometimes less. But I am still in love with it as I always have been!
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How do you come up with new flavour pairings?
I love getting inspiration from Instagram or Pinterest. I also am intrigued by other industries, whether design or architecture. Flavour wise, I like to learn from restaurants, as they have a broader horizon working with savoury ingredients.
During my travels, like being here in Malaysia for the first time, I also am creatively driven after trying new dishes or learning about flavour combinations.
What is the most difficult thing when it comes to developing recipes?
I really ensure that every ingredient that goes into our chocolate shines. I love to make recipes that are clear and understandable. For instance, milk chocolate and hazelnuts has to have smoothness, roundness, and creaminess from the chocolate and the nuts, which you see, feel, and taste in the finished product. We source our hazelnuts from Piemonte, Italy, which is the most premium in the market.
What are your hopes for the future?
When my grandfather first started the business in Switzerland, it was B2B, and we only became a consumer brand in the 80s. As a third-generation brand now, we are rolling out Läderach on a global scale and it gives us so much fulfilment to bring it to other countries and see the joy it brings people. Chocolate is such an emotional product, and to me, it is so much more than just a job.
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