"Chocolate is my canvas": On the art of ephemeral pleasures
Each praline is handmade, unique, artfully decorated and filled with regional delicacies. Falstaff interviews the talented chocolatier behind the art of "Nebula Chocolate".
A winter day with phenomenal skiing weather. The slopes are fresh, the Bombardinos at the hut breathe fresh spirit back into the esprit. On the descent, the ground suddenly becomes rougher and the soft legs get to work, it starts to crunch under the skis—a mogul slope takes its start. As your eyes slowly open, the summery day brings you back to the here and now. The remnants of chocolate from a praline that chocolatière Eszter Lukenics has sweetly christened "mogul slope" melt in the mouth and, just like at the ski lodge, leave a hint of the fine eggnog with which they are filled.
The two mounds of the domed white chocolate praline mold are decorated with snowy blue stripes and golden dots. All that remains of the culinary sensory journey up the mountain and back to the present are fragments of cocoa beans , reminiscent of the stony, snow-covered earth—a unique, chocolaty masterpiece and as fleeting as the memory of a day of skiing with bombardinos and moguls.
The Long Journey to Nebula Chocolate
The world of chocolate is rich in seductive flavors and culinary masterpieces. In the midst of this beguiling universe, a talented chocolatier makes her mark with passion and creativity. Our author met her for a conversation about her inspiring journey from her native Hungary to Japan and Vienna, as well as her unique creations that she brings to life under the name "Nebula Chocolate".
I traveled a lot and I always wanted to take something with me, a souvenir. And there are always a lot of souvenirs and they are the same everywhere. You get the same chocolate, the same bag, only instead of Rome it says Budapest. And I wanted to do something unique.
- Eszter Lukenics
In the enchanting ambience of her small atelier, the chocolatière tells of her beginnings and her passion for artfully decorated chocolates. From her love of culinary arts and applied arts to inspirational moments from her life, influences that led to the creation of the one-woman show called "Nebula Chocolate."
The transience in the beautiful
The essence of transience as an essential aspect of beauty becomes the central theme of the conversation. Like the chocolates themselves, the precious moments we experience are fleeting. Eszter Lukenics tells of the longing to create something unique that preserves the memories of these fleeting moments. "You can't swim in happiness all the time. Everyday life is not easy. But there are always those little moments every day that give you energy. And I try to preserve these moments, feelings or thoughts in the chocolates," she says enthusiastically.
A touch of Jackson Pollock
For the aesthetics and decorations of the chocolates, Eszter Lukenics regularly draws inspiration from Vienna's numerous museums, first and foremost the Kunstforum with works of modern art movements, which particularly attract her with their vivid colors and dynamic shapes.
This is truly a unique experience because the praline you eat, you only get it once. And my fillings, they are all freshly made, with cream and no trans fats. For this they are less durable, but taste all the better. So this is actually like cake. So a cake from a pastry shop and a supermarket cake will never be equally good.
- Eszter Lukenics
Unique variety of flavors is a hallmark of the chocolates of "Nebula Chocolate". Because they are above all one thing: a lot of experimentation, a touch of Jackson Pollock and regionally handcrafted ingredients that create unusual flavor combinations. Each recipe is carefully developed over months, tested several times and made only with natural ingredients to ensure a harmonious balance of taste and quality .
An excellent food pairing
The harmonious combination of chocolate and wine is a topic that also keeps Eszter Lukenics busy. As pairings, she recommends Champagne with lighter, sweeter creations and stronger red wines with tarter, darker versions of her chocolates.
The future for Nebula Chocolate - do you have two hours left? I have so many ideas. That is the real problem, that there is too little time and too many ideas. I will never want to produce mass. My idea for the future is certainly not to then use machines to produce tons of Nebula chocolate. I will continue to produce small and just love to let people taste good chocolate and chocolates.
- Eszter Lukenics
The wonderful little delicacies are available at nebulachocolate.at.
