Chocolatier Pete Hoepfner yana da lakabi: "mutumin alewa."Wasu masu shayarwa za su sami wannan laƙabin abin ban dariya.Hoepfner bai yi ba.

A matsayin mai mallakar Pete's Treats, cakulan truffles ƙwararrun Hoepfner ne.Kamar naman gwari mai zagaye bayan wanda aka ba su suna, truffles na buƙatar dogon lokaci mai ban mamaki don ɗaukar siffar.Yin aiki a kan batch na truffles 2,400 yana buƙatar Hoepfner ya tsaya na sa'o'i 30 a lokaci ɗaya akan na'urar zafin cakulan - duka shugaba da ma'aikacin kantin sayar da gumi na mutum ɗaya.

A lokacin karatun digiri, Hoepfner ya sami aiki a gidajen abinci.Ya ci gaba da aiki a matsayin masanin kimiyyar sinadarai, yana haɓaka gubar bera don dakunan gwaje-gwaje na Bell, kuma a matsayin mai dogon layi, yana fitar da kifi da dorinar ruwa daga Tekun Bering.Ƙwararren mai dafa abinci, madaidaicin masanin kimiyya da haƙurin masunta: dukkanin ukun ana buƙatar su juya danyen cakulan, kirim da man shanu a cikin tire na truffles.

"Zan iya jurewa komai da komai bayan tsawon shekaru," in ji Hoepfner.“Da yake kamun kifi, lokacinka baya ƙidaya… Duk abin da nake yi, ko dai in ba wa wani kifi kifi ko kuma in miƙa musu akwati na truffles.Wannan ita ce kawai hanyar da ake biyana: Dole ne in mika wani abu ga wani a jiki.”

Kowane truffle yana farawa azaman dunƙule mai girman ƙwallon golf na ganache, ko dai cakulan bayyananne ko ɗanɗano da Mint, jalapeño, Kahlua, shampagne, caramel ko tattarawar Berry.Anan, kuma, Hoepfner ya zaɓi mafi ƙarancin hanyar gaggawa mai yuwuwa, don neman berries na daji don ciyarwa a cikin juicer ɗin sa, da ƙirƙirar man shanu nasa na mint maimakon dogaro da kayan da aka siyo daga kantin sayar da shi yana samun cloying.

Lokacin da caramel mai gishiri ya zama ɗanɗano mai ɗanɗano, Hoepfner ya fara gishiri da truffles, na farko tare da gishiri mai laushi, sa'an nan kuma tare da itacen alder kyafaffen gishiri, yana ba da masaniya ga duk wanda ke cikin gidan hayaki.Hoepfner kuma ya cika da gishiri naman gwari na truffle, kodayake truffles mai ɗanɗanon ɗanɗano har yanzu bai bayyana akan menu ba.Lu'ulu'u na gishiri ya kamata ya zama babba kuma lebur, in ji Hoepfner - flakes waɗanda ke narkewa nan da nan maimakon rataye a kan harshen mutum.

Abin takaici ga Hoepfner, kamalar sa ba ta kai ga ayyukan kasuwancin sa ba.Saurin bayar da rangwame da farin cikin karɓar IOUs, Hoepfner a fili bai ji daɗin ra'ayin fitar da kuɗi daga abokan cinikinsa ba.Pete's Treats na yau da kullun ana siyar da truffles akan $3.54 kowanne.Hoepfner ya kira kansa "mafi girman dan kasuwa a duniya," rabi cikin raha.

"Farashina duk sun lalace," in ji Hoepfner.“Ina nufin, nawa kuke cajin waɗannan abubuwan dang?Matsalar kenan.Ba kamar ina so in sami ɗimbin kuɗi daga Cordovans ba, amma sannan, lokacin da kuka je wani wuri, akwati na huɗu shine $ 10, yayin da nake cajin $ 5. ”

Ga duk abin da yake sha'awa, Hoepfner kasancewa mai sauƙi ne a cikin ɗakin dafa abinci na Cibiyar Kiwon Lafiyar Al'umma ta Ilanka.Abubuwan da ake ganin suna matukar fusatar da shi shine pretension ko tsadar farashin da wasu chocolatiers suka yi.Ɗaya daga cikin kayan cin abinci na Seattle na zamani yana ba da cakulan da aka karye zuwa ɓangarorin da ba na yau da kullun ba: suna kiransa rustic, Hoepfner ya kira shi malalaci.

"Mutumin yana siyar da buhunan cakulan, oz 2.5 akan $7," in ji Hoepfner."Duk wannan ɗan'uwan yana shan cakulan mai zafi, zuba shi yana jefa goro a ciki!"

Tare da taimakon ma'aikatan cannery uku, Hoepfner yana samar da truffles kusan 9,000 kowace shekara.Hoepfner ya fahimci buƙatar ƙara yawan ribar riba, kuma watakila ma ya buɗe kantin sayar da kayayyaki.Amma yana so ya kashe waɗannan yanke shawara, kuma ya kasance cikin ɓacewa cikin jin daɗin sana'ar, ɗan lokaci kaɗan.

"Akwai yuwuwar a nan," in ji Hoepfner.“Akwai kasuwanci a nan wani wuri!Kuma aƙalla hakan yana hana ni daga cikin damuwa a halin yanzu.”

suzy@lstchocolatemachine.com

www.lschocolatemachine.com