A customer picking a chocolate product of Maison Marou at its new store. Photo Ly Ly Cao
HÀ NỘI — Maison Marou on October 29 launched its second store in Hà Nội, with most of its ingredients originating in Việt Nam.
After the first store on Thợ Nhuộm Street in Hoàn Kiếm District, Maison Marou's second outlet is at 46 Xuân Diệu Street in Hồ Tây District.
The company behind the hand-made chocolate said the new store would enable it to reach more domestic and international consumers with its products, which are bursting with Vietnamese flavour.
Vincent Mourou, co-founder of Maison Marou, said that except for flour, butter, and cream, which are imported from Europe, the rest of the ingredients are from provinces in Việt Nam.
"Việt Nam is blessed to have tropical fruits, nuts, herbs, and spices, so many to choose from. So we really try to elevate those ingredients by combining them with a French pastry," Mourou explained.
The main ingredient, cacao beans, are collected from several provinces in Việt Nam, including Bến Tre, Tiền Giang, Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu, Đồng Nai, Lâm Đồng and Đắk Lắk. Cacao beans from each province taste different because of their distinctive profiles and characteristics.
Mourou also believed that Maison Marou’s chocolate would bring the world of chocolate closer to these provinces and Việt Nam in general.
"Chocolates have been around for a very long time, and we have always been familiar with imported chocolate products. So we offer totally novel chocolate with a unique taste from Việt Nam, and the world of chocolate now has to acknowledge Việt Nam," the co-founder added.
The chocolate maker has put a lot of effort into finding cacao beans, setting standards and helping farmers produce the best ingredients.
"Cacao growers are our most important partners. There have been many challenges over the last few years, like climate change and fluctuations in cacao prices, so we have done everything we could to ensure they are doing well," Mourou said.
"Only good quality cacao can help us bring Vietnamese chocolate to the world." VNS
OVietnam