UChocolatier uPete Hoepfner unegama lesiqhulo: "indoda yeelekese."Abanye abenzi bezobisi baya kulifumana eli gama limnandi.UHoepfner akenzi njalo.

Njengomnini wePete's Treats, itruffles yetshokholethi zizinto ezikhethekileyo zikaHoepfner.Njengomngundo ojikelezileyo othiywe ngawo, ii-truffles zifuna ixesha elide elimangalisayo lokumila.Ukusebenza kwibhetshi yee-truffles ezingama-2,400 kufuna ukuba uHoepfner eme iiyure ezingama-30 ngexesha phezu komatshini wokuthambisa itshokolethi - bobabini umphathi kunye nomsebenzi we-sweatshop yomntu omnye.

Ngexesha lesikolo segrad, uHoepfner wafumana umsebenzi kwiindawo zokutyela.Uqhubekile wasebenza njengekhemisti, ephuhlisa ityhefu yeempuku kwiBell Laboratories, kunye ne-longliner, erhuqa iintlanzi kunye nengwane ephuma kuLwandle lwaseBering.Ukukhuthala kompheki, ukuchaneka kwesazi kunye nomonde womlobi: zonke ezintathu kufuneka ziguqule itshokolethi eluhlaza, ukhilimu kunye nebhotela kwi-tray ye-truffles.

“Ndinganyamezela nantoni na emva kokulinda iminyaka,” utshilo uHoepfner.“Njengokuba ungumlobi, ixesha lakho alibali… Yonke into endiyenzayo, kufuneka ndinike umntu intlanzi okanye ndimnike ibhokisi yeetruffles.Yiloo ndlela kuphela endihlawulwa ngayo: kufuneka ndinike umntu okuthile ngokwasemzimbeni.”

I-truffle nganye iqala njengegaqa elilingana nebhola yegalufa ye-ganache, nokuba itshokolethi engenanto okanye enencasa nge-mint, i-jalapeño, i-Kahlua, i-champagne, i-caramel okanye i-concentrate yequnube.Apha, kwakhona, uHoepfner ukhetha eyona ndlela ikhawulezayo inokwenzeka, ukukhangela amaqunube asendle ukuze atye kwijusi yakhe yomphunga, kwaye enze eyakhe ibhotolo ye-mint endaweni yokuxhomekeka kwiincindi ezithengwe evenkileni azifumana zivale kakhulu.

Xa i-caramel enetyuwa yaba yincasa ye-du jour, u-Hoepfner waqala ukugalela ii-truffles zakhe, okokuqala ngetyuwa yolwandle, emva koko ngomthi we-alder watshaya ityuwa, enika i-tang eqhelekileyo kuye nabani na ongaphakathi kwindlu yokutshaya.U-Hoepfner uye wadibana netyuwa ye-truffles fungus, nangona ii-truffles ezinencasa ye-truffle zingekaveli kwimenyu.Iikristale zetyuwa kufuneka zibe nkulu kwaye zicaba, utshilo uHoepfner - iiflakes ezinyibilikayo ngokukhawuleza kunokuba zijinga kulwimi lomntu.

Ngelishwa ku-Hoepfner, ukuthanda kwakhe ukugqibelela akunabi kwizenzo zakhe zoshishino.Ukhawuleza ukunika izaphulelo kwaye uyakuvuyela ukufumana ii-IOUs, uHoepfner ngokucacileyo akakhululekanga malunga nombono wokucudisa imali kubathengi bakhe.Iitruffles zePete's Treats ezinobungakanani obuqhelekileyo zithengisa nge-3.54 yeedola nganye.UHoepfner uzibiza ngokuba “ngoyena somashishini umbi ehlabathini,” ethetha ngokuqhula.

“Amaxabiso am onakele,” utshilo uHoepfner.“Ndithetha ukuthi, ubiza malini ngezi zinto?Nantso ke ingxaki.Ayifani nokuba ndifuna ukwenza isixa semali ngeeCordovans, kodwa ke, xa usiya nakweyiphi na enye indawo, ibhokisi yesine yi-$10, ngelixa ndibiza i-5 yeedola.”

Kuko konke ukutyekela kwakhe kwiconfectionary, uHoepfner bubukho bakhe obulula kwikhitshi leZiko lezeMpilo loLuntu lase-Ilanka.Ekuphela kwezinto ezibonakala zimcaphukisa ngokunzulu kukuzenzisa okanye ukunyuswa kwamaxabiso ngamanye amatshokolethi.Enye i-confectioner esekwe e-Seattle esekwe e-Seattle ikhupha itshokolethi eqhekeziweyo ibe ziziqwengana ezingaqhelekanga: bayibiza ngokuba yi-rustic, uHoepfner uyibiza ngokuba buvila.

“Lo mfo uthengisa iingxowa zetshokolethi, ii-ounces ezi-2.5 nge-$7,” utshilo uHoepfner.“Yonke le nto yenziwa ngumfo kukuthatha itshokolethi enomsindo, iyigalele kwaye ijule amandongomane kuyo!”

Ngoncedo lwabasebenzi abathathu basenkonkxa, uHoepfner uvelisa malunga nama-9,000 eetruffles nyaka ngamnye.UHoepfner uyayibona imfuneko yokonyusa imida yakhe yengeniso, kwaye mhlawumbi nokuvula indawo engaphambili yevenkile.Kodwa angathanda ukuyeka ezi zigqibo, kwaye ahlale elahlekile kulonwabo lomsebenzi wezandla, ixesha elide.

“Kukho okunokwenzeka apha,” utshilo uHoepfner.“Kukho ishishini apha ndaweni ithile!Kwaye oko kundenza ndibe nengxaki okwangoku.”

suzy@lstchocolatemachine.com

www.lstchocolatemachine.com