Experience at Taller Termalimex: Martín Andino
I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Termalimex workshop, focused on the creation of desserts, as assistant to Andrea López, Corporate Chef of República del Cacao. The event took place at Termalimex's facilities, where they supported us with their high-end equipment and advanced technology. The objective of the workshop was to explore new techniques and sophisticated recipes, especially when working with the best chocolate from República del Cacao.
Before starting, I was full of enthusiasm and curiosity to learn new ways of working with chocolate, and my expectations were high, as I knew that Chef Andrea always brings innovation and creativity to her classes. In addition, the opportunity to use Termalimex equipment promised a professional and efficient experience.
The workshop began with Andrea explaining the steps to follow while the students took note of the details needed to make two recipes. In the first dessert, we prepared a mousse based on chocolate English cream with raspberry in donut molds, provided by Termalimex, along with a chocolate sablé to hold the mousse. For the second dessert, we made a financier, a hazelnut butter sponge cake with nuts, which also used Termalimex molds, a 75% Amazonia chocolate entremets ganache from República del Cacao and a 31% white chocolate seal.
Throughout the workshop, Andrea led the classes while I assisted her and, at the same time, learned. Thanks to Termalimex's advanced equipment, we were able to finish on time and get perfect results, as their blast chiller freezes, allowing the mousses to unmold flawlessly without the need to wait. The students were delighted with the experience with Andrea Lopez, and with the interest of the class, more and more questions arose.
In the end, making these two desserts allowed me to learn techniques that bring me closer to a professional level, using cocoa as the main ingredient, a proudly Ecuadorian product that brings unique flavors and textures to desserts, allowing me to create with infinite creativity.
I am very grateful to República del Cacao for this opportunity to learn more about our Ecuadorian cocoa and to work with Andrea López, one of the best chefs I know. I am also grateful to Termalimex for offering the country equipment that before seemed unattainable, but now it is here, available to achieve professional results.
Martin Andino
Kitchen Assistant
República del Cacao
CANADA
Canada consolidated its position this year as a key market in República del Cacao's international expansion, with the official launch of the brand in Montreal and Toronto, two cities renowned for their diverse gastronomic scene and high professional standards.
These events were led by Andrea López, our corporate chef at República del Cacao, who spearheaded the brand presentation, accompanied by chef Javier Guillén. Together, they shared with customers and potential customers a direct approach to our brand's culinary philosophy and the essence of Latin American chocolate.
One of the highlights of this visit was the creation of a dessert buffet, designed and executed by Andrea as a demonstration of the technical potential, versatility, and functionality of chocolate in professional applications. The proposal included chocolates with different fillings, mini desserts with multiple textures, petit fours, mini cookies, and mini cakes, developed with a conscious gastronomy approach, with less sugar, less fat, and a focus on highlighting the unique notes of each cocoa origin.
The activations took place in high-end gastronomic venues. In Montreal, preparations were carried out in the Sofitel's pastry shop, alongside its kitchen team. In Toronto, the work was carried out with the support of the Four Seasons team, creating a professional environment that allowed for in-depth exploration of the creative and technical potential of the products.
Beyond culinary demonstrations, these meetings allowed us to deepen our dialogue with the Canadian gastronomic community, understand market needs, and strengthen relationships in a country that particularly values the triple social, environmental, and economic impact.