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Eggstatic
Easter is just round the corner and eateries and bakeries are gearing up for the festivities. Especially the five star hotel chains in Mumbai, writes Collin Rodrigues.
Easter is just round the corner and eateries and bakeries are gearing up for the festivities. Especially five star hotel chains.
The JW Marriott at Juhu plans to celebrate this Easter on a large-than-life scale by making the city's largest Easter egg. It all started 15 days back when chef Savio Fernandes assembled a team of eight dedicated professionals. He says, "The management was very keen to have something like this. They agreed to provide me with whatever help and support I needed."
Number game
The team began working for eight hours a day. Side-by-side, they also worked on their regular jobs. People from other departments also lent a helping hand. Every person was given a different assignment to work on.
The largest Easter egg ever was made in Belgium and was 8.32 metres long. The Marriott egg, prepared by Fernandes and his team is 14 feet high and measures nine feet across. The weight is being kept a secret. It is one hundred per cent
chocolate. Even the colourful accessories on it are made from chocolate.
Brand talk
The product used for the preparation has been procured from international brands. Says Fernandes, "We have mixed the plain and imported chocolate with cocoa butter and tempered (it's a term used for melting dark chocolate and bringing it to 28
degrees centigrade which is required for Indian temperatures) it to cover dark chocolate. Compound chocolate has been used for garnishing, as it doesn't need to be tempered and works faster.
The egg went on display on Saturday evening. The entire proceedings had to be completed in the lobby as the finished product wouldn't pass through any doors. An ongoing contest asks guests to guess the weight of the egg. The hotel staff has circulated questionnaires all over the property.
The winner will be decided on Easter day at one of the brunches which are scheduled at Mezzo Mezzo, Spices and Lotus Café.
Thereafter the egg would be melted and discarded. Adds Fernandes, "There is no protective cover around the egg. We don't want our guests to eat dust and fall ill."
