I have a new addiction. Right up there in the ranks of Things Splendiferous (I’m making a list), alongside Gerald’s as-yet-unparalleled Honey I have placed the recently discovered chocolate truffles of Ellen Von Maltitz.
Take one bite of these delectable delights and you’ll find your eyeballs rolling back in their sockets and a stupid grin affixing itself upon your face… I exaggerate not.
How I’ve managed to miss Ellen’s stall at the Porter Estate Produce Market, I really don’t know… but this Saturday as I was wandering past, I glimpsed the pretty chocolates on their unusually-shaped plates and decided to take a look.
One sample piece later, and I was instantly and utterly hooked. Wow. No wonder she trades under the name ‘Theobroma – Food of the Gods’.
Ellen’s chocolates are all home-made, with Belgian chocolate as a base, using as many home-grown or self-picked ingredients as she can get her hands on: organic mint and lavender from her own garden, cherries she picked out in Ceres and bottled at home – you get the picture.
Her variety of flavours will get your tastebuds quivering: orange-peel, ginger, lavender, mint, hazelnut, port & apricot, halva, cherry – and quite a few more. I bought four – halva, hazelnut, mint and cherry – and they are all absolutely mouthwatering (yes, I’ve eaten them all, already *sigh*… only 6 days left until the next market).
Pure pleasure, at R5 a pop… I cannot recommend these highly enough. Who needs Lindt when Ellen’s splendiferous chocolates are about!
Ellen’s ‘Theobroma – Food of the Gods’ chocolate truffles can be found at the Porter Estate Produce Market in Tokai, held every Saturday morning between 9am and 1pm. Alternatively, you can contact her directly: Ellen Von Maltitz (021) 783 4340 or 079 341 8255.
** UPDATE ** Ellen no longer sells her chocolates at the Porter Estate Produce Market. Instead, you’ll find her at the Stellenbosch Fresh Goods Market every Saturday.
DISCLAIMER: Please use any event information as a guide only. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy thereof, things do change – and the best way to make sure something is definitely on is to contact the event organisers themselves. Full bells’n'whistles disclaimer here.
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James on 
They’re just gorgeous, aren’t they – little bits of melting heaven – sampled them a while back and now have to avoid addiction!
By the way, thanks for the heads up on the flower sellers off Spaansgemacht River Road – that scent of roses as you drive down there is just gorgeous – and the value for money – wow!
It’s hard to hold back when something tastes so darned good… I’m hoping I’m going to manage moderation, and to try to eat them slowly (hahaha, not sure that’s possible, but one can hope)
I’m glad you found the flower sellers! I love going there… I find the chik-chik-chik sound of sprinklers relaxing and that wafting scent of roses so soothing. And the flowers, well they really are special aren’t they.
Dear Pia,
I have been meaning to thank you for some time regarding this article you wrote about my chocolates. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you enjoy them so much!! I am so impressed by how much information you managed to pack in the article and your sense of enthusiasm for the products matches mine in terms of making them. I had one person come to me since this was written saying she just came to the market because of the blog and so specifically to buy some of the chocolates but until I actually read the article I didn’t realize what an impact it had by the way it was so artfully written. You really are a star and my sincerest thanks goes out to you again and again.
Looking forward to seeing you at the market.
Blessings,
Ellen
Thanks, Ellen! I love living the good life which, to me, doesn’t mean loads of money, flashy gadgets, and more food than I could ever eat. Instead, I prefer to spend carefully, and enjoy good food in moderation. Rather than buying mass-produced (faceless) chocolates such as Lindt (delicious though they certainly are), I like to explore chocolates with tastes that are unique – tastes that differ even from batch to batch – REAL tastes that involve no flavourants with strange numerical indentifiers. Real foods that have in them something of the passion of their creator… which is exactly what your chocolates possess. You are what you eat, after all! I’ll see you at the next market, for my next installment