The idea of a last-minute, 24-hour trip to somewhere exciting has always held a special appeal in my mind…until it happened last Friday. At 4pm we were given the chance to spend a day in Melbourne, so we flew out on the 5:55pm flight and then back, the very next day, at 8pm. My story, which I will stick with, is that I flew over urgently to try Mork Chocolate Brew House’s new hot chocolate offerings, in particular the new The Fire Thief. Is there a better reason to travel last minute? (It was actually a family issue…but that doesn’t make for a good story).
Mork is already famous in Melbourne, and well beyond, for their Campfire Hot Chocolate. A firm favourite of mine, and many, many others, this drink cures all. If you are one of the numerous people I have sent to Mork, I tell them all to try the Campfire first. But now Campfire has some hot competition in the form of the Fire Thief.
Josefin, one of the cofounders of Mork and the creative genius behind many (most?) of its creations, had always wanted to create a drink that tied back to its origins in Mexico, highlighting chilli with layers of intrigue and a flash of theatre. Chilli, as Josefin says, deserves more than just heat. It carries history, stories, and significance at its origin, within the Mayan and Aztec civilisations. Chilli and chocolate have been best friends, found together in archaeological vessels as early as 600 BC, and often enriched with toasted corn. This new drink brought it all together.
When it gets to your table, pause your conversations. The drink deserves all of your attention and, if it gets it, will give you back in spades.
Take the glowing fire jube that will be presented to you by the staff and have a little taste. This represents a spark of divine fire that a clever opossum in ancient Mexico stole from the gods of the underworld, an ancient story preserved in the living folklore of the Americas. With this spark, the opossum brought eternal warmth and a lingering, fiery spirit to the cold, starless night of humanity. The jube has a warm chilli hint to it, sufficient to start to warm you up and get your taste buds paying attention.
Then, take a sip of the rich, smooth dark chocolate drink. The chocolate and the spice play well together, neither overpowering, but completely satisfying. The added hint of cornflour gives it a lovely thickness. With every sip, the intensity of the mix of chillies, some spicy, some smokier, picks up by a tiny notch, hardly noticeable, but building up over time. If you aren’t one for chilli, fear not, you will still be in a safe space.
But if the drink leaves you wanting more kick, Mork has thought of that too. On your serving plate is a little pile of chilli salt made from five different chillies. Liberally sprinkle the powder over the top of your drink and your next sip will kick a bit harder. If you need to cool things down, or switch gears a little, a blue corn chip will help with a savoury note or add in more sweetness by having a little bit of the jube again.
Continue this way, alternating between spicy, savoury, and sweet, until the last sip. When it’s all done, sit back and thank the clever opossum, or its master Josefin. While the drink only takes a few moments to enjoy, it will feel like you have been on a journey, maybe not to the underworld, but definitely somewhere I’d like to return more often.
Until then, you can now return to your previous conversation.
My Current Mork Menu Suggestions, based on your mood
Want a moment of peace and relaxation. Think forest, stars, escape -> Campfire Hot Chocolate (smoke, roasted marshmallow, salt, dark chocolate)
Everyday moment of pleasure, especially those who loved Nutella at some point in their life but feel it is time to grow up a little Hazel Wood (dark chocolate, roasted hazelnut, almond milk, sea salt)
Feeling adventurous, if you need to make some important decisions in life or work and need a creative boost Blue Cheese Hot Chocolate (Dark chocolate, blue cheese ganache, buckwheat and cacao crips, umeshu jube)
Need to clear the mind, be awoken, be transported to a different time and place but only have 5 minutes to do so The Fire Thief
You are a Melbournian at heart…or wish you were Malted Dreams (milk chocolate, malted milk, caraway toasted with miso caramel marshmallow)
