Meet the 'chocolate engineer' helping people in Cork to make their own treats

Liora Omer is a qualified chemical engineer, but seven years ago, she decided to change careers and become a chocolate maker.

“I’m a chocolate engineer,” she says with a laugh.

Although this might seem like a completely different direction, it was Liora’s scientific mind that led her down this path.

“I’m a chocolate lover. Some may say an addict, even,” she says. “I had this idea of, why can’t I make myself chocolate at home? I’m also a control freak. It’s part of it. I was frustrated that I can make myself great coffee at home. I can bake. I can even make ice cream. Why not chocolate?”

Liora threw herself into her new ion. “I learned everything I can about chocolate, and became a professional chocolatier and chocolate maker, and I moved to Cork about two years ago,” she says.

She set up her business, Home Chocolat, to show people how to make chocolate in their own kitchens.

For Liora, helping people understand the process of making chocolate is more appealing than selling it.

“I never wanted to be a chocolatier with a chocolate shop selling all kinds of chocolate and bonbons. I wanted to create the tools for people to be able to make chocolate at home,” she says.

Liora has developed unique products for people to do just this.

She created a DIY chocolate kit, which she sold at a local farmers’ market. Now she is working on “a machine with ingredients that everyone can make their own chocolate with, customised, without any previous skills and knowledge.”

Although her products are simple to use, she found that most people wanted someone to show them how it works step-by-step. This gave her the idea of running chocolate-making workshops, where people could learn to make their own chocolate creations.

She held one recently for Valentine’s Day.

“People got really excited creating their own chocolate,” she says. The participants were all couples.

“It was a bit funny, because the guys were focused more on eating chocolate, and the women were more focused on creating their chocolate creations.”

Following the success of her first event, Liora is hosting an Easter chocolate-making workshop on April 19 in Fota House.

“During the Easter workshop, we will make all kinds of chocolate eggs and bunnies, and we will decorate them,” she says.

Attendees will also make their own customised hot chocolate and have a chocolate fondue with seasonal fruits to enjoy during the workshop.

The workshop is suitable for adults and children over 10 years old.

All equipment and materials will be provided on the day.

“I’m bringing all the necessary ingredients, and I’m bringing all kinds of variations of moulds and toppings and flavours,” Liora says. “So there’s a lot of creative freedom there.”

The workshop also caters to those with dietary needs, offering gluten-free and dairy-free options.

As a chocolatier, using , ethically sourced ingredients is important to Liora.

“We use sustainable, high-quality cacao from Ecuador and let people explore flavour combinations, textures, and shapes,” she says. “It’s creative, delicious, and just a little bit addictive.”

Facilitating chocolate-making workshops gives Liora a chance to share her ion for chocolate with other people.

“I love the joy that it gives people,” she says. “It’s good on so many levels. It’s the pleasure of the chocolate, the joy of creativity, and for gifting, and the accomplishment that ‘I did it.’”.

Showing people new skills is something that gives her great job satisfaction.

“I like to see people getting new capabilities, learning new things and being creative,” she says.

I ask Liora if she has had many requests for the viral Dubai chocolate, with the crunchy kataifi pastry and pistachio cream filling.

“People asked about it when I was at the farmers’ market,” she says. Although it’s not something she offers at the moment, if there is demand, she will “definitely do a Dubai chocolate workshop.”

With so many flavour combinations and varieties available, I’m curious what Liora’s favourite type of chocolate is.

“I’m quite boring. I like dark chocolate,” she its. “70, 80 per cent cocoa dark chocolate. I like to try all kinds of chocolates and from cacao from different origins. I like to experiment with that.”

See www.homechocolat.com