Saverio's Clásico de Menón

Can chocolate have umami? We can attest that Saverio's El Clásico de Menón by at Ajualá certainly does. Ending a meal at this culinary haven in Santo Domingo with this dark chocolate dessert is to leave deeply satisfied—and on a high note.

It is well documented that dark chocolate can contain high levels of glutamate, the primary compound responsible for producing the umami sensation we experience in certain foods. It creates a depth of flavor that enhances the tasting experience and delivers the kind of culinary pleasure sought by discerning palates.

El Clásico de Menón takes its name from an 18th-century French food writer known for documenting the bourgeois cuisine of his era and for being the first to write about a chocolate preparation using the mousse technique. Until then, mousse had been reserved exclusively for savory dishes.

Reminiscent of Menon’s stories, Saverio presents a mousseline ice cream made with Dominican chocolate, accented by bright citrus flavors of local oranges. In ritual form, the ice cream is pressed in a cold marble mortar with pieces of 70% chocolate, orange preserves, smoked salt, and a local macadamia crumble, a preparation capable of connecting us to our indigenous roots.