Could your choice of chocolate reveal your political affiliations? According to Bahira Galal’s latest innovation, it could.
It’s a commonly held belief that the sweeping political changes Egypt has witnessed in the last two or more years has brought out Egyptians’ creativity more.
While music and politics are deeply intertwined when tackling social and political issues, revolutionary graffiti has sprung up on Cairo’s streets since the 25 January revolution.
After the overthrow of Mohamed Morsy, Galal, tour guide and owner of chocolatier Kakao, decided to jump at the opportunity to introduce a new idea to Egypt’s confectionary market.
Printing an edible portrait of Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on sweets was her own, unique way to express her support for the Egyptian military.
“I was inspired when myself and other [tour guide] colleagues agreed we wanted to make our voices heard,” Galal said enthusiastically.
“I found myself empty-handed at the beginning until I came up with the idea of using my passion as a tool to share my political leanings to more people – with the help of something everyone loves to eat.”
The shop’s location in Cairo’s up-scale Garden City, where a large number of foreign residents and several embassies can be found, has helped Galal to reach out to foreigners.
Sisi is not the only prominent political figure adorning the chocolate bars sold in Galal’s shop. Presidential adviser Mostafa Hegazy and armed forces spokesperson Ahmed Ali are among the other faces that have grown in popularity among the area’s chocolate enthusiasts. Sisi, however, is the most in-demand confectionary on offer so far.
“When I posted a picture of a chocolate truffle decorated with a picture of Sisi on the shop’s Facebook page a week ago, it drew a lot of attention,” Galal said. “So, I decided to expand my creativity to chocolate frames, multi-size boxes and chocolate lollipops with Sisi’s portraits.”
Not only are the shapes of the sweets presented in fresh, appealing ways, the choice of flavors are seemingly endless.
“The sky is the limit when it comes to flavors,” Galal smiled.
“The chocolate is imported from Belgium, but I come up with all the shapes and flavors. So, any ingredient you think of can be ready within 24 hours – even in case of large quantity orders.”
Along with common flavors, Galal presents yummy, unique ingredients including red velvet, corn flakes, cheesecake, mastic, and cardamom.
