“Chocolate is one of the few foods with a melting point just below human body temperature. That trait contributes to the velvety mouthfeel. It literally melts in your mouth. In addition, chocolate has hundreds of different aroma compounds, enough complexity to make each taste a little adventure.”—Matt Ziol, Amouze Mousse co-founder.
Chicago business partners Margaret Unetich and Matt Ziol spend their days stirring up chocolate decadence on your behalf, mixing four simple ingredients to create Amouze Mousse, which they say will leave tasters saying “Aha”.
The two Francophiles who met when their children were local Lycée Français students say the inspiration came from a mousse bar on Paris’s Rue de Bac. “Matt had moved to Paris at one point and introduced me to the mousse there—it was mind-blowing. We loved the idea of bringing mousse to the U.S. in a way that can make even small events feel memorable” Unetich, who has worked for several years in the food and beverage business and serves on the Woman’s Board of the Alliance Française de Chicago, said.
“The café culture in general fuels Paris’s vibe. There aren’t many mousse bars specifically but those chefs who do focus on mousse see it as a vehicle to experience chocolate in a way that’s not only unique, but also pleasurable,” Ziol said. “I love the texture. Someone described our mousse as having a ‘luxurious meltaway’.”
A little mousse research debunks the claim that the artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec did invent something which translated into “chocolate mayonnaise”. It was actually served at royal French banquets in the 18th century when chocolate was mixed with eggs and cream. Even earlier, indigenous people in South America were said to froth hot chocolate by pouring from one vessel to another, and a French dictionary of 1701 lists the definition of “mousser” as “to foam”. With the invention of the electric mixer in the 1930s, achieving that fluffy texture became easier.
From a West Town industrial kitchen, Unetich and Ziol are ramping up for holiday sales, building on success at farmers' markets and other local venues. Amouze Mousse is sold on their website and is available for shipping nationwide.
Unetich told us what is in the mix: “Amouze Mousse is proof that it doesn’t take many ingredients, just a few with high integrity. Our dairy and eggs come from trusted local farmers. Our premium chocolate partners are committed to sustainability, promoting traceable cocoa sourcing and investing in farmer training, crop diversification and community development. Our sugar is organic and fair trade certified. With every bite, you can feel good knowing that respect for our ingredients, and the people behind them, comes first.”
Ziol told us:
“I am a GenX native Chicagoan who enjoys being a family man but now that our boys are out of the house I’m embracing this next phase. Making mousse is a hearty pivot away from my day job in securities trading. Margaret and I work together to direct the company’s brand and growth. Margaret focuses on sales, marketing and day to day operations. I focus on the mousse production, working with the kitchen staff, production session strategy, supply needs and related duties.”
The team gathers in the industrial kitchen a couple of days a week. We asked Ziol what it is like to cook in large quantities.
“We’ve had to invest in some hardware in order to scale. We are still constrained by the physical realities of our current kitchen, working on mixer volumes and storage availability and the like. We are managing our growth so we ensure we maintain our product integrity as we scale. We have a great team working with us to take on these challenges.”
“Amouze Mousse can be stored in a freezer for up to eight months, and lasts two weeks in the refrigerator,” Unetich said, “making it the perfect save for a dinner party, dessert centerpiece at the holidays, or an indulgent gift. We’re excited to introduce new flavors, like peppermint and Mexican Hot Chocolate for the season, and our MoussePops covered with hardshell chocolate are in the works.”
Right now the entrepreneurs are concentrating on holiday and corporate gifting. A 16-ounce jar contains eight servings, with two servings in the four-ounce jar. They believe, “You Deserve It.”
For more information visit: amouzemousse.com
