Love the subtle yet delectable European desserts? Head straight to Kochi's Zera Noya, an artisanal confectionary located at The Croft bakery in Kacherypady. This quaint eatery is the perfect spot to enjoy a relaxed evening with friends over delicious Dutch-baked goodies. Kochi, one of the major food hubs in the state, has wholeheartedly embraced Zera Noya and its Dutch delicacies since it was launched a year back. The bakery was born from the dreams of the Dutch-Malayali couple Sarah Lisa and Vibin Varghese, who wanted to introduce the Dutch flavours to Kochi. Now, Zera Noya has become a popular food spot in Kochi.

Sarah began baking and learning pastry arts at the age of 16. She met Vibin, a marine engineer while working as a chef on a ship in 2013. They soon fell in love and shared the dream of running a bakery business. The couple who settled in Kochi welcomed a baby girl a few years ago. They opened Zera Noya on February 13 last year. However, fate had other plans for the couple. Vibin was diagnosed with cancer and passed away soon after the bakery was opened. Sarah will conduct a special bake sale this year on October 15 to honour Vibin’s memory. Fifty per cent of the day's total sale amount would be donated to cancer patients.

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What to relish at Zera Noya
You can relish authentic Dutch delicacies prepared using good quality ingredients at Zera Noya. Bokkepootje, an almond meringue cookie filled with apricot cream and dipped in dark Belgian chocolate, and Mergpijp, a marzipan–covered pastry that is filled with raspberry jam and white vanilla buttercream, are among the must-try items. Soft and fluffy marzipan is made with ground almonds, egg whites and sugar. Strawberry slof, a cake baked with almond paste and tipped with buttercream, fresh strawberries and vanilla glaze, is their best seller. Their other specialities are croissants, cheesecakes, chocolate cream truffles, bundt cakes, muffins, caramel rondo and cinnamon braids. Sarah claims her recipes do not contain any artificial flavours or colours and that she uses real Belgian chocolate in her desserts for an authentic taste. In addition to the sweet treats, Zera Noya serves freshly baked bread and savoury snacks like chicken sat puffs, sausage rolls and mashed beef puffs. 

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