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Emmanuel Hamon, French Pastry chef hasjust won the contest of"The most beautiful Chrismas Log cake2011". contest organized by Macarons& Gourmandises (N1 French media and online dedicated to pastry / chocolate high end). For this second edition, Emmanuel Hamon did presented a cake entitled "Christmas in New York." Inspired by Manhattan, this log-colored taxis in New York buildings decorated with chocolate has learned surprised by its amazing design and originality. The competition was tough in the face offamous pastryhouses of Paris. A "Christmas in New York" will be offered to order a limited edition (80 copies).

The 8 th time I visited Le Salon du Chocolat in Paris. To be honest: I love it and I hate it. Its too big and too crowded. But I have to go because every year I find some very special things that makes the trip worth it. First I check which chocolatiers won the awards from Le Club Des Croqueurs de Chocolat. I mostly agree with their opinion. Five of the twelve best were at Le Salon: Pascal Le Gac, Vincent Guerlais, Jean-Paul Hvin, Sadaharu Aoki and ES Koyama. The last one I had not heard of before so I bought some of his chocolates. Wow, this is good!

If you are interested in small artisan bean-to-bar chocolate makers you have to go to London. But for chocolates-bonbons I think Paris is the place to go. Although the fillings are very traditional, they are of superb quality. Of the small chocolate makers we met in London only Bojesen was at Le Salon. The curious chocolate lovers you could find at his stall: Chloe and Evert-Jan. The Brazilian booth had also some interesting bars that I didnt taste before. So full shopping bags and an empty wallet when I left Le Salon.

Tasting could begin!

This was the first year of the Single Origin Event in The Netherlands. Hopefully this will be a yearly event from now on. The location was Restaurant Merkelbach in Amsterdam. The event was organized by Erik Sauer of El Sauco, distributor of some very beautiful single origin chocolates (yes also Original Beans!) and Erik Spande, owner of Chocoltl chocolate shop in Amsterdam. They invited Santiago (Pacari), Mott (Grenada), Philipp (Original Beans) and Kees (Metropolitan Deli) to tell the unique story behind their chocolate. And of course we tasted three different chocolates of each chocolate maker. Geert Vercruysse and his wife Katrien came over especially from Belgium for this event. Geert made some chocolate-bonbons filled with ganaches with Grenada, Pacari and Original Beans. Delicious and very beautiful! You can now buy them at Chocoltl. At the after party Marilla Erkens served a gorgeous vegan soup (based on cauliflower and other vegetables and spices) with Grenada nibs! Wow, that tasted really good!

It took me some time to recover from my first Chocolate Triathlon in October. Fortunately I am in good shape again and I can tell you about my experiences. The three parts were: Chocolate Unwrapped in London, The Single Origin Event in Amsterdam and Le Salon du Chocolat in Paris. Now up to London!

This was my first visit to Chocolate Unwrapped. The event was held in Vinopolis near Borough Market, a beautiful location. I helped both days at the booth of Original Beans. A lot of people visited the event and showed interest in our chocolate. I often heard: very delicious chocolate! Besides the bars we had something very special: freshly made chocolates by Geert Vercruysse. Cream-based ganaches with our Piura Porcelana, Beni Wild Harvest and Cru Virunga. Damian Allsop made water-based ganaches with the Piura and Virunga. It is very interesting to taste what happens if you add cream or water to these two chocolates. A completely different experience!

The very top British chocolatiers and chocolate companies were at the show: Duffy, William Curley, Paul A Young, Rococo, Paul Wayne Gregory, Lauden, Hotel Chocolat, Melt, Artisan du Chocolat, Sir Hans Sloane and Baruzzo. Also chocolate makers from France, Switzerland Hungary, Grenada, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Ecuador: Valrhona, Akessons, Idilio, Rzsavlgyi, Szanto, The Grenada Chocolate Company, Amedei, C-Amaro, Benot Nihant, Oialla, Friis Holm, Pacari and Kallari.

Of course I did some shopping myself. It was very nice to meet the Idilio-guys Niklaus and Pascal. I love their chocolate and I guess I was their best customer. I invited them to become member of The Chocolate Life and to tell us more about their company. So hopefully we hear more of them very soon. Someone who is already on this site but I didnt met before is Benot Nihant from Belgium. He and his wife were very proud to present their first bean to bars chocolate. My new-coming favourite of this event is Rasmus Bo Bojesen with his Wild Bolivian Oialla. This chocolate has a very mild and delicate taste. Take a look at:

http://www.oialla.dk I also enjoyed the presentation of Friis Holm. We tasted his new dark-milk chocolate that in my opinion doesnt taste like a traditional dark-milk. This one is very fruity: melon! Hungarian Rzsavlgyi won a few awards by the Academy of Chocolate this year so of course I must have these bars! His Principe I like most. The wrappings are lovely, they look like very special little gifts.

It was very nice to meet with and talk to all those chocolate minded people. Alex and Martin of Seventy Percent Club and Dom of Chocablog used the opportunity to taste our new Organic Piura. I had a few samples with me. Their first impression: they like this one more then the former recipe!

The most amazing lady was our neighbour: Lauden. http://www.laudenchocolate.com/

She makes gorgeous fresh fruit-based chocolates. What energy she has! She completely sold out in just one day!

Published by Max Felchlin AG, Schwyz, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary. (2008)

Since visiting Felchlin 2010 and2011, I must admit Im addicted to there chocolate and there philosophy. This book is to interesting not to blog, so I must share this on my blog.

The Planter: From Gatherer to Large Landowner

The cacao tree is a delicate plant that needs special care and attention. Farmers often cultivate small seedlings under mat roofs. After six months, they then move the plnats onto the shade afforded by overhanging neighbouring trees, such as mango or avocado trees, or shelter them below high coconut palm or banana trees, sometimes even sheltering them under straw roofs to protect them from an excess of sun and wind.

Farmers often prune the plants without impairing their quality, cutting back the cacao trees that grow both on plantations and in the wild to a height of two to four metres. However, some farmers shy away from this type of tree husbandry, since superstition and mysticism are sometimes stroger than fact: if it is suggested that they chop off a branch, the farmers resist saying that the tree is a father and that they cannot cut off the hand that feeds them.They do not want to believe that the tree could die because it cannot regenerate.

Farmers keep the ground below the trees tidy and occasionally mulch it. They make sure that the trees do not become infested with pests. As the plants grows relatively close together, infestation can have a devastation effect and take hold of growing areas. All manner of different pest thrive in the fertile and energetic tropical climate, for example, fungi such as witches broom or fruit blight. Certain insects, such as longicorns and buprestidae, fruit flies, butterfly larvae, cocoa pod borers and cocoa mealybugs, also pose a danger to cacao trees.

After years of the uncontrolled use of pesticides and fungicides, there have been at least isolated attemps to return to the old methods. To large extent, these attemps have been driven by the high quality requirements of customers interested in the best and finest beans. Organic methods not only create trust, they also work.

The leaves that fall from the cacao tree are more eco-friendly than artificial fertilisers and insecticides. The dead matter decomposes to form humus that enhances the quality of the growing cocoa beans. Rambling plantations cultures often look neat and tidy, free as they are from undergrowth, weeds and other plants that could thrive on the same humus. However, the cocoa beans thus cultivated often all taste the same and a little bland because the ground in which their roots grow lacks the richness that comes from diversity. Afew ambitious chocolatiers continue to search tirelessly for new select varieties, resorting either to wild varieties or to those that have been cultivated in the Rain Forest, where ther is no lack of biodiversity. The humus that occurs in the wild gives cocoa a certain earthy quality that is the reason for its special flavour. Cocoa beans are cultivated or harvested in four different ways and these influence subsequent processing and marketing in particular:

(example of wild cocoa: http://www.maranonchocolate.com/ )

Gathering This is a very rare form of cocoa harvesting. In Beni, a remote region in the Bolivian part of the Amazone drainage basin in the lowlands of the Andes, indigenous families gather the fruits of wild cocoa plants growing is a sometimes swampy, sometimes arid landscape. Like truffle hunters, the families keep the whhereabouts of their trees fiercely guarded secret; apart from gathering the fruits, they leave the trees in peace, neither cultivating them nor planting nurseries. The trees are simply left over to grow wild. This is a unique from of harvesting and, even 600 years ago, searching for and gathering cocoa took place in the shadow os small, semi-professional cultivation. The wild beans are about half size of cultivated beans, there is greater waste, processing is more complex and some machines used in the manufacture of chocolate even have to be specially adjusted for the Beni beans. However, the resulting chocolate is the most exquisite in the world.

Bonbons made for Original Beans, Beni Wild.

Cooperative Cultivation on smallholdings; in order to promote their interests, smallholders working in various areas of agriculture come together to form cooperatives. These smallholders grow limited quantities of cocoa on small scale, either in gardens or on terraces, on smallholderings, in mini plantations or mixed cultivation: the cacao trees grow on and around small haciendas in the Rain Forest. Cooperatives are generally made up of 40 to 50 smallholders and in exceptional cases, as many as 200 smallholders. Cooperatives rarely produce more than 20 to 50 tons of cocoa beans per annum. Smallholders believe in diversification and also grow sugercane, tree tomatoes, palm herats and coffee, as well as keep a few animals; one farmer typically produces between 200 and 300 kilogrmas of cocoa beans but rarely more than 500 kiligrams per annum.

The members of a coopeartive elect a chairperson, who is assisted by between five to ten colleagues. This system can result in lengthy meetings. The purchaser who is interested in the origin of cocoa and who wishes to have a say in its quality has to have a great deal of patience and must be prepared to keep repeating his or her wishes each time a new chairperson is elected. The cooperative system is slow and ponderous and, although members often have only a limited knowledge of business, cooperatives are widly supported.

http://www.pacarichocolate.com/index.php

Hacienda This is the realm of the farmer. The haciendadiffers from a large plantation in that it could easily be described as the counterpart to the coopeartive. The hacienda can best compared with a large farm in the Swiss midland. Its infrastructure exeeds that of the smallholding idyll and it employs staff all year round since there is also plenty of work for employees during the low season, for example, tending trees and maintaining the infrastructure, such as the fermentation and drying facilities. It is not uncommmon to have as many as 20 people on the payroll.

One example is the Haceinda Elvesia in the Dominican Republic, wich was once under Swiss ownership. Specialising in cocoa cultivation and with a tight infrastucture, it produces anything between 60 an 100 tons cocoa beans per year a sufficient amount for direct sale; smallholders, on the other hand, have no option but to pool their harvests and sell them as part of an association, such as the cooperative.

Cultivation, figures in thousands of tons 2007

Plantation This is characterised by rational mass cultivation and by industrialised monoculture; it is not farmers who work here but managers, administrators and agriculture workers. The focus is on cultivation varieties of cocoa bean that require a minimum amount of effort and yet generate a maximum amount of profit. The beans are cultivated over sometimes huge, uniform areas, The subtleties of the aroma are lost and become almost irrelevant in the pursuit of the main obkective, namely to produce ready-to-use raw material for mass production.

NEXT TIME: The Bean From Harvesting to Shipping

I'd never been to one of these gigs, so it was interesting. The first aroma I encountered was that of tons of spices. I thought they'd be related to some variety of chocolate bing made or sampled, but they were just spices being sold by a spice vendor. A little odd, especially at the entrance.

I actually thought there would be more vendors, but perhaps I had more grandiose expectations. Favorite was the Praus booth. They were sampling every bar they had and they'd really speak at length with you. The Cluizels and Guittards were there and the upstarts as well, including one who loaded her bars with all manner of antioxidant ingredients (cranberries, acai, nuts, herbs, chili, etc.) and seemed to enjoy giving mini-lessons on the nutritional advantages/sustainalility/eco-friendliness of her bars. They weren't my favorites but she was nice to speak with.

Anyone else have a similar experience? Is this typical of chocolate shows? Just asking. BTW -- there were some bargains to be had on Sunday. Lots of places offering 20-30% off. I picked up a 72% bar of Payard for $6 (usually $8) and even then the associate offered me 2 for $10. They're decent sized, so I went for it. The Pralu folks had these bundles of about 9 or so of their 50 gm samples that were $40 and they had them going for $25. I think I paid 30 Euros for themin Paris, so it was a bargain if you like them (I did).

Dear La Vida Coca fans;

As I sip my cafe moca (more Moca than Coffee) I was regailed in the local

New York Times (Helo Red Hook) with two health pieces on my favorite bean.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/30/health/30prevention.html?_r=1

Prevention: Evidence of Heart Benefits From Chocolate

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Published: August 29, 2011

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The above piece cites this BMJ (British Medical Journal ) Article here:

http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d4488

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August 24, 2011, 9:36 AM

Chocolate Milk Gets a Makeover

Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

Is chocolate milk a healthful choice for schoolchildren?

Some nutritionists say chocolate milk is a perfectly fine snack for students, one that provides much-needed calcium and vitamins, and is a healthy alternative to sugary juices and sodas. But others say flavored milks, with their added sugars, contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic. Some school districts have tried removing flavored milk from their cafeterias entirely, but studies show that many students simply skip milk altogether when they do not have flavored milk as an option.

Now parents who are concerned about the amount of sugar their children are chugging in school cafeterias may be encouraged by an announcement from the milk industry. Starting in September, chocolate milk will have fewer calories and less sugar.

The eight-ounce cartons of fat-free and low-fat chocolate milk served in schools will have 38 percent less added sugar and just 31 more calories than regular white milk, said the Milk Processor Education Program, or MilkPEP, the industry group that runs the national Got Milk? campaign. On average, cartons of flavored milk will contain less than 150 calories and 22 grams of total sugar this year, the group said.

The changes will affect a vast majority of the nations school districts. A report by the School Nutrition Association last week found that almost 96 percent of school districts offer students flavored milk, and all but 2 percent offer fat-free milk.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/30/health/30prevention.html?_r=1

I found this text (source Nutrition Food), and after reading it I wasn't sure if it was correct, so I was thinking why dont I open a blogpage about it.

The Importance of Wild Cacao

Cacao is a native of the tropics, and has spread from its ancestral home of Central and South America to almost every rainforest ecosystem on the planet. Deep within the Indonesian jungle, a variety of cacao emerged from the rich volcanic soil in complete isolation, known only to natives of a few sparsely inhabited islands until now. This type of cacao has had thousands of years to develop an exotic, truly unique, wild flavor. A distant relative of Trinitario cacao, the genetic heritage of these Wild Balinese Cacao Beans has remained untouched for thousands of years. The flavor of these cacao beans is on par with the best cacao in the world, thanks to pure water, continuous sunlight, and mineral-rich soil that holds some of the freshest life energy on the planet. The benefits of raw cacao and the mellow flavor of traditional chocolate are present in these Wild Balinese Cacao Beans side by side. We have allowed these beans to ferment under controlled conditions until they have reached a 75% fermentation level. Allowing raw cacao beans to ferment to this extent while keeping them free of microbes represents an incredible amount of time and labor... but the results are well worth it! The taste of 75% fermented Balinese Cacao is at once familiar and totally unexpected.

All chocolate is made from Cacao Beans (also known as Cocoa Beans), but youve never had chocolate like this! Raw, Wild Balinese Cacao has incredibly high antioxidant values, abundant levels of minerals, and it has the potential to rejuvenate the brains neurotransmitters. All of the health-giving qualities of chocolate are found in Wild Balinese Cacao Beans, with a taste that is out of this world! No sugar, no dairy, no chemicals. Just one ingredient: Cacao!

Raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Beans are one of nature's most fantastic superfoods due to their high mineral content and a wealth of antioxidants. Since many of the special properties of cacao are destroyed or lost by cooking, refining, and processing, planet Earths favorite food is still unknown to most of us. Now we get to reconnect with the power of real, raw, wild chocolate! Raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Beans offer fantastic hope for chocoholics everywhere. You can turn cravings for cooked, processed, chocolate into the super-nutrition of the highest order.

Cacao is the Best Natural Food Source of the Following Nutrients:

Magnesium: Cacao appears to be the #1 source of magnesium of any food. Magnesium is one of the great alkaline minerals. It works to support the heart, boost our mental focus, and relieve constipation. Magnesium, along with other components of cacao, has been linked with a lessening of PMS symptoms. This is likely the primary reason women crave chocolate during their monthly cycle. Magnesium balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, and has been tied to increased happiness and improved mood.
Magnesium is the most deficient major mineral on the Standard American Diet (SAD); over 80% of Americans are chronically deficient in Magnesium! Raw, wild, cacao beans have enough magnesium to help reverse deficiencies of this mineral.

Antioxidants: Cacao contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world. This point is so astounding that it bears repeating: No food exhibits greater antioxidant capacity than cacao! These antioxidants include polyphenols, catechins, and epicatechins. By weight, Cacao has more antioxidants than red wine, blueberries, acai, pomegranates, and goji berries COMBINED.
Iron: Raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Beans contain approximately 314% of the U.S. RDA of iron per 1 ounce (28 gram) serving. Iron plays an essential role in the body, working to carry oxygen from the lungs to every part of the body. Consuming whole food sources of Iron such as Wild Balinese Cacao is one of the best ways to keep our blood healthy.

Like Magnesium, nearly 80% of Americans are deficient in the trace mineral Chromium. This often overlooked mineral helps us burn fat, build muscle and metabolize calories from all the foods in our diet. Chromium is an important trace mineral that is most well known for helping to balance our blood sugar. Raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Beans have enough chromium to help restore our levels of this vital trace mineral.

Anandamide: The human body naturally produces endorphins after exercise, neurotransmitters which flood our brains with positive feelings. One of these neurotransmitters is Anandamide, also known as The Bliss Chemical. While humans have to work hard to produce enough Anandamide to reach higher levels of ecstasty, only one plant produces this chemical as part of its normal metabolism Cacao! Not only does Cacao contain Anandamide in high concentrations, it also contains enzyme inhibitors that decrease our bodies' ability to breakdown The Bliss Chemical. When we eat raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Ceans, the Anandamide produced by our brains along with the Anadamide found in cacao may continue to circulate in the body for extended periods of time, helping us feel great all day long.

Theobromine: Wild cacao beans contain about 1% theobromine. Most commonly found in cacao, this chemical element is an effective anti-bacterial substance which works to kill Streptococci mutans (the primary organism responsible for cavities). Theobromine is a chemical relative of caffeine but it does not act as a nervous system stimulant. Theobromine dilates the cardiovascular system making the hearts job easier. The combination of Theobromine and Magnesium make Wild Balinese Cacao Beans an important part of a heart-healthy diet.

Raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Beans Contain the Following Important Nutrients:

Zinc: Many of the enzymes in the human body would not exist without the presence of zinc. This mineral is a vital component in over 200 enzymes throughout the body, and it is a cofactor of hundreds more. Wild Balinese Cacao contains zinc, which plays a critical role in the health of the immune system, liver, pancreas, and skin. Additionally, zinc is essential for sexual development, fertility, and cell growth.
Manganese: This mineral plays a crucial role in the formation of bone, cartilage, and connective tissue. Manganese helps assist iron in the oxygenation of the blood and formation of hemoglobin, and helps to promote healthy joints.

Vitamin C: Cacao must be raw to contain vitamin C. All cooked and processed chocolate has had its vitamin C degraded beyond the point where it may benefit the human body. A one ounce (28 gram) serving of raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Beans contains approximately 21% of the U.S. RDA of Vitamin C.

Copper: Traditionally known as a powerful antimicrobial, copper also works to cleanse the lymphatic system and stimulate peristalsis. Copper is found naturally in plants with Vitamin C, so it is hardly a surprise that raw, wild cacao beans contain a good amount of copper. In the human body, copper helps to build healthy blood, making it a natural partner to iron and manganese.

Phenethylamine (PEA): Raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Beans contain high levels of Phenylethylamine (PEA). Often known as The Love Chemical, PEA is the chemical produced in our bodies when we fall in love. This is likely one of the main reasons why love and chocolate have such a deep connection. PEA also plays a role in increasing focus and alertness.

Tryptophan: An essential amino acid which is transformed into important stress-protective neurotransmitters including serotonin and melatonin. Tryptophan is heat sensitive and therefore it is cooked out in many high protein foods and in conventional processed chocolate products.

Serotonin: The primary neurotransmitter in the human body, Serotonin is similar in its chemistry to tryptophan and melatonin. Serotonin helps us build up our stress defense shield which supports our immune system in times of high demand.

Omega 6 Fatty Acids: Raw, wild cacao contains essential omega 6 fatty acids, which form an integral part of our cell walls and allow for more efficient communication between cells.

Does Raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Contain Caffeine?

Contrary to popular opinion, cacao is a poor source of caffeine. A typical sample of raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Beans will yield from zero caffeine to 1,000 parts per million of caffeine (less than 1/20th of the caffeine present in coffee).

Does Raw Cacao spike blood sugar levels?
In clinical tests carried out in February 2008, Dr. Gabriel Cousens discovered that Cacao does not elevate blood sugar in the same way as a caffeine containing food or beverage. In fact, Dr. Cousens found that cacao has less of an effect on blood sugar than nearly any other food.

Cacao beans contain no sugar and between 12% and 50% fat depending on variety and growth conditions. Raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Beans are around 40% fat content (low compared to other nuts). There is no evidence to implicate consumption of Raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Beans with obesity. Indeed, raw cacao can actually help promote weight loss because it contains minerals and molecules that reduce the appetite.

Raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Beans have an extremely low microbe count. This is an extraordinary feat considering that cacao beans come from a moist and juicy fruit grown in the hot jungle. No other cacao bean sources can claim our level of safety.

Raw, Wild Balinese Cacao Beans are free of heavy metals, including lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. Strict oversight at every stage of production ensures that Wild Balinese Cacao Beans start pure and stay pure.

The unique process used to dry the Wild Balinese Cacao Beans retains the purity, fine aroma, fairly uniform large size, and the nutritional impact that nature intended.

High Flavor, No Roasting: Wild Balinese Cacao Beans allowed to reach a fermentation level of 75% retain the characteristic flavor of raw cacao with the full-bodied qualities of more traditional chocolate preparations.

The quality of Wild Balinese Cacao Beans combine with a low level of processing, meaning you get to enjoy a rich, raw chocolate flavor and aroma without roasting.

Allergies to Chocolate?

A recent study showed that only one out of 500 people who thought they were allergic to chocolate actually tested positive. Allergies to chocolate are quite rare. It is typically the case that the person is in fact allergic to milk and dairy products. Some people can be allergic to cooked and processed chocolate but are not allergic to Cacao.

Bonjour

The profile EL CEIBO "giving back" on this website is not created by the cocoa producers from El Ceibo. The owner of this profile could you kindly remove it? Thank you, for the respect of the cocoa producers of El ceibo - Bolivia

CHLOE DOUTRE ROUSSEL