From over at Serious Eats , an article on decoding PLU stickers .It turns out that there is more there, there, then you might immediately infer. For example:Conventional produce gets a four-digit number. Organic produce gets a five-digit number that starts with 9. Genetically modified items also get a five-digit code, but that code starts with 8.4139: Conventional Granny Smith apple94139: Organic Granny Smith84139: GMO Granny SmithThere is also coding that will tell you that a specific item was grown in a specific country or region. Read the article for links to learn more than you ever thought you might want to know on PLU codes.But don't look for cacao (it's a fruit) - at least not in the US or Venezuela. It's not in the list of foods that have PLU codes.

Just when you think you've pretty much seen it all, something comes along to let you know that you just can't make these things up.A Swiss company is selling a box of four chocolates for $620. That's not a typo - six hundred and twenty dollars. What makes these chocolates special is not the chocolate, that's plain old Felchlin Maracaibo Clasificado 65% or the Cru Sauvage 68%. No, what makes these chocolates special is that they are decorated with gold or silver leaf or "edible diamonds" and packed in velvet-lined wooden boxes each with an individually signed and numbered plaque of authenticity.According to the site, it takes eight hours to decorate the chocolates with the gold or silver leaf, which is painstakingly applied with a small paintbrush. The "edible diamonds" (rock candy?) are apparently hand carved and polished to resemble real diamonds.Production on your box does not begin until you place your order. When you do, it takes 2-6 weeks for your box to be completed. Wonder what shipping costs? You're worried that shipping is going to cost too much? If you have to ask you can't afford them.And, although the site cloaks itself in an aura of Swiss authenticity, everything is produced in Malaysia, about 15km outside of Kuala Lumpur. Apparently it's hard to find competent chocolate craftsmen in Switzerland these days. The company claims that the products are Swiss even though the everything (except the chocolate) appears to be manufactured not in Switzerland. It may also account for the fact that the chocolates are priced in US$ and Malaysian Ringgits. But not Swiss Francs or Euros.Obviously, this company is appealing to the super-rich for whom ostentatious consumption comes as naturally as breathing. They're certainly not appealing to people who know anything about chocolate because we know we can buy the chocolate for a very small fraction of the cost and we can go to one of many chocolatiers who use Felchlin chocolate to buy truffles that are almost certainly as well or better made.If $620 sounds like too much for four chocolates, you can purchase 2 for only $506. Why so little discount? They're both shipped in the same size box. Think you can save some money by ordering silver rather than gold? You're out of luck. Apparently the labor costs (the company claims it takes 8 hours to decorate each confection) even in Malaysia outstrip the difference in cost between gold and silver. Which is absolutely ridiculous because gold is trading (on April 15th, 2008) in the $920-$950/ounce range while silver is trading around $17-$19/ounce.However, if $620/box does not seem like too much to pay, for a minimum order of 200 or more boxes (a mere $124,000 - that's right one hundred twenty four thousand dollars), the company will ship your chocolate personally escorted by two master chocolatiers (at no extra cost - how generous) to ensure that it arrives safely.Hmmmmm let's see, at one finished decorated chocolate per worker per 8-hour shift, it takes four chocolatier/decorator-shifts to produce one box. So, if there are only four chocolatier/decorators on staff, they can produce one box per day which means that your 200 box order will take 7 months to produce, by which time the first chocolates to be decorated will be well past their prime. Let's be a little charitable for the moment and give them a little benefit of the doubt. Let's say that your 200 box order is going to take six weeks because it takes that long to produce the boxes. If they delay the production of the chocolate until the last week - they do want it to be fresh after all - that means they need 800 chocolatier/decorator shifts. To finish the production in five work days assuming two shifts per day, they need to have 80 chocolatier/decorators on staff (80x2x5=800).No wonder the factory is in a country where labor is dirt cheap. There is no way a company operating in Switzerland could possibly afford such ridiculously low productivity. Even if we cut them a break and say that they are exaggerating just a wee bit and it really only takes four hours to decorate each chocolate ... well, let me just say that it's hard for me to comprehend (or condone) the profit margins in this.I am curious to see the presentation in person as well as taste the chocolates (with or without the gold). But I am not curious enough that I am willing to shell out over $500 for the "privilege" of doing so.Dying to actually see what a $150 piece of chocolate looks like? Click here .

I have found a service that enables me to 'cast - in real-time over the web while simultaneously hosting a chat session. I am interested in knowing if holding regular, say every two weeks or so, video chats would be interesting to members. If a reasonable number are, I will set things up, get the equipment working, and schedule the first chat for sometime after Tax Day.One thing that I thought might be cool to try is a sort of quasi-interactive chocolate tasting. We could agree on one or more bars to taste and then we could all gather and chat and share our opinions. Or whatever you think might be interesting to discuss in real-time.Reply to this post to let me know if you think the idea is interesting and if you have ideas for some topics.Thanks in advance,:: Clay

The World Pastry Forum is a series of five-day intensive programs (demo and hands-on) offered immediately prior to the National or World Pastry Team Championship. Both the forum and the championship are organized by a company called Carymax, one of whose founders is one of the founders of Chocolatier Magazine. This year's events are being held at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN, August 26-30 with the World Championship immediately thereafter.This year's Demo Program ($1500 for all 10 classes): Donald Wressell , E. Guittard Chocolate, USA- Showpieces and Amenities Anil Rohira , Albert Uster Imports, USA- Chocolate Desires Ciril Hitz , Johnson & Wales University, USA- Breakfast Pastries Vincent Pilon , Mandalay Bay Hotel & Resort, USA- Chocolate Confections John Kraus , French Pastry School, USA- Frozen Confections Derek Poirier , Valrhona, Canada- Plated Desserts Michele Huyke , Rimini Gelato, USA- How to Start a Small Business Hari Unterrainer , Hyatt Group, Switzerland- Fusion of Chocolate and TeaTBD - Sugar ConfectionsTBD - Traditional Western Desserts Made with Traditional Asian Flavors Hands-On Programs ($2000 for 5-day class, attendance strictly limited): Program One:Chocolate: Passion, Tradition, Evolution Chocolate is the fastest growing segment of the dessert industry, constantly evolving thanks to new creations and techniques. Back by popular demand for the third year in a row, and once again taught by esteemed pastry chefs Stphane Glacier, MOF and Stephan Iten, this class promises to strengthen your chocolate skills and update your knowledge with the latest trends to keep you current in today's competitive marketplace. Stphane Glacier is an international pastry consultant in addition to the having been the manager of the 2006 World Pastry Team Champions. Chef Glacier will focus on the techniques and recipes for Showpieces, Entremets, and Verrines (desserts in glasses). Stephan Iten is the Corporate Pastry Chef/Chocolatier of Felchlin Chocolate Switzerland. Chef Iten's portion of the class will focus on seasonal pralines and chocolates, petits fours, and amenities. Program Two:Wedding Cakes and Gumpaste Techniques A unique learning experience for any pastry chef, sugar artist or cake decorator. During the five days, students will have the opportunity to learn from two of the most respected and sought after instructors in the field of cake decorating and sugar arts, Nicholas Lodge and Colette Peters . Each class will spend two and a half days with Nicholas and two and a half days with Colette. A maximum of 20 students ensures a low teacher-to-student ratio, allowing for a more personal learning experience.Students will work on dummy cakes and create a multi-tiered creation that will be covered with rolled fondant and finished with fondant and gumpaste decorations, as well as a variety of gumpaste flowers. Colette will focus on preparing a wedding cake and will discuss in depth the covering and decorating aspects.Nicholas will demystify the many levels of gumpaste creations.Students will have the opportunity practice an assortment of popular gumpaste wedding flowers, including roses, lilies, orchids, buds, leaves, filler flowers and foliage, that will complement the wedding cake that was created with Colette. Accreditation and Discount Details: Participation in the five-day programs qualifies for points toward IACP-CCP certification and re-certification, and is pending approval for 36 hours of continuing education units by the American Culinary Federation (ACF).Tuition fee for all three programs includes classes, recipe book, chef jacket, daily lunch, admission to the 2008 Amoretti World Pastry Team Championship and Gala Dinner.For more information and to download registration and volunteer forms for the Forum, visit www.worldpastryforum.com.For more information about the Championship, visit http://www.pastrychampionship.com/I have attended (as an observer, not a student) the past 6 Pastry Forums and Championships. From my experience, this is one of the most compelling educational programs you can be involved with this year. Besides, the Competition is always great fun as well as being instructive.

The Mark Hotel in Manhattan (no longer a part of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, located on E 77th St.) has regularly hosted wine classes directed by Master Sommelier Richard Dean.In 2004, the program was expanded to showcase the pairing of wine and chocolate and to do so it enlisted the support of Valrhona and the winemaker Louis Jadot. Representing Valrhona were Mr. Bernard Duclos, the director of US operations for Valrhona, Kim O'Flaherty, their US Corporate Pastry Chef, and Frederic Bau, Executive Pastry Chef for Valrhona worldwide and the Director of l'Ecole du Grand Chocolat Valrhona. Maitre Sommelier de France Olivier Masmondet represented Maison Louis Jadot.The evening was divided into two parts. A four-course pairing of various Louis Jadot and other wines distributed by Kobrand (a major importer), with four different Valrhona chocolates was followed by dinner downstairs in Mark's Restaurant. The Wine Tasting After receiving instructions on how to taste wine together with chocolate (gather the melted mass of chocolate on the tongue, take a small sip of the wine and mix the wine and chocolate together on the tongue to marry the flavors) we got down to the wine and chocolate (all "grand cru") pairings. They were: Bouvey Ladubuy Brut (NV) with Jivara 40% milk. We were given glasses of the chilled Bouvey, a sparkling wine as an aperitif. For the tasting, the wine had been allowed to sit in the glass for a while and warm up. Rather than being sparkling it was more effervescent with tiny, not too energetic bubbles. When mixed into the mass of Jivara in the mouth, the tiny bubbles were really delightful and the flavors of the wine - grassy and slightly citrusy - worked well with the strong malty and molasses flavors of the Jivara. An auspicious start. Cotes-du-Rhone Chateau Mont-Redon 2002 with Manjari 64% dark. Although the tasting notes for the chocolate mention strong tastes of red fruit, the strongest flavors we got from the chocolate were faint spicy hints reminiscent of nutmeg and cinnamon. The wine, which is a blend of 60% Syrah, 20% Grenache, and 20% other grapes, had a spicy aroma and peppery notes but tasted a little young and with a slight astringency. The wine and the chocolate, with it spice notes complemented each other well. Saint-Emillion Jean-Pierre Mouiex 2002 with pur Caraibe 66% dark. Mr. Mouiex is the winemaker for Chateau Petrus, and this Saint-Emillion was made with 100% Merlot grapes in what has been called on the best years for Saint-Emillion in recent memory. The wine was a deep ruby color with a slightly musty bouquet with floral high notes but seemed thin and light. The addition of the chocolate - with a mild sweetness, nutty notes with a hint of coffee/mocha - seemed to "open up" the wine. The earthiness of the chocolate complemented the bouquet of the wine. Oporto Ruby Taylor with Araguani 72% dark. Port is the oldest wine appellation in the world, created in 1729. Ruby ports (typically the youngest of the ports) were developed as light, fruity aperitif wines to be drunk before dinner. This ruby had notes of raisins, pepper, and spice that complemented the Araguani with its licorice and raisin notes with aromas of warm bread and honey.The tasting was tag-teamed by Messrs. Bau and Masmondet. Frederic would describe, in his imperfect English, the chocolate and Olivier would describe the wine and his logic in making each particular wine choice. Both acknowledged the difficulty of doing this, repeating that each of us was free to agree or disagree with each choice. The consensus at our table was the the Ruby Port/Araguani pairing was the most successful, with the long finish of each among its most salient and appealing characteristics.

Halfway through the wine pairings.Interestingly, the feelings about the other pairings seemed to revolve around people's perceptions of the wines, not the chocolates. If a person did not like the wine, they did not like the pairing, irrespective of their feelings about the chocolate by itself. Most unusual was the pairing of the Bouvey with the milk chocolate, but that is in accord with my experience in the matter (milk chocolates can go quite well with white wines). The pairing would not have worked with the cold Bouvey, which would have been much crisper with stronger, "tighter" bubbles. By letting it warm up, the bubbles "relaxed" making it possible to taste them togeter. I often pair milk chocolates with the Italian sparkling wine Prosecco which is generally lighter (less alcoholic and therefore less sharp) with smaller, less energetic bubbles. The Dinner Mark's Restaurant in the Mark Hotel is an elegant place to eat. I had dinner with my wife there in the past six months and enjoyed not only the fare produced by Andrew Chase, the Executive Chef, but also the desserts produced by Chris Broberg. (ex- of Petrossian and now at Cafe Gray in the new Time Warner Center; the current pastry chef at the Mark is Erwin Schroettner.)The dinner, conceived of Mr. Bau and executed with the assistance of Mr. Chase and his staff as well as two assistants Mr. Bau coaxed down from Montreal, was truly an indulgent chocolate experience composed of eight courses not including petits-fours! (I learned later that this was reduced by five courses from a similar set menu prepared recently in Montreal by Mr. Bau, Olivier de Montigny, and Cyril Jamet. I cannot imagine what five more courses, even with smaller portions, would have been like.)During the wine tasting, Frederic explained that it was his intent to showcase the chocolate in each of the courses. In most instances, the chocolate would be used in a classic French style -- with the chocolate replacing some or all of the butter used to finish a sauce, giving it its final silky texture. But the taste of chocolate would be front and center. Frederic also told us to expect some surprises, and indeed the menu that was circulated in the invitation was different in many respects from the menu that was printed and placed at table. And even that menu was subject to last-minute changes.Spoiler: The menu was both audacious and ambitious with touches of brilliance. However, even though these dishes had been made and served several times (five I was told afterwards), the consensus among our group was that each probably had to be made many additional times to take out the rough edges, specifically the balance between the amount of chocolate and the other elements of each dish -- the chocolate unnecessarily dominated rather than supported most dishes.The Amuse Bouche -- foie gras gelee with Jivara (milk) chocolate sauce -- immediately demonstrated Frederic's intention not only to surprise us but to make sure the chocolate was front and center. It was not described on the menu, but was at the table as it was served. Although I am not a big fan of foie gras (or other organ meats and offal in general), the gelee turned out to be a great vehicle for conveying the flavor of the foie gras with a new texture - when you could fish it out from under the chocolate sauce, which was also excellent, though too abundant.The Amuse was followed by a "Duo of Jumbo Prawn and Red Mullet; Polenta Sticks; Red Pepper Confit Tapenade; Sauce Americaine flavored with Pur Caraibe (66%); and Crisp Leeks." Separately every one of the elements of this dish was extremely well prepared and tasty, with the red pepper confit tapenade tying things together very nicely. However, the chocolate sauce (a true sauce not a jus or reduction) was too heavy and cloying for the rest of the flavors -- especially given the quantity served. Lightening up the sauce with some fish stock and serving less of it would, in my opinion, have tightened the dish up considerably. This was paired with a 2002 Saint Veran "Domaine de la Chapelle aux Loups."Next was "Pan Seared Sea Scallops marinated with Passion Fruit; Bombay Curry Sauce with Manjari (64%) Coconut Emulsion; Caramel Mango Confit." Of the entree dishes, this was the most successful, in my opinion. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the herbal tang of passion fruit adding a nice side note. The Bombay Curry sauce was not hot at all, and the balance of the chocolate and the coconut was just right. When applied sparingly to the scallops, the combination would have made me ask for seconds had I not known what was left to come. However, it was the caramel mango confit that was the real stand out in this dish (we did ask for an additional side dish of this one). The sweetness of the caramelized mango treated like a chutney with raisins and cracked coriander seeds was addictive. If you're one of those people who like traditional mango chutney with cheese you should insist that they bottle this stuff. The reason we asked for seconds was to see if we could improve it by adding some of the cocoa nibs that were scattered on the table. These made the chutney transcendental by adding an interesting texture and providing a long lingering - and understated - aftertaste of cocoa. We were also given a side of the sauce which we decided would be great on deep fried ice cream after dinner at an Indian restaurant. This course was paired with a 2001 Chassagne Montrachet.This was followed by "Risotto Beijing Style; Smoked Pork Belly perfumed with Shallots and Star Anise; Emulsion of Parmesan and Jivara (milk) Chocolate; Araguani (72%) and Parmesan shavings." Of the entree courses this was the least successful because the overpowering presence of the chocolate in the risotto made it seem a lot like a chocolate rice pudding. The saltiness of the pork belly (as a garnish as well as diced in the risotto) and the parmesan helped act as a foil to the sweetness and heavyhandedness of the chocolate. A smaller portion size would also have helped. This course was paired with the Saint-Emillion used in the tasting.The Cheese Course was a giant roquefort truffle, described: "Roque and Roll; Araguani (72%) Ganache; shaved Roquefort; grilled Country Bread; and roasted Bananas." The truffle was huge -- somewhere between a golf ball and a pool ball. More than any other course, this one took the theme of chocolate and pushed it right to the limit and maybe a little past. Notwithstanding that criticism, it was actually very, very good. There was just too much of it and the only change I would make (apart from making it smaller than a golf ball) would be to increase the ratio of bread and cheese to the ganache. Interestingly, half of our table thought that this would work better with a milder chevre while the other half argued going in the other direction and using a much stinkier more pungent stilton. This course was paired with a 2000 Barbera "La Court" by Michele Chiarlo.The sweet Mise en Bouche was a "Chuao Chocolate Nectar with Cocoa Nib Foam." This was a light and refreshing intermezzo served in a tall shot glass that made reference to the fact that in pre-Conquest Aztec times, the foam on top of the drink is what was prized. Small, not too sweet, cool, and refreshing. Oh, and the use of a different chocolate provided much needed variety.The first(!) dessert course was "The Milky Way; Jivara Yogurt Cream; Black Cherries and Cranberries sauteed with Lemon Thyme; Crisp Chocolate Tuile." This course proved that Mr. Bau is an accomplished pastry chef who not only know what he is doing, but has done it hundreds if not thousands of times. The chocolate yogurt cream is what every cup of "lite" non-fat yogurt in the dairy case dreams that it will grow up to be - all the sugar, all the fat -- and sublimely perfect. The sourness and chewy texture of the cherries and blackberries was a great foil for the sweet/sour creaminess of the milk chocolate yogurt and the tuile added the necessary height as well as a crunchy texture. This course was paired with the Taylor Ruby Port served during the tasting.

The Milky WayThe second dessert (and penultimate) course was "Trio of Valrhona Grand Crus Gelee; Apple and Quince Lasagna and Apple Jus flavored with Tonka Beans; Apple Lace." Gelee has its place and it is quite the rage among pastry chefs of a particular stripe - much as foam is/was. In this case, at this point in the meal, asking us to appreciate the texture of the gelee was just too much - the only word for them is bad. I think most everyone politely tasted each of the three gelees, but I did not see anyone finish all of them. The same cannot be said for the Apple Quince Lasagna, which was rich and buttery with the richness cut by the apple jus. This course was paired with a Joseph Phelps 2002 Eisrebe. Notes on the Wine Pairings Overall the wines worked well on their own as well as with the dishes they were served with. We thought that the Saint Veran was an excellent wine on its own, much better than the more expensive Chassagne Montrachet which we thought was too young and didn't give much. The Saint-Emillion was still a little lightweight even after sitting in the glass, but it paired well with the salty elements of the risotto. The Barbera was the standout wine of the evening, a perfect foil for the pungency of the roquefort. The Port was the same one served during the tasting, here being used less successfully in a dessert context than as an aperitif with the chocolate during the tasting. Finally, the Eisrebe, made in Calfornia with a reisling hybrid, was a simple wine without any of the complexity you'd get from a true late-harvest or ice wine. Conclusion This dinner asked and answered, for me, the question, "Is it possible to have too much chocolate?" The answer is, "Yes."It is very clear that Mr. Bau is a top pastry chef and very much in command of his oeuvre. However, ultimately, I think the thing that made the dinner less successful for me than it might have been (even considering its overwhelming nature) was the limited vocabulary of chocolate flavors that Frederic used. Apart from the Chuao in the Mise en Bouche, the only chocolates used were the four presented in the wine tasting. A much lighter touch in ladling sauces, smaller portion sizes, coupled with time to refine the recipes and incorporate different chocolate flavors would make the dinner a delight; but that night we were guinea pigs paying heavily for the privilege.The tasting portion of the evening highlighted for me the challenges of explaining chocolate to a wine audience that is not familiar with how chocolate is made. This is something I struggle with every time I make a presentation on the subject. The challenge was made greater because of the language barrier. I am sure that Mr Bau would have done a better job in his native French, but only a very small percentage of the audience would have undertood what he was saying. Because of Mr Bau's lack of fluency in English many important concepts (at least they are important to me) were incompletely or inaccurately described. This comment is made against the fact that only a few days ago I teamed up with someone else at Kobrand (importer of Maison Louis Jadot) to give a chocolate and port pairing. We worked together beforehand to produce a tight outline of what we were going to say, and were both able to see where the other was making assumptions about that the audience might know and make sure they were explained clearly.There were more misses than hits and they did not completely detract from the point of the evening, which was to look at chocolate in new ways and to think about chocolate as a savory element in conjunction with wine. Many others obviously thought so too: also in attendance were Rose Levy-Berenbaum, the cookbook author and chocolate expert; Florian Bellanger, Executive Pastry Chef of Fauchon; and Jean-Francois Bonnet, the Executive Pastry Chef at Restaurant Daniel.On the DiscoverChocolate rating scale: Outcome: Good Effort and Imagination: Superior Value: Superior - the entire experience, including the chocolate tasting, dinner, companionship and conversation, and all wine was only $85 (not including tax and tip). I just wish the food was better.

"Since its foundation, the United Nations system has been collecting statistical information from member states on a variety of topics. The information thus collected constitutes a considerable information asset of the organization. However, these statistical data are often stored in proprietary databases, each with unique dissemination and access policies. As a result, users are often unaware of the full array of statistical information that the UN system has in its data libraries. The current arrangement also means that users are required to move from one database to another to access different types of information. UNdata addresses this problem by pooling major UN databases and those of several other international organizations into one single Internet environment. The innovative design allows a user to access a large number of UN databases either by browsing the data series or through a keyword search." - from a press announcement Searching through UNdata is a great way to waste a lot of time looking for what my father calls, "very important information not worth knowing." It's really quite a silly name when you think about it un-data. Not data? What's not-data?A search on cacao results in no results, while a search for cocoa returns 11. Among the results is a table that displays the quantity and value of the trade of "Cocoa and cocoa preparations." This reveals that the US, in 2006 (I suppose the last year for which figures are available), imported about 473,650 metric tons of "Cocoa beans, whole or broken, raw or roasted" with a total value (in 2006 US$) of about $780 million. In 2006, the US also imported about 33,800 metric tons of cocoa liquor, about 96,450 metric tons of cocoa butter, and about 104,760 metric tons of unsweetened cocoa powder.I have no idea what this really means except that it's a very large number: about 708,660,000 kilograms, more than 2kg or about 5 pounds per man woman and child. Keep in mind that this figure does not include what the US imported in the way of finished chocolate products.I also have no idea what I am going to do with this information. However, I do know that I possess an instinctive ability to remember things in inverse proportion to their importance, so I know that in 5 years I am going to be able to recite at least the "5 pounds" figure while I will have trouble remembering what time to pick up my daughter from piano practice after school that day.

Today, Monday, March 3rd is the national launch date for an ambitious new line of chocolate products from Starbucks. But don't go looking for them at your local Starbucks coffeehouse because you won't find them there. In an interesting branding twist, Starbucks Chocolates will initially be made available through mass retailers, grocery stores, and drug stores and it is unclear when, if ever, you will be able to buy them at the counter where you order your half-caf no-foam skim latte every morning.The product line consists of 5gr tasting squares, 85gr (3oz) bars, milk chocolate covered coffee beans, and a collection of five truffles. Starbucks is careful not to call these "artisan" chocolates. Rather, they are described as being "artisan-style" chocolates "inspired" by Starbucks coffees, teas, and coffeehouse flavors.Starbucks Chocolate is a product of a partnership between Starbucks and Hershey's Artisan Confections Company announced in mid-2007. Artisan Confections is the wholly-owned subsidiary of The Hershey Company that purchased Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Joseph Schmidt, and even though the press release fails to mention them, Dagoba.From the press briefing I attended, it was pretty clear that even though Hershey chefs and product development people were involved, the flavor shots (pun intended) were being called by Starbucks. The flavor profile of the dark chocolate was specifically developed to complement Starbucks Verona blend, and several of the products incorporate flavors found in the Tazo teas Starbucks sells. However, it is unclear who is making the products: the labels say that the products are "made for" Artisan Confections, not "made by." It would be natural to assume that Joseph Schmidt would be making the truffles and Scharffen Berger would be making the bars but this is apparently not the case as Hershey representatives were unwilling (or unable) to disclose who is actually manufacturing the products.One possibility is Astor Chocolates in New Jersey. Astor develops and sells some products under its own brand, but also does private-label work for companies, including Scharffen Berger. (Astor does the molding and wrapping for Scharffen Berger tasting squares and bars, and also manufactures(d) the Scharffen Berger truffle collection.) So they are one possible candidate. Another possible manufacturer is Hershey itself. While they no longer are in the business of roasting beans and grinding their own liquor (they outsourced that business in 2007), they do have the ability to take raw ingredients and turn them into finished product.I mention this not because it has a direct impact on quality but it could provide some insight into how large the two companies believe the business can grow.It is not even clear whether the chocolate used for the product is made by an Artisan Confections company. The scale of the project is large enough that the Scharffen Berger factory in Berkeley would not be able to make all of the chocolate used given their current production capacity as well as meet its own needs. The products are not organic, so that leaves out Dagoba, who has never been a "bean-to-bar" chocolate manufacturer anyway. (Much if not all of the chocolate Dagoba now uses is processed by Debelis, which is part of the Puratos group which also owns Belcolade.)Both Starbucks and Hershey announced that the partnership is committed to purchasing cacao in a socially responsible, economically viable (I assume for cacao farmers as well as both companies, which are publicly traded), ecologically sustainable, and that meets specific (presumably high) quality standards.This represents something of a breakthrough for such a large company and makes a strong statement about Hershey's commitment to playing a leadership role in the growing movement that wants to ensure that cacao farmers are treated fairly and receive a fair price for their crops. Where many companies would abdicate this responsibility to a third-party licensing organization (such as TransFair USA), Hershey's and Starbucks direct involvement is important because even though Fairtrade has been very successful in coffee and other foods, that success has not translated well to cacao. (I was told by someone who had worked for Transfair USA that after 10 years of offering Fairtrade certification for cacao that there are only about 20 certified co-ops worldwide.)Hersheys cacao sourcing guidelines are designed to help to improve farmer incomes, ensure responsible labor practices and protect the tropical ecosystem. Hershey also supports organizations such as The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) and The International Foundation for Education & Self Help (IFESH). Both Starbucks and Hershey support the World Cocoa Foundation.Starbucks has developed what it calls its Cocoa Practices Guidelines and Scorecard (both are PDF files), which are being piloted for a two-year period beginning June 1, 2007. The Cocoa Practices were developed out of the company's experience with its C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity) Practices, the Starbucks coffee buying guidelines, and are similar in structure and criteria areas. The program is designed to evaluate and recognize producers of high quality, sustainably grown cocoa. To become a Cocoa Practices supplier, farmers, processors and exporters must meet minimum requirements and demonstrate best practices, which are subject to independent verification.In the end however, the success Starbucks chocolate will rest on how it tastes. So, how does it fare from that perspective?Actually, for the most part, it's better than I expected it to be, especially given the price points. The Starbucks Signature chocolate bars have a suggested retail price of $2.99 so technically they do not qualify for the "premium" chocolate category. The tasting square versions probably cost out at more than $15/lb (which is the lower limit to be considered "premium), but it would be hard to classify them as premium products when the base chocolate does not.Interestingly (and refreshingly), Starbucks has opted not to label their chocolates with either cacao percentages or origins. However, with all of the hype that is surrounding both of those characteristics of chocolate it will be interesting to see if it benefits or hinders their success in the market. I have to believe that this aspect of marketing was extensively tested in focus groups which is why the bars mention neither on their labels. All of the products are certified Kosher Dairy.The Starbucks Signature chocolate bars weigh 85gr (3ozs). There are three varieties, milk, dark, and dark mocha made with Starbucks Guatemalan Casi Cielo. The ingredient list is fairly standard for a mass-market chocolate and includes milk fat in both of the dark chocolates. The milk fat, in addition to replacing more expensive cocoa butter, also stabilizes the crystal structure of the chocolate making it more shelf stable. Furthermore, the chocolates are made with "natural vanilla flavor" and not natural vanilla or natural vanilla extract, which are probably more expensive.

Nonetheless, when you put them up against the products in the candy aisle of the local supermarket, the price point, brand name, and quality of the taste and texture mean that these bars are competitive with most everything else on the shelf. This will probably not be true in a gourmet food store, and people who are interested in Fairtrade and organic chocolates will snoot right on by these.The tasting squares is where things get a little more interesting. Three are simply small versions of their larger siblings. Three however, incorporate Tazo teas as inclusions (the actual teas are ground finely and mixed into the bars) rather than as flavorings. These include Chai (in milk chocolate), and Passion and Citron (in dark chocolate).

Despite its name, the predominant flavor of the Passion chocolate is hibiscus, not passion fruit. The tea inclusion gives the chocolate a crystalline graininess that you will either love or hate. The tea flavor itself is quite nice with a tart fruitiness that survives even into the long aftertaste and is very different from the red-fruit (raspberry, cherry, plum) fruitiness characteristic of many Scharffen Berger chocolates or the citrus-y fruitness of many bars made with Madagascan beans. I would pair this piece with a simple black tea in place of any kind of sweetener.The dark chocolate Citron includes both tea leaves (which does impart a grainy texture) and lemon oil, which carries the lemon flavor all the way through this piece from the moment you smell it until you either take a drink or taste of something else. This would be a good piece to pair with an espresso for those people who like the idea of flavoring the espresso with lemon but not the idea of adding sugar. This piece is about lemon, not about chocolate, and delivers the lemon flavor and a hint of sweetness to balance the bitterness of the coffee.The graininess of the tea inclusion in the Chai chocolate is even less pronounced in this piece in which the predominant flavoris cardamom. The chocolate is far less sweet than the concentrate Starbucks uses for it Chai lattes, which is a very good thing because a combination of that sweet Chai with the sweet milk chocolate would result in something very cloying. This would be a good piece to pair with a cappuccino or latte.The suggested retail price for a package of these squares is $4.99-$5.99, but I could not find any indication in the press materials of the number of squares in a package.The next-to-last item in the product line is milk chocolate covered coffee beans. The bean selection is from the Verona blend which is interesting because, I would guess, that the different beans contributing to the blend will deliver slightly different flavors. It's fairly unusual for coffee beans to be covered in milk chocolate so I suppose that Starbucks is going here for the breakfast blend/latte/cappuccino drinker, not the French/Italian roast/espresso drinker. While the taste and texture are good, the aroma is not; this product smelled to me more of inexpensive vanilla than it did of either chocolate or coffee. A 100gr (3.5 oz) box has a suggested retail price of $4.99-$5.99.

Finally, we come to the truffle selection. There are five flavors in the line. Four cost between $4.99-$5.99/box while the fifth, which is available "in Club" only, (whatever that means and it is not explained in the press materials I have), costs $9.99. The four generally available flavors are Milk Chocolate Caffe Mocha, Milk Chocolate Chai, Dark Chocolate Espresso, and Dark Chocolate Vanilla bean. The "Club-only" flavor is Milk Chocolate Caramel Macchiato.

The price point for these and the point of sale (mass-market retailers, grocery stores, and drug stores) provides a real good indication of the what can be expected. The flavors are very front and forward and overpower the chocolate. The Vanilla Bean does have specks of real vanilla bean it, however. Overall, however, the flavors are far better balanced and are more sophisticated than virtually everything else in that price point and in those retail locations. If I were Russell Stover/Whitmans, a house brand (where I live the dominant grocery store chain is Royal Ahold's Stop and Shop whose house brand is Simply Enjoy which has a surprisingly large selection of truffles), or even much of the See's product line I would pay close attention to these products. In Conclusion I was more than a little surprised to discover that Starbucks Chocolate would not be available in Starbucks coffeehouses in the beginning, if ever. With 10,000 doors (shops) in the US alone, selling only 10 pounds per week per store represents a huge volume.However, past experience may be, in part, what's behind that move. Starbucks first attempt at a European-style drinking chocolate, Chantico, was not a success.The company is in the middle of something of a reorganization and is focusing much of its attention on reviving its core coffee business in an attempt to regain its luster on Wall Street and stanch the flow of defections of people who have become less enamored of the Starbucks experience. Extending the Starbucks brand into the grocery store into a new aisle, and doing so with a partner with lots of experience putting product onto candy shelves and getting it sold, is a way to generate increased revenues without interfering with what needs to happen to fix the core coffee business.For Hershey, Starbucks Chocolate is another step up the ladder in repositioning the company as not just a mass market candy brand. Hershey itself can not legitimately lay claim to being an artisan chocolate company whose focus is on quality. Setting up Artisan Confections and putting Scharffen Berger, Schmidt, and Dagoba in that umbrella is part of a larger strategy of moving customers up the value chain with the Cacao Reserve collection forming an important conduit. Hershey customers, they hope, will move up from their milk and "special dark" chocolates to Cacao Reserve and then, rather than defecting to another brand after Hershey has spent a lot of money educating them, have an array of Hershey products they can choose from. Starbucks among them.As mentioned earlier, the chocolate is better than either the price points or the points of sale might at first indicate. The flavored tasting squares are the most interesting parts of the product line and the truffles, while quite good for what they are, reflect the partnership's goal of creating "artisan-inspired" products not artisanal ones.

Local press coverage of the 6th Annual Death by Chocolate Festival at Copia can be found here .Copia bills itself as the American Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts and on February 23rd they should have added chocolate into that title somewhere - at least for the day. California and Ziad Kurjie of the US operations of Patchi Chocolates (who are headquartered in Lebanon).I had the pleasure and the privilege to deliver the keynote tasting session as well as moderate the keynote panel on sustainability.Several Chocolate Life members were there including Tracey Downey of Downey Chocolates in Laguna Niguel,The most interesting chocolates I tasted all weekend were:Downey Chocolates' Caramel with fig and walnuts (most decadent);Michael Mischer's Root Beer barrel (most likely to transport you to childhood); andJade Chocolates' dark bar with sesame, chili, and lapsang souchong tea (most sophisticated).Up and coming chocolatiers include Raffine and Ginger Elizabeth and chocolate makers Tcho and Askinosie.Copia is a great venue and if you ever find yourself in the Napa Valley taking in the wine you should plan to visit. And, just across the parking lot is the new Oxbow Market, modeled on the Ferry Plaza market in San Francisco. Check out the wine and cheese merchant as well as the Fatted Calf (great butcher and charcuterie). My only beef (pun intended) is that there's no soul to the Market. Everything seems artfully arranged and just so-so. Maybe that will change as it ages, I certainly hope so.I've already posted a couple of photos from my trip (including a stop in Central Point, OR) and there are more to come.