Forum Activity for @Clay

Where can I learn how to make my own chocolate bars from the bean?

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

Skip:The discussion you are looking for is here . The PDF file is attached to the main post.:: Clay

Chocolate Stores in San Francisco

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Not strictly a chocolate shop but one of the best selection of bars on the coast is at Fog City News - Adam Smith is the proprietor.Also check out XOX, Neo Cocoa (Christine Doerr), and Jade (Mindy Fong).

Software for Chocolate Industry

Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)

At this point further discussion on this topic should be moved to CLASSIFIEDS. Mathew - please create a new discussion there.

Software for Chocolate Industry

Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)

The link appears to go to a page for a transfer sheet printer, not recipe costing software.

An interesting alternative to "conventional" fair trade certification?

Posted in: Opinion

Jim:I believe I detect more than a small amount of irony in your post.The program is managed by Associao Beneficente Tobias, who administrates it through Associao de Certificao Instituto Biodinmico (IBD). It is interesting that this is a Brasilian organization.No costs are discussed on the program's web site . Attached is an MSWord doc that discusses the steps to achieve certification.Here's the phone number: +55 [14] 3882 506 - I think it's in So Paulo. Here is the e-mail address: ecosocial@ibd.com.br.

An interesting alternative to "conventional" fair trade certification?

Posted in: Opinion

EcoSocial Certification from IBD (Brasil).Minimum certification requirements include:1) To comply to labor, sanitary and environmental national legislation;2 ) To comply to the minimum criteria of economic development fair trade.3) To be executing at least two social programs and two environmental programsaiming the continuing improvement of the standard of socio-environmental quality in the projects.I like this third point. The entire certification guidelines run to more than 50 pages. Here are some more highlights:

EcoSocial certification aims at auditing businesses, farms and groups of producers through human, social, environmental and economical development criteria. To be certified operations must present an initial diagnostic, pointing the social and environmental demands to be overcome. The operation must present an Action Plan detailing how the improvements will be implemented, with the purpose to fulfill all the minimum criteria listed in the Guidelines and, at least, two progress criteria related to environmental development and two related to the human and social, during the year of certification. Criteria for Environmental Development: * Adjustment to environmental legislation and regularization along environment agencies;* Environmental Conservation;* Environmental Recovery;* Adequate management of water resources;* Adequate management of solid residues;* Adequate management of liquid effluents;* Adequate management of gaseous effluents;* Biodiversity conservation and increment;* Reduction of environmental impacts generated by the production activity;* Reduction in the emission of greenhouse effect gases;* Support to Environmental Education;* Other environmental aspects specific to each operation. Criteria for Human and Social Development: * Commitment to Transparency;* Lawful property;* Adjustment to labor legislation and regularization along labor agencies;* Support to union workers;* Increment on work safety and salubrity;* Equal ri9ghts and benefits to full time and part time workers;* Partaking in results;* Workers training;* Training for producers groups management;* Technical training for groups of producers;* Ban to child labor;* No discrimination: social, racial, religious, political, gender;* Support to fundamental and continued education;* Improvement on living, food and health conditions;* Support to the woman worker, support to the pregnant and lactant;* Support to the aged;* Prevention and support to addictions users of tobacco, spirits and drugs);* Support to social organization and participation;* Other social aspects specific for each operation. Criteria for Economical Development: * Promoting a fair trade relationship;* Support to open, transparent and durable negotiations among the parties;* Foment Social and Environmental Development in the productive chain, through paymentof EcoSocial Premium;* Establishment of better production practices aiming at product quality.* In EcoSocial Program, some criteria are considered critical, in other words, they determine suspension or cancelling of certification, even if other criteria are being fulfilled. They are:* Break of traceability.* Deforestation non-authorized by environment agencies.* Throw of effluents in water bodies in non conformity with Environment Laws.ECOSOCIAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAMCERTIFICATION SYSTEM ECOSOCIAL IBD 8th Edition doc 8_1_6 september 2009* Hunting, capture and trade of wild animals.* Undue exploitation of the right to property.* Inexistence of hiring and payment procedures with workers.* Existence of discrimination: social, cultural, political, religious, ethnic, racial, sexual, age.* Child labor.* Forced labor.* Workers exposed to risks without appropriate individual protection.* The use of agrochemicals must happen under the responsibility of a properly trainedprofessional, and following the countrys norms.

updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/21/15 23:30:05

Men (at least Kiwi men) like meat-flavoured chocolate

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

A meat flavoured chocolate developed is popular with men in New Zealand, according to its creator, a food chemist-turned-chocolatier.Hanna Fredericks venison chocolate truffles are made from dark chocolate and ground salty dried meat. The opening taste is said to be smokey, followed by a strong chocolate taste, then a salami flavour to finish.The small sausage-shaped treats are being served as a starter at New Zealand's Meat Industry Association conference.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 12/13/24 12:16:07

Certified sustainable cocoa from Ivory Coast

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate is aiming to have 10,000 tonnes of UTZ-certified cocoa available for the market in 2010, as the first two Ivory Coast cooperatives achieve certification and others are expected to get there soon.Cargill and a number of other big names in cocoa and chocolate, including Mars, Nestle and Dutch retailer Ahold, teamed up over a certification scheme that would make sustainably sourced products credible to the end consumer. UTZ was chosen as the certifier, and this month Cargill has announced the certification of the first two cooperatives: Co-operative Agricule de Fidifou and Coopaga.The certifications [wikipedia entry ], awarded on an annual basis, come at the end of an eight month programme that has involved training nearly 1,600 farmers in responsible and sustainable agriculture practices.Cargill, a founder member of the cocoa programme together with the NGO Solidaridad, has sourced cocoa from the Ivory Coast for the past decade.It instigated a project to shorten the fragmented supply chain and have closer contact with farmers so it could help with financing and farming practices that improve quality, and give them market access and better prices.A Cargill spokesperson said that the Ivory Coast has been the focus of such activity since it is the source of 40 per cent of the worlds cocoa, and has been hit by stagnating growth and deteriorating quality negative trends that needed to be remedied.Cargill has received increasing numbers of requests from customers for clarity in the supply chain, as the consumer movement for sustainable and fair trade type products gains momentum.The certification, which is described the certification as fair trade-like, sitting alongside other schemes like Fairtrade and the Rainforest Alliance is adding on to what we are doing already says Cargill. Labels for sustainability are all considered to be fair trade, and to watch over the element of sustainability, but they each have a slightly different focus. UTZ is focused more on the strength of the farmer.The UTZ cocoa programme is managed by a steering committee made up of industry players and NGOs, including Solidaridad and Oxfam, which has also developed the code of conduct.A company, together with NGOs, will provide funding for a cooperative, and pay a premium on sustainably produced cocoa. But the cooperatives can supply to who they want.Its a free market, but business loyalty holds true. The price in Ivory Coast is transparent and a supplier will remind you if you are not competitive.Cargill emphasised the importance of sustainable cocoa being an industry-wide movement. Not about niche market, but getting the whole sector up to standard.More companies are expected to join up, but it will take some time for cooperative certification to be achieved.Efforts like this take a bit of time. People need to understand that the effort takes investment, Cargill said. The focus is on investment, not certification. That is real sustainability.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 12/13/24 12:16:07

Decorating Chocolates

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Chef Rubber might have a kosher-certified luster dust that is FDA approved. One way to apply is to mix with melted cocoa butter and decorating the insides of the molds.

Hello Everyone, allow me to introduce myself

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Mark:Although I understand your position here, in the end I personally am going to defer to the FDA when it comes to defining what can be called chocolate because all manufacturers are required to adhere to these definitions if they want to call their products chocolate.I take this position even though I happen to be disappointed with the standards, but they are the only reference point for what can legally be called chocolate in the US.It is true - unprocessed cacao beans cannot be called chocolate (that's covered in the standards of identity).Cacao beans that are fermented and dried are also not chocolate - and that's also covered in the standard of identity. "Chocolate liquor", "chocolate", "unsweetened chocolate", "bitter chocolate", "baking chocolate", "cooking chocolate", "chocolate coating", or "unsweetened chocolate coating" is the solid or semiplastic food prepared by finely grinding cacao nibs. Cacao nibs (they are NOT referred to as cocoa in the standards), is "the food prepared by removing the shell from cured, cleaned, dried, and cracked cacao beans." I suppose that you could construe "cured" as fermented, but cured is used to refer to a wide variety of processing techniques.From personal experience, I can tell you that unfermented, dried, and roasted beans ground and made into chocolate do have a distinct chocolate flavor but the flavor is straightforward mild chocolate with no nuances. Fermentation is responsible (at least this is my understanding from several experts from CIRAD) for the development of flavor precursors that are available to the Maillard reaction during roasting.Your issues with Xocai (and I suspect other products in this category) appear to be related to quality which the standards (rightfully) don't address. While Xocai may legally be entitled to be called chocolate, I don't think that it is very good chocolate. If you don't think that Xocai is "really" chocolate then you should file a complaint with the FDA - however, as long as the product conforms to the standard of identity and MXI doesn't make illegal health claims benefits then there's nothing you can do about that.That said, I do agree with you in general about Xocai. It is what I refer to as a "chocolate-like substance." I don't find that either the taste or the texture falls within the norms of what I consider to be edible and I cannot (and do not) recommend that people purchase it.There are far less expensive ways to get the health and wellness benefits of cacao and eat something truly enjoyable.

Hello Everyone, allow me to introduce myself

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Mark:To your point about Xocai being chocolate or not.The FDA Standard of Identity for cacao nibs doesn't say anything about fermentation (the precise language is "cured, cleaned, dried, and cracked cacao beans") as a requirement for something to be called chocolate.So, technically, I think that Xocai can be called chocolate because it falls within the strict definition for " Sweet Chocolate ."Interestingly, while there is a Standard for white chocolate , there is no standard for Dark Chocolate, and the Standard for sweet chocolate allows the use of many kinds of dairy ingredients: 163.123 (b)(4)(i ... v inclusive).I agree with you that many (though not all) of the manufacturers of "healthy chocolate" or "raw" chocolate products totally overstate the effects of processing on antioxidant levels as well as grossly misrepresent the kinds of ingredients that "unhealthy" chocolate manufacturers use in their products as scare tactics.:: Clay

Visiting London and Paris this week - which chocolate shops are must see?

Posted in: Opinion

August is tough. Lots of stores are closed on Mondays.

Visiting London and Paris this week - which chocolate shops are must see?

Posted in: Opinion

Kate:Here's my blog on my most recent trip to Paris. To Cheeb's list I would second Jacques Genin and Patrick Roger though I have to recommend A l'Etoile d'Or (address in the blog) as THE place to go if you can only make one stop - the store carries the best of the best of all France.As far as London goes - I will be making my first chocolate-specific trip there in October and I am looking forward to what you have to say as I have no personal experience. Places that have received very high marks (and are on my personal short list) include:William CurleyRococo (Chantal Coady)Paul YoungPaul Wayne GregoryLartisan du ChocolatSir Hans Sloane

2009 Euro Choc "Hit List"

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

As I plan my trip to Europe in October for the Salon du Chocolat in Paris, Eurochocolate in Perugia, and to Barcelona and London, I am taking suggestions for things to look for of special interest to ChocolateLife members.What do you want to know? What chocolates or chocolatiers or chocolate makers are of particular interest? I will do what I can to seek them out and let you know what I find.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/10/15 13:04:26

Traveling to Dominican Republic and to source organic cacao. Can you help me?

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Francisco -

You might also want to get in touch with ChocolateLife member Vaagn (member name: Marabel Farms). They have a plantation along the north coast.

:: Clay

Venezuela's Cacao Plantations Stir Bitterness

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

There is an interesting article on the current state of the cacao industry in Venezuela in today's (July 29, 2007) NY Times (registration may be required after two weeks from today). Don't miss the video featuring grower Kai Rosenberg with footage of the drying patio in Chuao.From the article:

Venezuela produces about the same amount of cacao as it did three centuries ago: 15,000 tons a year, less than 1 percent of global cacao output. But that amount stirs the passions of critics and devotees, turning a luxury crop destined for foreigners into a contentious, and sometimes violent, political issue. Cacao from here is so desirable that European chocolate makers sometimes engage in cut-throat competition to gain access to it. Chocolatiers talk of the unique factors here on the Caribbeans edge in a way that resembles the got de terroir, or taste of the earth, crucial to fine wines.Venezuela is in a league of its own, said Gary Guittard, a California chocolate maker who buys Venezuelan cacao. It takes years to develop the uniqueness of the best cacao, maybe 20 or 30 years, maybe 100, so other nations need to catch up.Viewed as a treasure abroad, cacao is seen differently by many Venezuelans, from the president to the poor. A loophole for this nature reserve allows cacao haciendas to dot the forest, near villages populated by descendants of African slaves and near poor migrants who live in squatter villages in the park....Despite partnering with the government in a cacao venture in Barinas, Mr. Chvezs home state, Chocolates El Rey, a leading company in Venezuelas gourmet chocolate industry, was powerless to stop squatters who invaded the farm earlier this decade and still occupy it.We could be a world leader with cacao, what beef is for Argentina or rice for Thailand, said Jorge Redmond, Chocolates El Reys chief executive, reflecting on the industrys upheaval. Instead were faced with 52 different permits to export a container of our product, compared with four steps to export when Chvez came to power.

updated by @Clay Gordon: 12/13/24 12:16:07

Is Chocolate Healthy? II

Posted in: Opinion

Mark:Do you have a reference to cite for the 80% figure? If I think I understand what you're saying then if (say) a serving of chocolate has 100 calories from fat the actual update/metabolization of those 100 calories is only 20?Also, found a citation specifically on anthocyanin intake affecting cholesterol:Source: American Journal of Clinical NutritionPublished online ahead of press, doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27814Anthocyanin supplementation improves serum LDL- and HDL-cholesterol concentrations associated with the inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein in dyslipidemic subjectsAuthors: Y. Qin, M. Xia, J. Ma, Y. Hao, J. Liu, H. Mou, L. Cao, W. LingIncreased intakes of antioxidant anthocyanins may improve levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol, according to results of a new human study with 120 people.Consumption of berry-derived anthocyanin supplements resulted in a 13.7 per cent increase in levels of HDL cholesterol, and a 13.6 per cent reduction in levels LDL cholesterol, according to findings published online ahead of print in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.[snip ... ]In terms of the potential mechanism, the activity of a protein called plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) was studied. CETP works by collecting triglycerides from LDL and exchanging them for cholesteryl esters from HDL, and also the reverse.Supplements of the anthocyanins was found to reduce the activity of CETP by 6.3 per cent, while CETP activity fell by only 1.1 per cent in the placebo group, said the researchers.The change in HDL cholesterol was negatively correlated with the change in CETP activity, they wrote. The change in LDL cholesterol was positively correlated with the change in CETP mass, they added.Anthocyanin supplementation in humans improves LDL- and HDL-cholesterol concentrations and enhances the cellular cholesterol efflux to serum, wrote the researchers. These benefits may be due to the inhibition of CETP, they concluded.

Is Chocolate Healthy? II

Posted in: Opinion

This just in on adding stuff to chocolate to make it healthier:

New blend makes antioxidant rich chocolate easier to create, says Wild Chocolate products full of natural antioxidants are growing in popularity as consumers associate antioxidants with healthy living.But to create antioxidant rich products manufacturers normally have to buy special quality cocoa beans, with high levels of antioxidants. Furthermore, processing has to be gentle to ensure that the finished product is still high in antioxidants, said a Wild spokesperson.Natural powder blendWith its new natural powder blend, Wild plans to make it easer for chocolate makers to formulate antioxidant rich chocolate products.The blend itself contains plant extracts from green and white tea as well as green rooibos and grape seeds, which all have high and standardised levels of polyphenols, according to Wild.The powder blend can be added to chocolate bars or pralines, with or without fruit fillings, to boost antioxidant levels and allow manufacturers to use less rarified cocoa beans.In addition, the blend can be added to the chocolate mass after conching so that the polyphenols, or antioxidants, are not destroyed by the processing.The consistency and taste of the chocolate is unaffected by the addition of the powder blend, said the company spokesperson.

Is Chocolate Healthy? II

Posted in: Opinion

Ted:I have to agree with Samantha on this one: when you make claims like "Now, with this state-of-the-art, cold-pressed method, solid chocolate (bars) have the exact same nutritional components as in their raw powdered form" I think you have to be able to back them up. I've know about Xocai since very early days and if I felt comfortable with the company's claims (and with the product itself - I don't like either the taste or the texture) I would be representing it myself.There are a lot of people on TheChocolateLife who are interested in knowing about the patent and other independent verification of the claims. For example, Brunswick labs could analyze a sample of nibs before pressing and (with sufficient proof that the chain of custody was not broken) the powder cold-pressed from those nibs. Otherwise there is no way to validate the claim, "the exact same nutritional components."I've been looking for this support for years, perhaps you can get it for us?

Is Chocolate Healthy? II

Posted in: Opinion

Sam:I was looking for the patent (it's been awarded, apparently, to a chocolate manufacturer in Belgium) and I saw that your reply, above, appeared as the #9 hit in Google for the search 'patent cacao cold-pressed' - after only 12 hours.I guess Google sees TheChocolateLife as being an authority on subjects about chocolate.

Is Chocolate Healthy? II

Posted in: Opinion

Frank:I don't think you'll find anyone on TheChocolateLife who disputes that chocolate (or more accurately cacao) is a part of a healthy diet and can have a positive affect on virtually every system in the body. Where I think you'll find dispute is the extent to which chocolate is "healthy." Some see chocolate as a panacea for virtually every possible ailment - chocolate alone can cure cancer, diabetes, and depression and improve your libido while helping you achieve your ideal body weight at the same time. Others see more subtle benefits.In the Kuna study, from what I remember, the subjects were consuming relatively unprocessed cacao in the form of a beverage, not solid chocolate bars as we think of chocolate. This makes a huge difference when interpreting the findings of the study.From what I've learned, it's impossible to point to a single chemical constituent of chocolate and say, "This is where the health-giving properties lie." Chocolate is a complex food and it is very likely that it is both the variety and the quantity of chemicals in chocolate that make it so "healthy." Even the fat in cocoa is a "good" fat even though it is technically saturated, and there is evidence which suggests that it is cocoa butter which has an effect on cholesterol metabolism.However, there is a great deal of debate (and a whole lot of contradictory research) on how various forms of processing contribute to the degradation of the health-giving chemical constituents of chocolate. A number (i.e., 70 percent) is not an indicator of whether chocolate is healthy for you - it depends on many complex factors starting from the original levels of these chemicals in the cacao seed and including all of the post-harvest processing and other processing steps. In a perfect world you'd run an ORAC test (and several other, related analyses) on EVERY BATCH of chocolate in order to understand what that specific batch contains. It is impossible to accurately generalize.The irony is that pretty much everything that's done to make chocolate taste better is done at the expense of the health-giving chemicals in the chocolate.Another challenge is that chocolate is a high-fat food and so eating enough chocolate to get adequate nutritional benefits often carries a hefty load of calories. So my advice has always been to see the health and wellness potential of chocolate as a benefit of eating chocolate, not a reason for eating chocolate. I also counsel seeing chocolate as one part of an overall approach to diet which also incorporates reducing or eliminating red meats and most prepared foods in favor of as much fresh, raw foods as you can accommodate.

Is Chocolate Healthy?

Posted in: Opinion

All of Mr Cera's other contributions have been deleted because they were determined to be spam. Mr Cera has been warned that continued postings of this nature will result in his membership being revoked.

Salon du Chocolat 2009 in Paris

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Lana:The Professional Salon takes place every other year. So, the next is in 2011. The next World Chocolate Masters will take place in 2011 - maybe at the professional salon, maybe not.The exhibitors are a mix of industrial chocolate makers, growers associations, equipment makers, and the like. If you are looking for inspiration by looking at others' work then the consumer show is where you should spend your time.You can see all you need to see at the consumer salon in at most two full days - one if you really hurry and don't spend any time talking to anyone; just looking. There is not a lot of free tasting going on. However, not everyone involved in chocolate in Paris (let alone France) exhibits at the salon so you'll want to spend at least a couple of days in Paris on your own visiting shops around the city.:: Clay

Salon du Chocolat 2009 in Paris

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

The 15th it is. Same hotel, same time.

Salon du Chocolat 2009 in Paris

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Duffy:I am arriving on the 17th in Perugia and leaving on the 21st. Not exactly sure of the lay of the land yet but will keep you informed).:: Clay
updated by @Clay Gordon: 06/15/15 10:40:41

Salon du Chocolat 2009 in Paris

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

We could also meet the morning of the 15th if that works better for everyone.

Salon du Chocolat 2009 in Paris

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Jim:If I end up making the trip I will probably (as I explained below) make the opportunity to visit Paris as well as London. In which case let's definitely plan to meet. I have someone for you to send sample beans to, I'll get that to you privately.:: Clay

Salon du Chocolat 2009 in Paris

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Ivica:Truth to tell the major reason is that I've been to Paris (though not the show) and I've never been to Perugia. Also, the international marketing manager for Eurochocolate is a member of TheChocolateLife and even though I have known the organizers of the Salon du Chocolat since the first event, they have never reached out to me.In fact, what will probably happen is that I will arrange a trip that takes me to Perugia, Paris, and London if I can afford it.:: Clay

Salon du Chocolat 2009 in Paris

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Only the ones in the US which are much, much smaller than their Parisian counterparts so there is no comparison.

Salon du Chocolat 2009 in Paris

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Ivica:The organization of the Salon du Chocolat sites is (and always has been) confusing, I have to agree, but here's what's up:The Professionnel Salon appears to be a two-day bi-annual fair-within-a-fair aimed specifically at the industry. It overlaps the annual general consumer fair, which lasts five days.Whether or not this event is of value to you is largely dependent on the companies who will be exhibiting. However you schedule your trip, should you decide to go, just make sure that it overlaps the two days of the professional event. You can go to both days of that and one day of the consumer show.The only other similar event is Eurochocolate which is in Perugia, which starts - believe it or not - on the 16th of October. This show lasts over a week. Again, take a close look at the list of exhibitors before making up your mind.:: Clay

The Craft Chocolate-Maker's Handbook. Call for Submissions.

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

Ever since I got done with my first book, people have been asking me about the next one. After nearly two years of considering a bunch of different ideas, I've finally decided what the next book will be all about:Making chocolate from the bean for fun and (maybe) profit.From the attached Call for Submissions document:

Cacao is a New World plant and since the conquest of Mesoamerica and the subsequent appropriation of the cocoa bean by Europeans, New World chocolate makers, chocolatiers, and confectioners have suffered from an inferiority complex regarding the quality of chocolate produced in the lands of origin of theobroma cacao (t. cacao cacao): the food of the Gods.

For nearly a decade, a new generation of chocolate makers have shaken the very foundations of the world of craft chocolate production and now the New World is home to companies producing much of the most interesting chocolate in the world.

The Craft Chocolate Movement in the New World is just now approaching the threshold of interest and awareness that the craft brew movement reached some two decades ago. What catapulted the craft brew movement was the availability of information about process, technique, and equipment, as well as access to sources for equipment and ingredients. While much of this information is available to the person interested in craft chocolate making today, it is not as accessible or as well organized as it needs to be. This book is being produced to address that need.

Interested in contributing? Download the Call for Submissions to learn more. Questions? Post them here.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 12/13/24 12:16:07

Cadbury Old Gold - The Travesty Continues. Can you say Recall?

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

In this thread, Tom brought to our attention Cadbury's less than realistic presentation of cacao in (just barely) pre-Colombian Mesomerica.Today they announced another chapter in the Old Gold Saga: a voluntary recall "to protect consumer safety." After they've offended our sensibilities in so many other ways.

Cadbury is conducting a voluntary recall in Australia for one of its products in the Old Gold Dark Chocolate range due to the possible presence of milk protein, which is not labelled on the packaging.Cadbury said the product, which is currently distributed in Australia and Guam, should not be eaten by people who are allergic or intolerant to milk protein.Apart from this labelling irregularity, Cadbury said there is no other fault with the Old Gold Dark Chocolate 70 per cent cocoa 200g blockThe Old Gold Dark Chocolate 70 per cent cocoa 220g block is not affected by this recall, which is being undertaken as a precaution to protect consumer safety and maintain standards.

updated by @Clay Gordon: 12/13/24 12:16:07

Host a Chocolate tasting-anyone have an experience to share?

Posted in: Opinion

Roxanne:I think you're trying to do too much in one tasting. Focus on one thing at a time, and think about doing this in multiple sitting. If you overload it you risk taking the fun out of it. I would say at most 8 chocolates in one tasting, all the "same type" (whatever that happens to be).And, because people's individual taste sensibilities are involved I have to beg to differ: it's nowhere near close to a science. Think of a tasting as a piece of performance art that's supposed to be fun.:: Clay

Host a Chocolate tasting-anyone have an experience to share?

Posted in: Opinion

If you've never done this before (and it sounds like you might not have), then the first order of business is to just have fun and use it as a learning adventure as much for yourself as for your guests.My advice to you is to go to the local supermarket and look in the candy section and, if you live in a reasonably metropolitan area, you'll find at least a half-dozens bars you can choose from from a variety of manufacturers. (if not, try a Whole Foods or some other gourmet store.) You don't have to spend a lot of money on exotic chocolate to get started. The first time I did this I found four different Lindt bars in a local A&P all labeled bittersweet. I (and my guests) were astonished at the range of bitterness and sweetness that we found. In many ways, that's a more impressive discovery than working with really expensive chocolate.Now because you don't have much experience doing this, the best way to get the discussion going is by comparing the tastes of two chocolates at a time. It's easy for people to make comparative judgments about which one is sweeter, which one is more bitter, which one is fruity (or not), which has more vanilla in it, etc., than asking them to identify specific flavors. You can ask your guests which one of each pairing they prefer. If you do a round-robin tasting where you pair all of the chocolates with all of the others, you can get to a good understanding of what you like in a chocolate pretty quickly.Comparing apples to apples (as Mindy points out) is good. Milks with Milks, Darks with Darks. If your guests don't have a lot of experience, asking them to guess origins might be a little frustrating - though that depends on the group dynamics and how the question gets asked and answered.

Has anyone heard of xocai the healthy chocolate

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

This discussion saw no activity for several months until a new member (a Xocai rep) posted, apparently without reading the discussion or the Guidelines. I am closing this discussion to further replies.

Has anyone heard of xocai the healthy chocolate

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Thanks to everyone who participated in this thread. I have not been online since Tuesday morning (it is now Saturday afternoon) and I did not witness this thread unfold. Reading it demonstrates the importance of maintaining a balance and openness that creates an environment where members feel comfortable sharing what they know. Also, by (for the most part) avoiding issues of style, tone, and personality, I think that this thread on Xocai has been the most informative and productive of all the discussions so far.I just want to let everyone know how proud I am to have played a part in fostering the growth of this community. You make it all worthwhile for me.:: Clay

Win a Trip to the Askinosie Chocolate Factory!

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

From the Askinosie Chocolate Facebook account (so you may have to be a member of Facebook):TWEET! TWEET! ASKINOSIE CHOCOLATE TWITTER GIVEAWAYS!Follow us on Twitter because during the run of the Fancy Food Show well be offering some amazing giveaways. Our biggest giveaway is the chance of a lifetime: win a trip to our chocolate factory for 2 full days! The trip includes round trip airfare, accommodations in one of our employees guest rooms at their home, and the chance to work in one of the only small batch, single origin chocolate factories in the world.To learn how to enter, visit the page for all the contest rules.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 12/13/24 12:16:07

Costa Rica cocoa plantations.

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

Hugo is a nice guy, I met him on my last trip to Costa Rica in 2008. He supplied lots of beans used for Dagoba bars, among many other products. A lot of his production is sold to Debelis, which is a part of Puratos.

Women and Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Let's generalize this last statement. There are -isms in every culture and they can be very hard to see if you are not a member of class being victim-ism-ized and you're not looking.Sex, age, race, size, weight, hair color (especially redheads [me!] and blondes), religion (or lack thereof), ethnicity, country of origin, sporting team affiliation, whether or not your teeth are white enough, Mac/Windows, do you open your eggs little end up or big end up? - what prejudices we may see as "natural" in our culture others will abhor, and vice-versa.My personal pet peeve in the workplace? I intensely dislike working with people who refuse to think for themselves - irrespective of gender or any other factor. I also hate office politics. It's one of the reasons I am self-employed.

Basics for Panning Chocolates

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Here is the direct link to the demo (it's post #25).I've never seen dry ice actually dumped into the pan before.To make this more friendly, make a cooling chamber by using an ice chest. Attach a small fan on one side of the chest and a flexible hose (e.g., vacuum cleaner) on the other. The fan blows air over the dry ice cooling it and creating positive pressure in the chest forcing it out the hose. You can direct the cool air into the pan using any number of simple rigs. You could use regular ice but that would pick up moisture which you don't want - so don't.Spend a few more bucks and get a variable speed fan and by introducing slots into the hose that can be covered up you can also alter air flow and have a way to alter the temperature of the air flow.There are other ways to do this, like have the fan pull and blow over the contents of the pan instead of the other way around. You embed a hose into a container that you fill with water and put in the freezer. This is cheaper than using dry ice and uses a lot less energy all the way around. The hose (embedded in a coil) in the ice acts as a heat exchanger and the fact that the air is not exposed to the ice means that the air doesn't pick up any moisture.:: Clay

How small can a small shop be?

Posted in: Opinion

Andre:There are a couple of things to consider that have not been touched on, yet. IN GENERAL:1) The more different things you do the more space you need. For equipment and for storage and for space to have the equipment out to be used (otherwise you waste lots of valuable time moving stuff around to clear up on from kind of work and get set up for another). You need to think about the number of techniques/styles you want to employ and the space required for each one.2) If you decide to go with a split store/kitchen arrangement either your hours go through the ceiling (because you are in the kitchen when the shop is closed) or the number of employees you need increases (you're in the kitchen and someone else is in the shop). If the shop and the kitchen are in the same physical location then you have to multi-task between production and serving customers.3) It's important to consider how you are going to "store" your pieces while the chocolate is crystallizing. On pans in sheet racks at ambient temperature? In a cooling cabinet?4) Standardize on your packaging. The more different kinds of packaging you have the more space you need to store it.The smaller the physical space you have, the more important it is to be extremely organized and to think through the mechanics of production in terms of the space needed and the steps and movement required.I am a little unconventional in the sense that I emphasize refrigeration as the key element in kitchen design. In particular, as the space gets smaller you need to focus your attention on under-counter (lowboy) units. This way you get your refrigeration needs covered without sacrificing work surface (most lowboy refrigeration units have NSF-approved stainless steel tops). Also, not to be overlooked, is that commercial vertical units can seem oppressively large (and loud) in small spaces making the space seem even smaller than it is.

Best chocolate school

Posted in: Opinion

I see that you are in California along the coast north of Santa Barbara - do you care where these schools are located? West Coast? Outside the US?