Forum Activity for @Clay

Review of Charles Chocolates

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Intro Charles Chocolates founder Chuck Siegel is not new to the chocolate business. In fact, he started his first chocolate business some 20 years ago in the San Francisco Bay area. That business, Attivo Confections, is credited with the creation of the giant chocolate and caramel covered apple and first gourmet s'more, among other reinterpretations of childhood favorites.In starting Charles Chocolates, Chuck moved away from Attivo's focus and become a prestige artisan confectioner and chocolatier. All Charles Chocolates products are made in small batches using quality ingredients. Importantly, production focuses on freshness and the company strives to ship all products within three days of their date of manufacture.I received a large box of Charles Chocolates products seemingly one of almost everything in the catalog. It took quite a while to work my way trough them all even sharing them with colleagues family members and friends. Ingredients Product literature claims that no artificial ingredients or preservatives are used to make any of Charles Chocolates' products and a close look at the ingredients labels supports this.I did notice one incorrect ingredient label. The Teance Tea Collection label omits any mention of chocolate (chocolate liquor, cocoa mass, cocoa liquor, or cocoa beans) in the list of ingredients for the milk chocolate. I am sure that this is an oversight and is easily corrected as the ingredients are on a separate sticky label. Presentation The visual design of much of the packaging is slightly 50s retro making it familiar rather than aggressively modern. A wide variety of transfer designs is used with the most interesting of those being their edible chocolate boxes the boxes the chocolates come in is made of chocolate and decorated with a huge transfer on the top.

The seasonality of the edible chocolate boxes is reflected in the transfer designs.In some cases, the attention to detail lavished on the pieces themselves is not reflected in the packaging and does not live up to the brand image or the price of the product. A case in point is the back of the Teance box ($30 for 8oz (20 pieces), $60/lb).In particular, the labels on this box do not share a common design identity, and the best-by and ingredients labels are clearly afterthoughts and are not in keeping with the image of a prestige chocolatier.

Fit and Finish The major disappointment with respect to fit and finish of any of Charles Chocolates products was the pates des fruits . Normally, fruit jellies like this are covered in a layer of sugar crystals and I suppose at some point these jellies might have had one. However, the two boxes I got did not appear to have them and the jellies left unappetizing sticky smudge marks all over the tops and bottoms of the boxes. Also, the jellies did not actually fill the boxes a stock box was used and filled as much as possible rather than picking a box more suited in size to the amount of product being packed. At $16 for a 9oz box (or about $45/lb) and in the context of the overall brand image, I was disappointed.One aspect of the positioning of the tasting guide on the Teance box was also challenging I found looking at the list a clumsy procedure when the top of the box was off. I needed to lift it over my head to look at it without spilling the pieces all over. I suppose I could have put the top back on but I would have had do that each time or take all the pieces out of the box first.Overall on the enrobed pieces, the sides were of uniform thickness and fairly thin. However, sometimes the bottoms were not evenly coated. Aroma, Taste, and Texture Upon opening up any box (of chocolates) the primary sense impression was chocolate, a very good sign of a quality product. In some cases, and especially in the Teance Tea Collection, it was possible to distinguish that the centers in the pieces were flavored using different teas simply by smelling them even before they were opened.Ganaches were uniformly creamy and clean, as were the caramels, with most flavors easily identifiable (the least easy to differentiate were, in my opinion, the pates des fruits which as a group were the least well balanced flavors of the entire collection). The Jasmine tea was a standout with the bitter tannins of the tea quite evident on the tongue making for a complex flavor profile that, in the end, did not overpower the chocolate.From a texture perspective, the least appealing pieces were the panned almonds and hazelnuts whose coating was too thick and crunchy for the nuts within. Price Almost everything Charles Chocolates sells (except for the chocolate bars) is priced well above $40/pound with some items costing as much as $80/lb. This puts the company squarely in the Prestige category with a small proportion of items in the Premium category ($15-25/lb) and a few items in the Super Premium ($65+/lb) category. Conclusion One thing that would go a long way toward making getting or gifting Charles Chocolates would be a consistent approach to identifying what you're actually going to be eating. The Teance Tea Collection has a visual guide on the bottom of the box. The regular assortments do not have these guides whether in cardboard or edible chocolate boxes. There is a list of flavors on the bottom of the boxes of the pates des fruits but we are supposed to figure out for ourselves that the flavors are listed in the order that the pieces are packed in the box. To be fair, there is a downloadable tasting guide but I don't know how many people will think to stop what they are eating, go to the site to find the tasting guide, view it and/or print it, before going back to partaking.In the end, that's really a small criticism and Charles Chocolates is a welcome addition to the growing collection of high-end SF-area chocolatiers that includes Michael Recchiuti, XOX, Richard Donnelley, and others. Rating Categories :Premium, Prestige, Super-Premium Style :Belgian-influenced Rating :Good to Very Good Company Info Charles Chocolates Factory Store & Chocolate Bar6529 Hollis StreetEmeryville, CA 94608phone: 510.652.4412toll-free phone number: 888.652.4412fax: 510.652.4414Open daily 11am - 7 pm www.charleschocolates.com General Information:info@charleschocolates.comRetail Store:store@charleschocolates.comOccasions and Corporate Gifts:corporate@charleschocolates.comWholesale Inquiries:wholesale@charleschocolates.comTours and Special Events:events@charleschocolates.com
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/29/15 03:55:39

Anyone heard of this Chocolatier/Chocolate?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Don Puglisi makes chocolate that is very similar to the Antica Dolceria Bonajuto bars. While I ran across Bonajuto in New York at Dean and Deluca, I first found the Don Puglisi at Bittersweet Cafe in San Francisco. I have the label somewhere in my collection. There is a forum thread on Bonajuto here . I ran the first paragraph on the "la cioccolata" page through translate.google.com and this is the result: The history of chocolate modican starts from distant places and times, from "failure" between Cortez and Montezuma, in 1519. It is said that the Aztec leader, as a sign of friendship, has offered a drink made up of cocoa beans coarsely chopped, with the addition of water, maize flour, chili, cinnamon and anise seeds. Drink welcome because little bitter. In fact, I first of Spaniards innovation was to add sugar cane.

Inside Rating Systems

Posted in: Tasting Notes

To add a hyperlink, you need to highlight the text that you want to attach the link to, then click on the link icon, then type in the URL of the page you want to link to.

Inside Rating Systems

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Theo B:I suggest you look at an online service such as Zoho Creator's database tool to both gather the data and present it. Ultimately, you will find it much more interesting to do so. If you like, I can help you with it and if you need it hosted someplace I may be able to help you there, too.You can use a service like tinyurl or snipurl to generate short URLs to take the place of long ones.

Inside Rating Systems

Posted in: Tasting Notes

[QUOTED]Perhaps we need to add a category for consistency of quality across a brand.[END QUOTED]Gwen: This last point is very interesting to me. I have long maintained that one of the key differences between a "good" chocolatier and a "great" chocolatier is the ability to produce consistently high quality work consistently (and no, thats not redundant). One of the reasons I write about chocolate rather than making it is that production doesn't interest me. Once I have mastered something I want to move on - not replicate it thousands of times. I have great admiration for people who know that yesterday they made 1000 of these pieces and today they have to make 1000 more and tomorrow they have to make 5000 because it's coming up on a holiday.And each piece has to be its own individual perfect little work of art.The ability to do this day in and day out, week in and week out, year in and year out separates the "merely" good from the great. I consider these people to be chocolate experts, which is one reason I don't call myself one and prefer to call myself a chocolate critic.But I have still to figure out how to capture this concept of good/great in a rating system transparently in a way that instantly makes sense.If you take a look at the system I developed prior to starting work on chocophile.com, in the end I wanted to quickly get to the answer to this question, "What sort of value is this chocolate (or chocolatier) for the price being asked?" It can be used to cover the good/great question, but it's not always obvious to people that this is part of what the approach does. A rating has three components:Category -(price range: mass market premium, gourmet, super premium, prestige)Style -(Belgian-influenced, French-influenced, American, Nouvelle American (also referred to as Modern French))Rating -(bad, poor, ordinary, good, very good, superior, extraordinary)So a chocolate might be in the gourmet price category ($25-$40/lb retail), be Belgian-influenced (lots of factors go into this component), and be an "ordinary" value. What that means is that, given the price and the style of work, there's nothing special that stands out to recommend this piece or company.It's possible to assign a value to an individual bar or piece or specific products, so sometimes rating components have more than one value. It's also possible to assign a value to a company. So, a chocolatier who achieves a superior or extraordinary rating is one that meets my "great" criteria and is shorthand for saying that all of the work falls into that category. Similarly, a chocolatier might be "very good" overall, but have some superior pieces; the reason the chocolatier is not given a "superior" rating is that the work is of inconsistent quality. Most chocolatiers do some things better than others, so this kind of rating (where the producer gets a lower rating than some of the work) is most common.There are other ways to do this that I am considering that borrow heavily from restaurant ratings, which is to give an overall rating and then list specific pieces that stand out (recommended eating) and those that don't (not recommended).I spent a lot of time on this, with the intent of providing a guide to help people find pieces that are like chocolates they already know they like (sort of like, "I like Szechuan food, is this restaurant any good?).

Inside Rating Systems

Posted in: Tasting Notes

There are many different approaches to rating chocolate. The most common is to assign on a number on a 1-10 or 1-100 scale. One challenge with this is that everyone who uses a numerical rating system uses a different algorithm to arrive at the final rating.This forum thread is for members to discuss how they rate chocolate.I am indebted to Casey for prompting me to start this thread.:: Clay
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/19/15 06:56:07

Chocolate You Would Recommend?

Posted in: Opinion

Sera, please do let us know. There is a forum category for tasting notes and I would add them there and put a link from this thread to that tasting note.

Chocolate You Would Recommend?

Posted in: Opinion

I have only tasted one of them and it was at the Fancy Food Show last July after a long day of tasting other stuff. So, actually, I don't remember. Chances are the chocolate is not made by Charlemagne but sourced from Callebaut or Belcolade but it could be someone else. Charlemagne is adding the flavorings and they usually do a very good job. There is every good chance that the green tea bar is at least as good as the Dolfin green tea bar which is pretty darn good, IMO.

Chocolate You Would Recommend?

Posted in: Opinion

I believe the bars you are describing are from Charlemagne in Belgium.This is a link to the product page with a picture. The green tea bar is the bottom one in the photo.For those of you who don't have a local store that carries Charlemagne, one on-line source that carries them is ChocolateSource.com . In the upper-left of the home page is a drop down selector labeled "Brand." Click on that, select Charlemagne from the list, and you'll see these bars there. I believe that Chocolate Source (which is also the company behind the Nirvana brand) is the importer.

Who has the highest concentration of Chocolate shops?

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Paris probably has the greatest total number of chocolate shops, but either Brussels or Bruges/Brugge (depending on whether you are French or Flemish) probably has a higher density of shops. I am visiting both Paris and Bruges this summer as a part of a luxe Chocolate Lovers Travel Club trip, and I will be happy to perform what I am sure will be the very tasty research to find out.

Fine chocolate getting more expensive?

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

From this article at MSN Finance:"Chocolate prices soarThursday is Valentine's Day, and that means big business for the chocolate industry. Lovers and friends around the world send and receive boxes of chocolates in all shapes and sizes.But for chocolate makers, the news isn't so sweet: A global surge in cocoa futures has their costs soaring. Cocoa futures for March delivery traded at $2,485 per metric ton in Wednesday's session, a three-year high and nearing a 23-year record; the last time cocoa traded above $2,500 was April 1985."Prices are a lot higher this year," said Alaron Trading's Boyd Cruel, who trades cocoa. In February 2007, cocoa traded at $1,600 to $1,700. "This is definitely going to affect those chocolate makers," Cruel said." Cruel, indeed.

Fine chocolate getting more expensive?

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

I don't know of any company (outside of Vietnam) who makes an origin bar made with Vietnamese cocoa beans. However, if a manufacturer was using them in a blend it would be impossible to know. Vietnam is not known for quality coffee and from what I've been told about their cacao growing efforts they are choosing quantity over quality. I doubt very much that we'll see much, if any, fine flavor cacao out of Vietnam in the foreseeable future.

Fine chocolate getting more expensive?

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

According to ICCO, the International Cocoa Organization, the cacao production deficit this year will be 245,000 tonnes (a tonne is a metric ton, 1000 kg, or about 2,200 lbs). This amount is 55% greater than initially forecast.According to the report , "The news could indicate further commodity pressure for manufacturers, many of whom have already suffered decreased margins because of higher costs in recent months." In related news , the Vietnamese government announced late last year that they expect their crop to grow to 45,000 tonnes by 2015 and 108,000 tonnes by 2020. This is from virtually zero ten years go.

Fine chocolate getting more expensive?

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

Debauve and Gallais is nowhere near the most expensive chocolate in the world. One thing that most people don't know about them is that all the chocolate is made for them by Michel Cluizel. Most of the pieces are straight out of the Cluizel catalog and they don't even bother to change the names. Here in NY it sells for a lot more than Cluizel does, which shows you the value of strong branding.Godiva's G line is well over $100/lb and has been made by Norman Love down in Fort Myers, FL. I know that Richart chocolates are well over $100/lb - and that was before the dollar started to sink relative to the Euro. Ortrud Munch Carstens, who makes chocolates to order from her workshop here in NYC was charging $100/lb four years ago.There are quite a few chocolates in the $60-85/lb range. The trick is to think of their price by the piece, Yes, La Maison du Chocolat might be $90/lb, but I can buy a selection of 6-8 pieces for not much more than $10. Very affordable when you think of it that way.

Fine chocolate getting more expensive?

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

The cacao market is quite complex, so the answer to this is quite complex. First a few stats:1) The current annual harvest for cacao is about 3 million metric tons (tonnes).2) At the moment, supply and demand are roughly equal.3) The current price for commodity cacao is about $1,700/tonne.4) Specialty cacaos can command prices of up to $4,000/tonne5) Worldwide demand for cacao is expected to increase by 50% over the next 10 years. Two things are fueling this demand:5a) Increase in interest in high cocoa content bars.5b) Large economies not normally considered to be chocolate eaters (including China and India with 1/3 or the world's population between them) are quickly developing an interest in chocolate.6) The price for commodity cacao is expected to increase to $4,500/tonne.7) Depending on the growing region, the percentage of the harvest that is left on the tree because of disease or insect damage is 30-80%.8) Depending on the bean variety it takes between 2 and 5 years for a cacao tree to start producing harvestable pods.9) Fine flavor cacao trees take longer to start bearing, produce fewer beans per tree, and are more susceptible to disease.9a) Vietnam came from nowhere to become the 3rd largest coffee producer in the world in a very short time because of government interest and subsidies. They are embarking on a similar program for cacao.When you take all of these factors into account:A) The price for all chocolates will increase.B) The desire (by manufacturers) to replace cocoa butter with cheaper fats will increase. This is likely to happen only for inexpensive mass market chocolates where price is a major consideration.C) The increase in demand will increase planting of trees, but they will take several years to become productive. The major chocolate manufacturers will pressure growers to plant high-yielding bulk beans such as CCN-51 from Ecuador rather than flavor beans with criollo genes in them.D) Because of the rise in the price of commodity cacao, farmers will be dis-incented to grow flavor beans because they can make a lot of money (comparatively speaking) growing commodity beans.What will happen is that:i) There will be an increased emphasis on farmer field schools to teach them techniques to reduce disease and insect damage and therefor increase yields from existing plantings. Experience suggests that farmer training can reduce lossses by 50% or more.ii) Premium chocolate makers will start working very closely with their growers, buying beans directly and paying them directly in order to secure a lock on supplies. They will also start writing long-term contracts like the one Amedei has with Chuao in order to get farmers to continue to deliver fine flavor cacao beans.iii) This interest by premium chocolate makers will lead to a rise in the production of fine flavor cacao but not enough to cover the shortfall.In the end, the gap in price and quality between mass market and gourmet chocolate will increase even as the overall price for all chocolates increases.The (relative) good news in this is that chocolate will still remain inexpensive compared with wines and balsamic vinegars, for example.

Where to Buy Other Stuff Related to Chocolate

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Domenico:This is a real challenge - getting your hands on small quantities of beans. The cocoa market is not set up to handle this and there are FDA and USDA hurdles to overcome. There used to be a cocoa broker who was able to snag a bag here and there from larger shipments, but I think he's no longer in that business. I know of someone who has ties to a farm community in Panama that has lots of different kinds of beans and I have been trying to work that angle. There's some positive movement in that direction and I think that things will start to loosen up soon. In the meantime, John Nanci over at chocolatealchemy.com has been selling small quantities of beans of various origins, and he might have some in stock that he can sell you.

Where to Buy Other Stuff Related to Chocolate

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

This forum post is the point of entry for links, discussions, and questions about where to buy stuff related to chocolate that is not covered in the other topics in this forum.This is not the place to post information about where to buy chocolate or tools to work with chocolate, there are two other forum threads for those topics.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 06/29/23 16:49:02

Where to Buy Tools for Working with Chocolate

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

I bought this beautiful unlined copper pot for making caramel from Bridge Kitchenware. I was actually in the store looking for something else entirely but it was hanging there with a "sale" tag on it so I decided to treat myself and splurge on it. I think I paid about $125 for it - normally almost twice that much.No need to be scared, they are a joy to work with.

Where to Buy Tools for Working with Chocolate

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

This forum thread is the point of entry for links, discussions, and questions about where to buy tools for working with chocolate.Please do not post links to sources for chocolate or sources for chocolate related items (such as books, t-shirts, etc.) There are separate forum threads for those.In addition to all of the suggestions following I can recommend Pastry Chef Central and Bridge Kitchenware . I bought a copper sugar boiler from Bridge that was on sale (about half off) and it's my favorite thing to make caramel in - plus, it's just beautiful to look at.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 06/29/23 16:49:02

Where to Buy Chocolate

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

If you go visit Michael Mischer, make sure to try his root beer barrel piece. I tried it at the COPIA chocolate festival. It reminded me totally of those root beer barrel hard candies. Took me way back to when I was nine or then - those were among my all time favorites at that age.

Where to Buy Chocolate

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Cybele:This is a great list and I hope others will add to it. Is the l'Artisan du Chocolat an outpost of the London-based chocolatier of the same name?

Where to Buy Chocolate

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Chocoflyer:In case you didn't know, Choxotica is a member of The Chocolate Life.

Where to Buy Chocolate

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

There are also two new books due out shortly that list places to buy chocolate in the US. They are:The Chocolate Guide: To Local Chocolatiers, Chocolate Makers, Boutiques, Patisseries and ShopsThere is an Eastern edition and a Western Edition. They are available for pre-order (Jan31, 08) on Amazon. The two together will set you back about $25.These guides are from the same publisher who puts out Chocolate French, publishes TasteTV, and organizes the SF and LA International chocolate festivals.

Where to Buy Chocolate

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

This forum post is the point of entry for links, discussions, and questions about where to buy chocolate.Feel free to post links to news articles, but please take a few moments to write an introduction to the article and why you are posting.Please use your MyPage to promote your own business, not this forum, unless it's in direct response to another comment.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 06/29/23 16:49:02

Bonajuto Sicilian chocolatier

Posted in: Opinion

Antica Dolceria Bonajuto was founded in 1880 making it one of the older Italian chocolate companies (remember, Italy as a united country didn't exist until the mid-1800s). Since their founding they have always made product according to centuries-old recipes.The bar you are referring to, the Cinammon (cannella) and Vanilla (vaniglia) is one that I have actually tasted. ADB bars have been available off and on at gourmet stores in Manhattan for the past couple of years - I got mine at Dean and Deluca in SoHo.This bar is dry, gritty, and grainy. It hearkens back to pre-Industrial Revolution chocolates that all had this texture because there was no way, with only human strength, to grind the cocoa beans and the sugar fine enough so that the individual particles could not be tasted and felt on the tongue. It's definitely an acquired taste - something that you'd buy once to try but maybe not something you'd buy often.It's definitely worth trying at least once, though, and there are other brands, also Sicilian, that are made in the same style.Has anyone else tasted one of these bars and maybe have source to buy them?

The Chocolate Lovers Travel Club

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Holly and Paul:That's great news. I just want to remind everyone who reads this that everyone who signs up for the trip will receive a signed copy of my book BEFORE we leave. There are all sorts of great events and learning experiences planned, plus some great adventures including snorkeling at Snake Caye - a beautiful island about an hour's ride from Punta Gorda in the Bay of Honduras.I added some more photos of the Bay of Honduras and Cotton Tree Lodge to my Travels in Belize photo album. Enjoy!

What Makes an Artisan Chocolate Artisan?

Posted in: Opinion

If we follow this logic, is there no connection between the word artisan and "quality?" I can be proud of what I make - and it could be a real piece of garbage. Is it still "artisan?"It's a good question because there are other variables, such as cost, or being made by hand that all into the same category.I do have to agree that thinking about "artisan" as an attitude not an attribute strikes more closely to the heart of the matter.

What Makes an Artisan Chocolate Artisan?

Posted in: Opinion

Laurent:Thanks for your note. I know Chef Ortega through his participation in the past two World Pastry Team Championships. He has been the coach of the Mexican teams. From my contact with him I know that he is seriously committed to doing good work. He also has a great sense of humor, but many chefs I know find it difficult to break out of the zone while they are in the middle of production. If you ever return to Jackson Hole and can visit the shop when Chef is not in production, my guess is that he will come across as more open and warm.Chef Ortega is one of the few chocolatiers in America who makes some of the chocolate he uses in his shop. I think that Chef is only making the chocolate he uses in his drinks, but I may be wrong about this.I second your recommendation. Anyone going to Jackson Hole should make it a point to stop by Chef Ortega's shop. And if you do, please take pictures and post them along with your impressions of his work. And say Hi! from me.Cioccolato Pastry Shop130 W. BroadwayJackson, WY 83001(307) 734.6400

What Makes an Artisan Chocolate Artisan?

Posted in: Opinion

Edward:There is an "Allow me To Introduce Myself" forum category, though I think a blog post might be more a more appropriate way to do it as Forum threads are really for subjects that invite a lot of interaction (like this one), where blog posts are really more about expressing viewpoints or perspectives that don't necessarily invite a lot of (or any) responses.

What Makes an Artisan Chocolate Artisan?

Posted in: Opinion

There is an article in a recent issue (Vol2#1) of Cocoaroma on this subject.The author "Stan Cottonwood" (a nom de plume) is quoted as saying "For a true artisan, the craft, the art, is everything. It's not the end result that matters, but rather the process ... the act of creation itself."I sent an e-mail off because I disagree with this position. I responded in part ..."I can be a craftsman, which speaks to a level of competency with tools and medium. I can be a master craftsman, which implies a higher level of competency. (One of the dictionary definitions of artisan seems to be synonymous with this understanding.) However, a master craftsman may not have the ability to imagine and create new things. In the case of a woodworker, they might only be able to work from plans drawn by someone else. A master craftsman in chocolate may only be able to execute someone else's recipes. However, the "true" artisan is never content with what has been, and that is where the emphasis on process and the act of creation becomes important. However, the "true artisan" HAS to be wedded to the end result. The "true artisan" (in chocolate) must be a master of his or her craft and be able and committed to manifesting their vision perfectly - and repeatedly.When is the "true" artisan chocolatier no longer an artisan? Maybe it's when they get tired and lose their inspiration and concern for the art/act of creation. But, would it be possible, if I was a master woodworker to continue to call myself a "master" if all (or significantly all) aspects of the manufacture of a piece were undertaken by computer-controlled machines? What if I created innovative new pieces using pencil sketches and hand tools and it is only after perfecting the piece [of furniture] that it gets turned over to machines? That analogy holds true with chocolate - at what point does the automation of the manufacturing process "disqualify" something as able to be called "artisan?"Or does it? I think most people who care about this issue think that it does. So I think artisan has to imply not only the act of creation but the manifestation, through mastery of the craft, in physical things and that it is the combination of these two elements that may be separates a "mere" craftsman from the "true artisan.""In reading this I note that there is no qualification for "quality." Does that matter? Does it have to be "good" to be artisan? Or is the commitment to the art/act of creation and the commitment to realize that vision enough?

What Makes an Artisan Chocolate Artisan?

Posted in: Opinion

Jeff:Having visited you at the end of a long day, I can attest to the chocolate stained clothing and cuticles. However, I am loathe to use the term "reek" (which implies malodorous) to anything remotely resembling fine chocolate.I agree that the term Artisan is overused to the point of near meaninglessness. Your point about Artisan Confection Company as a part of Hershey and the new Starbucks chocolate line (made for [not by] Artisan Confection Company) is a line of "artisan inspired" products.So what's a better term to use? There is the possibility to change the words people use. For example, we are moving away from the confusing "single-origin" in chocolate to just "origin" which is not only more succinct but a more accurate descriptor.Even the Fine Chocolate Industry Association is having a problem with this terminology. From their home page, "Our association members are artisans and craftsman[sic]." Craftsman is very close to the dictionary definition of artisan quoted in an earlier reply.So - do you have a better word or phrase? If you do I'd be happy to start championing it here.(The FCIA gets it wrong lots of the time. Here is their definition of couverture chocolate (they call it "bulk" chocolate): Bulk Chocolate used by chocolatiers to make confections. The only difference between eating chocolate and bulk chocolate is that bulk chocolate may contain small amounts of butter oil/milk fat. This assists in the tempering process when making the chocolate into confections. Since almost any confection that is going to be made will have some sort of milk product in it, chocolate containing small amounts of butter oil are still considered fine chocolate. This is so wrong that it makes me cringe. The difference between a couverture chocolate and an eating chocolate is that couverture chocolates have a relatively higher percentage of cocoa butter to cocoa solids so that when it's melted it has a lower viscosity. The FDA Standards of Identity allow for butter oil and milk fat in chocolate liquor! Butter oil is used as a preservative in chocolates that are sold through mass market outlets because it stabilizes the cocoa butter crystal and reduces the likelihood of bloom - a good thing when it can take six months or more for a product to make it through the distribution system. Milk fats are not necessary in the manufacture of chocolate and the FCIA's reasoning - you're going to be adding dairy anyway, probably - is bad rationalization, in my opinion.

What Makes an Artisan Chocolate Artisan?

Posted in: Opinion

Is artisan an overused word? Can a chain as large as Starbucks lay claim to the artisan label when it comes to a Starbucks-labeled chocolate?What does "artisan" mean to you and what characteristics does a chocolate product have to have in order to be truly artisan?
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/11/15 19:48:05

What are your impressions of certification programs like Fair Trade?

Posted in: Opinion

Brad:

I applaud your commitment to paying for improved quality, irrespective of formal certifications, which often return dubious value while guaranteeing increased costs of production.

I think a more beneficial way to think about pricing is to decouple it from commodity market and ask questions like, "Does the price paid reflect the true cost of production?", and"Does the price paid enable the grower/producer to support their family, sustain their farms, and strengthen their community?" Often, even double the market price is still not enough to answer yes to those questions.

The market price is not reflective of anything concrete. One the one hand, there is a forecast shortfall of 1 million metric tonnes in less than a decade. One bank expects, because of forecast record harvests in West Africa, for the price to be at $2300/MT this time next year and another expects it to be at $2700. In the meantime, the ICCO spot price has plummeted by nearly 30% (from over $3100/MT to under $2200/MT) since July. And that's the CIF price (delivered, customs, insurance, freight), not the price paid at the farm gate.

For everyone out there thinking about what's "fair" go to the grocery store and think about how shockingly cheap many bars of chocolate are. As long as that's the norm - and that's the expectation, then "Fair" trade isn't.

What are your impressions of certification programs like Fair Trade?

Posted in: Opinion

Lorna:Thanks for sharing your experience. While Fair Trade does require co-ops to be democratically organized, it does not oversee the election procedures nor certify that the co-op management is not corrupt. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common experience.Another thing to remember about Fair Trade is that it does not set any requirements for quality or improving quality. A focus on improving quality would actually be more valuable in the long run.There are places where Fair Trade does work. One of them is in Punta Gorda, Belize at the Toledo Cacao Growers Association. One reason why it works is that their biggest customer (Green and Blacks) has a representative in the area full-time keeping an eye on things.

What are your impressions of certification programs like Fair Trade?

Posted in: Opinion

Certification programs like Fair Trade attract a lot of attention and there is a growing number of consumers interested in Fair Trade chocolate among other foods. But, what do you really think about them? Are they a good thing? Do they accomplish their mission? Are they effective? What, if anything needs/can be done to improve them?
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/19/15 15:35:47

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Nope, they deleted it. I will look for it, though and post it.Found it and it's now posted here.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Emily:If you've read my book you'll know that I don't like making blanket recommendations for pairings. There are just too many flavors in "Argentine Malbec" and too many flavors in "dark chocolate" to make a statement that in effect says, "All Argentine Malbecs go with all dark chocolates."That is not the case.So, while I am sure there are combinations that do work, I don't have any specific recommendations I can make on this type of pairing.:: Clay

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Matusalem is GREAT Dominican rum. Very good choice.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

One of my favorite adult mix-ins with hot chocolate is peppermint schnapps.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

If you are interested in some interesting pairings, here's my recent article on the Top Chef/Bravo for Foodies blogs. I discuss my experiences at a recent chocolate, cheese, and beer tasting I participated in.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

As I mention in my book, perhaps my overall favorite wine to pair with chocolate is Prosecco; it certainly is the most versatile.Prosecco is a sparkling wine from Italy. It comes from a small denominazione in the Dolomite mountains northeast of Venice. Just as Cava is Spain's version of Champagne, Prosecco fills the same role. The Bellini, which was invented at Harry's Bar in Venice, is a combination of white peach nectar and Prosecco. It is not made with Champagne because it's an Italian drink, not a French one.As a general rule, Proseccos are lighter, less acidic, and less alcoholic than many Champagnes. The bubble structure has a very creamy mouthfeel, which is one of the reasons I think it pairs so well with so many different types of chocolates.My favorite brands are Mionetto, Carpene Malvolti, and Bellenda. You want to choose dry/brut Proseccos. There are even some wonderful rose Proseccos.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

In my book I devote a whole chapter to pairing wines and chocolates. Over the past few years I've tasted dozens of wines (some fabulous, some less so), and I will be sharing some of them here. I have also learned to appreciate chocolate paired with beers.I encourage members share some of their favorites.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/15/15 18:13:23