Forum Activity for @Walter Plante

Information on Madagascar

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Jim, good information. Given that (according to the report) the econonic outlook is negative, I have to ask myself would I hurt people or help people by not buying the chocolate? I don't have the answers, but assume it depends upon the political situtation and how the "plantations" are managaged. Personally, I'm not sure I would change anything politically by not buying Madagascan chocolate (without taking some other action) and I can only assume that buying the chocolate helps someone in Madagascar. So I choose to buy.I think there are other threads on the fair-trade model and who winds and looses that may be of interest here.Thanks - Walter

The WORST "Article" About Chocolate - EVER

Posted in: Opinion

Clay, I have to agree. A colleague had posted a link to this article on our FB page. After I had read it, I thought I might just go in and add a few comments to explain the inaccuracies - a teachable moment about cacao origin and bean variety, if you will. But, I quickly came to realize that making any reference to the aricle would only cause confusion - it was too far off the mark. We simple deleted the link to this article. To try to re-educate would have just caused more confusion.I'm sure there is no direct connection with Pacari since they are a high quality outfit making great chocolate while continuing their social mission.I've seen some real bad articles out there that basically state that "raw" chocolate is the ONLY form of chocolate that has any health benefits and that once you hit some magic temperature, ALL of the nutrients disappear. I will try to hunt this one down.

April Fool's Day Chocolate "Treats"

Posted in: Opinion

Hi Clay,I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's good to laugh at ourselves every once in a while too! I would send you a test sample of the chocolate to try for yourself, but it expired on April 1.

Amedei Distribution

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Geert, Looks great! We finally got stock in our online shop a few months back and will add more ... once the weather cools off a bit here. We love the #9!Walter PlanteCo-founder www.newleafchocolates.com The New Way to Get Chocolate

Amedei Distribution

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Hi Matt,Thanks. I will send you a direct message.Walter PlanteCo-founder www.newleafchocolates.com The New Way to Get Chocolate

Amedei Distribution

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Thanks Sarah. I had looked at Chocosphere and saw that many of the Amedei products were out of stock and thats what got me thinking that it was a nation-wide issue, not just east coast. But again, it might be just seasonal. Just trying to understand if Amedei is going in a new direction or if it's temporary.

Amedei Distribution

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Amedei seems to have limited their US distribution in the last few months. To my knowledge, they no longer have an east-coast distributor and on-line supplies of products seem to be drying up. I don't know if the latter this is just the usual post-holiday low inventory or something bigger is going on. Any insight?
updated by @Walter Plante: 04/10/15 12:51:25PM

Where can I find for purchase a wide selection of chocolate from a variety of different fine chocolatiers?

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Don't forget the small guys. We're relatively new and open to suggestions for new products... http://newleafchocolates.com Enjoy! - Walter

Cacao Pods

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

I just got two pods from Montoso Gardens that I will use for a seminar. Any idea how to preserve them? I'm considering anything from spray varnish to doing nothing - letting them dry out in a cool place. If anyone has ideas, please let me know.