Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?
Posted in: Opinion
Brady,What is the title of the book? Sounds like it might need reading.Alan
Forum Activity for @Alan McClure
Posted in: Opinion
Brady,What is the title of the book? Sounds like it might need reading.Alan
Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?
Posted in: Opinion
Hi Brady,That Forastero type with white cotyledons is apparently the Brazilian catongo.Best,Alan
Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?
Posted in: Opinion
Hi Brady,I saw Art quite a bit, but never made it to his booth unfortunately.As for the Porcelana, Presilla notes on p 90 that pure white beans in Porcleana give away the Criollo ancestry, but this does not mean that all pure white beans are Porcelana, as there are other Criollo populations as well.Porcelana cacao is simply one population of Criollo cacao. True Criollo, which is so rare that some experts don't believe it even really exists anymore, has pure white seeds, but doesn't all look externally like Porcelana does. Interestingly, there is at least one rare Forastero population that has pure white seeds. If I recall correctly, Bartley talks about this in his "Genetic Diversity of Cacao and its Utilization" though, unfortunately, I don't have the time to try and track down the citation.You are right that pod shape, size, and color are not the best indicators of what you will find inside, but they are not 100% unreliable either. When it comes to Porcelana, it is the external appearance that distinguishes it from other Criollo--term used loosely--populations.Best,Alan
Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?
Posted in: Opinion
Hans,All of the Porcelana fruit that I saw at the estacion had this nipple, but so have other fruit I have seen that are not Porcelana, including fruit from trees referred to as non-porcelana Criollo and Trinitario.
Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?
Posted in: Opinion
The pulp around the seeds is white. The seeds, when cut, are anywhere from pure white, to pink, to light purple, to deep purple.Not all pure white beans are Criollo, let alone Porcelana. Porcelana cacao has a certain fruit shape and color. See page 86 of Presilla's "New Taste of Chocolate" for an example.Here is a photo I took at the Estacion Experimental Chama in December 2006 when I was there. The trees really are beautiful: http://www.patric-chocolate.com/blog/images/porcelana.jpg You can see that the fruit looks quite different from the average cacao fruit, Criollo or otherwise.
Domori- are they bean to bar?
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Theo,Which edition of the book are you looking at, and what page please.Best,Alan
Free Bean to Bar chocolate in exchange for critique
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Hi Clay,I think that the "send message" link is only there for one's friends. For example, I can see it for you, and my other friends, but not for Valerie or Hal. I suppose it is an anti-spam feature, but there have been a few times where I have wanted to send a message to "non-friends" and couldn't figure out how.
Caffeine and theobromine
Posted in: Opinion
It depends upon the genetics of the cacao. Some cacaos, such as some Criollo-type populations, have about an equivalent amount of caffeine to their theobromine levels. In fact, it even seems possible for there to be Criollo-type populations with slightly more caffeine than theobromine. Other cacao, such as hybrid and Forastero populations, have far more theobromine. I haven't seen results of any with 0 mg/g of caffeine, but there are some that come close. However, it isn't possible to make a blanket statement that all Forastero has almost 0mg/g of caffeine, because some Forastero populations have more. That is about as definitive an answer as I am aware of.Best,Alan
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Feel free to add her.
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Hi everyone,I'm not the boss of the list or anything, so please feel free to add new companies to the list at will (just copy, paste, and add a company). For the sake of everyone who cares, just please make sure that they really belong there.Best,Alan
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Last time I talked to Kristen, the bean-to-bar side of her operation, which as I recall includes some non-bean-to-bar items as well, wasn't yet up and running. She told me that she would get back to me when it was, and I haven't yet heard anything from her.
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Hi Louis,Good to meet you, if only online!Do you roast those beans in your San Francisco facility, or are they roasted elsewhere, for example at origin?Happy New Year,Alan
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
They are mistaken. I guarantee that this thread is far more obsessive than the average person. I don't think that they are trying to mislead.
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Hi Cybele,Good catch. The website isn't clear about that here: http://www.wilburchocolate.com/ But I did a little checking and found this: http://www.wilburbuds.com/ Updated List: Amano Artisan ChocolateAmbrosia (ADM-owned, bean-to-couverture)Askinosie ChocolateBittersweet Chocolate Cafe (Seneca is doing some micro-batch bars)Blommer Chocolate CompanyCioccolato (located in Wyoming and Mexico--bean-to-bonbon)De Vries ChocolateDe Zaan (ADM-owned, bean-to-couverture)Escazu Chocolates (just starting to release a bean-to-bar line)Fearless Chocolate Company (raw)Ghirardelli (Owned by Lindt in Switzerland)GuittardJacques TorresKraft (German-owned)MarsMast BrothersMerkens (ADM-owned, bean-to-couverture)Nestle (Swiss-owned)Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory (also grows their beans on American soil)Patric ChocolatePeters (Cargill-owned, bean-to-couverture)Rogue ChocolatierSacred Chocolate (raw)Scharffen BergerSoma Chocolatemaker (actually in Canada)TazaTchoTheoVan Leer (Belgian-owned)Wilbur (Cargill-owned, bean-to-bar)World's Finest Chocolate
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
I would think so. You could certainly e-mail Hal at Escazu and ask him this very question, but my impression is that we are not talking "Theo-sized" in the least.
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Thank you Theo for taking care of that!I have edited and fixed some--of my--typos, and fixed and completed some names:Amano Artisan ChocolateAmbrosia (ADM-owned, bean-to-couverture)Askinosie ChocolateBittersweet Chocolate Cafe (Seneca is doing some really micro-batch bars)BlommerChocolate Haven (Jacques Torres)Cioccolato (located in Wyoming and Mexico--bean-to-bonbon)De Vries ChocolateDe Zaan (ADM-owned, bean-to-couverture)Escazu Chocolates (just starting to release a bean-to-bar line)Fearless Chocolate Company (raw)Ghirardelli (Owned by Lindt in Switzerland)GuittardMarsMast BrothersMerkens (ADM-owned, bean-to-couverture)Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory (also grows their beans on American soil)Patric ChocolatePeters (Cargill-owned, bean-to-couverture)Rogue ChocolatierSacred Chocolate (raw)Scharffen BergerSoma Chocolatemaker (actually in Canada)TazaTchoTheoVan Leer (Belgian-owned)Wilbur (Cargill owned, bean-to-couverture)World's Finest Chocolate
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Thanks Clay, and everyone else.Well, maybe in order to create as much awareness of how things are organized as possible, it makes sense to include larger bean-to-couverture brands, and even foreign-owned brands that have manufacturing plants in the US. However, I think that it would be good to add the extra information parenthetically. I'll start below.Complete List So Far:GuittardScharffen BergerTheoPatricDevriesAmanoAskinosieTchoMast BrothersOriginal Hawaiian Chocolate Factory (also grows their beans on American soil)TazaTchoRogue ChocolatierBlommerChocolate Haven (Jacques Torres)Ambrosia (ADM-owned bean-to-couverture)Merkens (ADM-owned bean-to-couverture)De Zaan (ADM-owned bean-to-couverture)Soma Chocolatemaker (actually in Canada)Cioccolato (located in Wyoming and Mexico; bean-to-bonbon)World's Finest ChocolateBittersweet Chocolate Cafe (Seneca is doing some really micro-batch bars)MarsSacred Chocolate (raw)Fearless Chocolate Company (raw)Escazu Chocolates (just starting to release a bean-to-bar line)Van Leer (Belgian-owned)Wilbur (Cargill owned, bean-to-couverture)Peters (Cargill-owned, bean-to-couverture)Ghirardelli (Owned by Lindt in Switzerland)As I understand it, the only Lindt-owned factory in the US, is the Ghirardelli factory in California. Please correct me if I am wrong. Also, in Casey's thread, Kraft is mentioned. Do they make chocolate in the US, and if so, what is it that they are making? They are German-owned as far as I can tell.Regarding Kakawa, I am not sure. I visited their site and they mention blending chocolates. Does anyone have any further info? Finally, I've heard through the grapevine that Jacques Torres is not making bean-to-bar chocolate anymore. Can anyone confirm or deny this?
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Thanks, I see that now. Well, hopefully the additional ones that we come up with here can be added to her list as well. Also, personally I'd like to stick to American-owned companies, and not include companies that have manufacturing facilities in the US, but that are foreign-owned.
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Complete List:GuittardScharffen BergerTheoPatricDevriesAmanoAskinosieTchoMast BrothersOriginal Hawaiin Chocolate Factory (also grows their beans on American soil)TazaTchoRogue ChocolatierBlommer
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Complete List:GuittardScharffen Berger
American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Hi All,I have never seen a complete list of American, bean-to-bar chocolate makers. Since most American companies that market chocolate or chocolate products don't actually make it, I thought that it would be interesting to compile a list for everyone to see who really does make it, and who doesn't.I'll type the first entry, and if everyone could copy it and add to it in each additional post, along with comments and questions, then that would be great.Complete List:Guittard
updated by @Alan McClure: 04/10/15 01:49:33
Comparing the styles of Chocolate Makers
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Hi Brady,My cocoa butter, when I use it, is also pressed here at the Patric Chocolate facility, and from the same beans as the cacao used in my chocolate. Also, my roasting, so far, would probably be best classified as being on the low side of medium, but my intention is not to define myself with a certain style of roasting. I would rather focus on bringing the best flavor out of the cacao, and this leaves room for different roasting profiles in the future, depending upon the cacao.Best,AlanP.S. Nice seeing you at the Fancy Food Show yesterday.
Reclassification of cacao varieties?
Posted in: Opinion
Also, if you haven't read "The Genetic Diversity of Cacao and its Utilization" by Bartley, then you might want to request it from your local library. It is a great book that is extremely relevant regarding reclassification of cacao.
Reclassification of cacao varieties?
Posted in: Opinion
Hi All,Just adding to what Clay has said, there is a paper in a journal called Tropical Science from 2004, issue 44, pp. 23-27 that is called "The first Ecuadorean 'Nacional' Cocoa Collection Based on Organoleptic Characteristics."The paper is worth a look for those interested in the issue of Nacional. This is me paraphrasing the introduction:Nacional, which has an "Arriba" floral flavor, was so damaged by Crinipellis Pernicosa and Moniliophtora roreri that hybrids were brought in with high yields and low susceptibility to these diseases. These varieties hybridized with the remaining Nacional, eroding the Arriba flavor which is now virtually non-existent.Best,Alan
Bean to bar chocolate makers
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Let me add that I also don't have proof that they are still bean-to-bar. i don't know one way or the other. I was just pointing out that despite the Berkeley facility being closed, Scharffen Berger is still being made, just in Illinois.
Bean to bar chocolate makers
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Scharffen Berger's production has been relocated to Illinois by Hershey, who has owned them since 2005 iirc. That doesn't mean that they are no longer bean-to-bar.
Bean to bar chocolate makers
Posted in: Tasting Notes
That is the least expensive cocoa bean winnower being manufactured in the US or Europe--by far. You can find some used machines for less than that, but they'll need quite a bit of work.
Bean to bar chocolate makers
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Mark,Here is the American bean-to-bar topic. You'll find Merckens and more there: http://www.thechocolatelife.com/forum/topic/show?id=1978963%3ATopic%3A7700&page=2&commentId=1978963%3AComment%3A7847&x=1#1978963Comment7847
Bean to bar chocolate makers
Posted in: Tasting Notes
No. Bean-to-bar requires roasting, winnowing, and grinding the cocoa beans.starting from cocoa liquor would be liquor-to-bar.
Bean to bar chocolate makers
Posted in: Tasting Notes
For what it is worth, I saw a video online about ESC that included a trip through their plant and there wasn't one single shot of cacao, roasting, winnowing, grinding or conching--only molding and packaging. It isn't final proof, but it might add to one's skepticism:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bZsaAqu4CA They say in the video that you can tour the factory, so if you are in or near Indianapolis, IN, that would be a possibility.Also, feel free to email the company. If they are bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturers, and you ask some direct questions, they should certainly be able to answer them without any hesitation or oddly worded responses that just add to the confusion.