Forum Activity for @ChocoFiles

Cocoa butter and cocoa solids

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Here are a few questions that came to my mind about this:

Does any other part of cocoa contribute fat?Is cocoa butter 100% fat? If its not, then there is even more cocoa butter than the fat content shows.

What are the typical weights (or percentages) of soy lecithin and vanilla? These must use some part of the cocoa total, but maybe its negligible.

Cocoa butter and cocoa solids

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Hans has a very thought provoking article in Cocoa Content called " Why cocoa content matters ".

In it he shows a very insightful way to determine the amount of cocoa butter. Here's the essence of it:Cocoa content only tells you how much of the bars weight is comprised of cocoa solids. Now, its important to understand that cocoa solids refers to the chocolates combined weight of cocoa butter and dry cocoa particles (i.e. cocoa powder). You can find the amount of cocoa butter from the amount of fat, though. Once you have that you can determine the percentage of the rest of the solids.Follow these steps from the nutrition label:

1. Note the serving size, since it varies.
2. Note the Total Fat The Fat is from cocoa butter
3. Divide the Total Fat by the Serving size (Fat/Size), then multiply by 100 to get the percentage of fat
4. Subtract the percentage of fat from the cacao percentage and the difference will tell you what percentage of the bar consists of dry cocoa solids.

Cocoa butter percentage + cocoa solids percentage = Total cacao percentage.For example, consider a bar of Lindt Excellence 70%. The Nutrition Facts show the serving size as 42g, with 17g of fat. Divide 17 by 42 and multiply the result by 100, and youll get 40. This means theres 40% cocoa butter. Subtract that number from 70, which in this case is 30% dry cocoa solids . (40 + 30 = 70)

What do you think of this?

updated by @ChocoFiles: 04/10/15 05:06:03

Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?

Posted in: Opinion

QUOTE: "The meat of the bean was purely white, clearly resembling porcelana in appearance. "What other colors are there for the pulp/ meat/ inside of a cacao pod?

Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?

Posted in: Opinion

I just checked the review of Bonnat Porcelana on seventypercent.com .Wow! The two reviews posted on the same day by Hans-Peter and Alex Rast were so different! Did they even eat the same bar? Hans gave it 5.4 and Alex gave it 8.5.Hans- a 5.4 would land it on your Bad chocolate list, or at least earn it a Dishonorable Mention.

Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?

Posted in: Opinion

Hans,In a comment on the Bonnat Porcelana article I asked the following question---------------------------"...you said, Valrhona also has another Porcelana bar readily available: Palmira. Thats a little known fact Valrhona is slowly revealing to the public.Thanks for that info. Its good to know. You always have good information. Im curious about whether that kind of information is publicly available to the avg consumer, like me, or did you find that out from people you know or other insider connections that you have?"-----------------Since that comment is awaiting moderation I thought I'd ask it here too.

Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?

Posted in: Opinion

Here's a link to Hans' excellent Cocoa Content with the Bonnat Porcelana article . His comment abt Palmira being porcelana is in the comments section.

Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?

Posted in: Opinion

QUOTE:"As evidenced from his posts on the other three sites he posts to, Han's is full of information."Agreed. I'd only modify that by saying that Hans has " reliable information. His " House Tour: The Worlds Great Gourmet Chocolate Producers " on The Nibble is a masterpiece and a gold mine of useful information.Brady- you've got lots of good info yourself. I've benefited from what you've written, especially your "Flavor Notes" chart.Hans' tour gives the characteristics of the makers and Brady's "Flavor Notes" chart helps explain why they have those characteristics. Used together I found them both very valuable!So thanks to you both for your good work!OlorinP.S.- I changed my user name from "Theo Broma"

Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?

Posted in: Opinion

Hans makes an excellent point-- what qualifies beans to be labeled "porcelana"? It sounds like a certain kind of pod and beans. It's interesting it's also grown in Mexico. Also, is porcelana a Criollo (that's what the Palmira bar said) or a hybrid?

Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?

Posted in: Opinion

Brady-You're a fortunate guy to have so many friends who appreciate chocolate like you do! That Porcelana Bash sounds like so much fun.Thanks for the info. I didn't know that Valhrona Palmira is porcelana, so this is good to know. How did you learn this?Along with Gwen, I'm also curious what makes Valhrona so red fruity. Personally I don't really care for it.

Porcelana Cacao The best Cacao in the world?

Posted in: Opinion

I'm not sure it's possible to call any cacao or any chocolate bar "the best in the world". Tastes vary too much and chocolate makers vary too much with what they make of the same beans. Besides, to truly be called "the best in the world" would mean that you had tasted every single chocolate in the world and that's a huge undertaking.Actually, I'm not being critical and I know you were just using hyperbole to express how delightful the porcelana is, so your point still stands that it's great. I'm no expert, but I think that many would say that the Chuao beans are at the top level too. They're criollo beans from Chuao Venezuela, so your country can boast 2 of the best!I'm a neophyte but in my limited experience here's how I've rated various chocolates (of the ~200 that I've tasted):Amedei Chuao, 70% = 10. For me, this bar sets the gold standard.Amedei I-Cru Venezuela, 70% = 9.9. Another Venezuelan!Amedei Porcelana, 70% = 9.9 Sublime, but a slight notch below ChuaoAmedei I-Cru Madagascar, 70% = 9.8....( a few others on the list, notably the other Amedei I-Crus)Domori Porcelana, 70% = 9.2 Excellent, but not to the level of Amedei....(way down the list...)Bonnat Chuao, 75% = 7 Nowhere near as good as Amedei's.Just my opinion and preferences. YMMV (Your mileage may vary)

Vivid metaphors

Posted in: Tasting Notes

"This is more of a beautiful girl next door than a Cheryl Cole with her hoard of image consultants dictating her appearance."

by Lee McCoy of Chocolate Reviews on Mast Brothers Chuao

Vivid metaphors

Posted in: Tasting Notes

By Lee McCoy review of The Chocolate Cafe 70% Dark Chocolate

"Other times I like a warm blanket of chocolate that comes with a head massage and being told the tax man is giving you a rebate. This is that sort of chocolate."

Vivid metaphors

Posted in: Tasting Notes

From Lee at Chocolate Reviews on the Prestat Choxi 70% Dark with Oriental Mint bar

"The first thought I got when I tried it was of the suburbs of Prague which I visited some fourteen years ago. Back then they hadnt been out of communist rule long and certainly hadnt any concept of environmental protection. This bar reminded me of the acrid aroma of those industrial districts that I got lost in. I found it difficult to breathe then and I find it similarly hard to swallow this chocolate."

Vivid metaphors

Posted in: Tasting Notes

"friend's notes: wood from a coffin that's had a corpse in it for a year, final note of cockroach"About the flavor of Chocolove Sao Tome 2005by Casey at The Chocolate Note

Vivid metaphors

Posted in: Tasting Notes

"The chocolate will literally make you cringe in pain as the bitterness rails through your spine, rendering nerves and shattering bone along the way."by Hans-Peter Rot, on Slitti Gran Cacao 100% in his article " The Worlds Worst Chocolate Bars, Part 2 "How yummy! I can't wait to try this experience!

Vivid metaphors

Posted in: Tasting Notes

"Ever wondered what a chocolate-covered steel girder would taste like? Heres your answer."by Hans-Peter Rot describing Venchi Cuor di Cacao 85% in his article at "Cocoa Content", The Worlds Worst Chocolate Bars, Part 1 That question cracked me up! I have to admit that I've never wondered that.

Vivid metaphors

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Here's one of my own, from my database, on the taste of Amedei Porcelana-"Elegant and sophisticated, yet delicate and gentle, like a Duchess of 1800s British royalty."

Vivid metaphors

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I think that Rachel Rifat is being modest. She should've posted her review of Hershey's Bliss on her blog Chocolate Snob . It's longer, but one of the most creative and entertaining that I've read:"dear hershey,last night, when you came back into my life, i was unsure about letting you in... but you tempted me. you just had to wear that flashy pink outfit with sparkles and tell me that you have changed...having grown up together, our history has been long, fun, and complex. i still remember the good times when we made s'mores at camp; the funny times when you bumped into that guy's peanut butter; and the scary times when i snuck you into china.last night's moment we shared on the sofa was full of suspense. when i started opening your package, i knew i should have stopped - - - but i had to keep going...as we started kissing, i noticed that you did not have any distinctive flavor. you were just too sweet and you left a weird sugary taste in my throat. by the way, what was with that nut residue? it felt like you slipped me a peanut m&m.sorry hershey, but i am still not ready for us to get back together... you pretended to be something you are not or maybe it is the other's in my life who take me on adventures and find ways to indulge me.i hope we can still be friends,hugs and kisses,rachel "

Vivid metaphors

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I read this today about Amedei's I-Cru Madagascar ...Madagascar is truly a beautiful young virgin bride in her wedding dress. - by Alex Rast at seventypercent.com

Vivid metaphors

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Here's a classic from Cybele at Candy Blog . She writes about the Bonnat 100% Cacao bar-"this is like Phillip Glass & Stephen Sondheim collaborating on some sort of atonal opera about database programmers performed by deaf alley cats in a poorly ventilated auditorium with squeaky chairs that pinch. Its probably a wonderful intellectual experiment, but its not an enjoyable physical one."

Vivid metaphors

Posted in: Tasting Notes

While tasting Amedei's I-Cru Trinidad I just read this:"That's not what you'll remember. Instead it will be that sensation of diving into a field of raspberries, like a sunny July day with all the berries at their peak of freshness and screaming to be eaten right off the bush."by Alex Rast at seventypercent.com

Vivid metaphors

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I love vivid and moving descriptions of chocolate! They can conjure up images that really capture what you're experiencing. Vivid metaphors enhance pleasure by intensifying the experience through the imagination. Have you read (or written) any good ones lately? I've got several to share.
updated by @ChocoFiles: 04/09/15 11:54:03

Annoying delay

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Clay,It's fixed! Thanks SO for the fast response! It's so much faster to use this now!

Annoying delay

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

It already seems way faster to me too. I only have waits of a few seconds at most. Thanks so much for your fast attention to this issue!!

Annoying delay

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Clay,Something is happening that is annoying me because it's wasting time. Usually, when I change pages there is a long delay while something is loading. My "waiting" icon is going. At the bottom left corner it says things like "Read pagead2.googlesyndication.com", or "Waiting for digg", "transferring data from pagead2.googlesyndication.com". These things are really bogging things down and take 3-5 minutes to stop. For instance, I can't log out until it's stopped. Not to mention that I wonder if something personal is getting sent from my computer somewhere, to Google maybe?. I also can't use the formatting tools for bold, italics, hyperlinks, etc until it stops. Do the Google ads have anything to do with this?So I wonder if this is just on my computer or if others have this problem. I have various internet filtering software, Norton Internet Security, and Zone Alarm firewall, so it may just be me.Anyone else have the same problem?
updated by @ChocoFiles: 04/14/15 10:09:29

Domori- are they bean to bar?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

It surely was never my intention to stir up any controversy or to impugn a fine company like Domori. In a neutral way I was just trying to get the facts straight.After a little more research, I'm pretty sure that Ms. Doutre-Roussell was mistaken, and she should have been more careful about making spurious comments. Keep in mind that the quote was from 2005 anyway, but I guess once something gets in print then onto the internet it can be hard to reign back.As Gwen pointed out, the first mistake was to pass on hearsay from a competitor of Domori.After looking at Domori's site, I think that the following statements are pretty clear that Domori IS a bean-to-bar maker. That makes total sense given the excellence of their products. (The phrases in brown underlined are hyperlinks to the source.) Concerning Production : Domori finds it essential to be involved in all processes from the bean to the bar. Domori has been a pioneer in the world of chocolate since 1994, distinguishing itself by meticulously following the complete cycle of the cacao bean from the plantation to the factory for use in its fine chocolates. Since its creation, Domori has grafted valuable cacao clones and renewed heirloom cacao varietals at the plantations it oversees. Domori has studied new aromatic hybrids, optimized fermentation techniques and successfully achieved a low impact transformation of the cacao bean in the state-of-the art factory completed in 2003. Under FAQs : Why are the couvertures so difficult to work with?We transform cacao varietials into couvertures in favor of the organoleptic traits and this can result in a higher percentage of humidity due to the mild roasting. Why does Domori conch for less than 12 hours? Over the past twenty years technological innovation has allowed to dramatically reduce the beans conching cycle duration. Therefore time is related to the means. Finally, concerning Traceability Traceability of the raw materials is very simple since both cacao and sugar arrive directly at the factory .So Domori is clearly a bean-to-bar maker. We can all breathe a sigh of relief, and be glad that they are so open about their processes.Case closed?

Domori- are they bean to bar?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Alan,You can follow the hyperlink in my original post (underlined in brown) or click here to get to same place. This is from Chloe's website, and the chapter says "Chocolate Buyer". It's about a typical day and the quote can be read at the 3:30 entry. I don't know if this is the same as the published version or not.

Domori- are they bean to bar?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

In an excerpt from her book *Chocolate Connoisseur* Chloe Doutre-Roussell said this about Domori: "I want to know more about the company. Furthermore, competitors tell me Domori dont work from the bean (which means they are buying their cocoa mass from another company, and just melt, blend, temper and mould). I am intrigued by this, because the chocolate tastes like no other I have tried, and I want to see with my own eyes what they are doing."So is it true that Domori is NOT a bean-to-bar maker? They're on the list of bean to bar makers.
updated by @ChocoFiles: 04/11/15 15:13:41

"Permalink to this reply"

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Just to the left of a person's name in a thread there is a little chain link icon that says "permalink to this reply". What does this do, and is there a way to undo it?
updated by @ChocoFiles: 05/07/15 06:31:24

Top 10 most expensive chocolates

Posted in: Opinion

In another place someone called these "con-fections". What an apt term!

Top 10 most expensive chocolates

Posted in: Opinion

I gathered more information about the weights of the chocolates and updated the list accordingly. See my original post for the updated version.

Top 10 most expensive chocolates

Posted in: Opinion

Expensive truffles The Madeleine Truffle (You have to scroll down the page.)WHERE: Knipschildt Chocolatier; Norwalk, Conn.PRICE: $250 per truffle, or $6,000 per pound

Top 10 most expensive chocolates

Posted in: Opinion

What are the worlds most expensive chocolates?For uniformity of comparison we'll use a standard of Price (US$)/100g. 1) Cocoa Gourmet Their most expensive is Duo Gold at US$253/piece!!. (US$506 for 2 pieces.) They offer gold and silver leaf covered chocolates. When I inquired about the weight my personal chocolate concierge replied, Each Baton dOr (22 carat gold chocolate) weight 26 grams once adorned. So the total weight of the 2 pieces is 52 g. The price is...$973.08/100g!! ($4427.50/lb)!You also get a velvet lined wooden box with an engraved brass plate. As for the chocolate, they unabashedly say that it's just a couverture shell, covering a filling. In answer to my inquiry, I was told that the shell is Flechin Grand Cru Maracaibo Clasificado 65%. The silver version costs the same as the gold.I first read about this on Clays TCL blog entry Sometimes It's *Not* About The Chocolate 2) Noka Their most expensive is Vintages Collection, 4 piece box , in a stainless steel box.Good investigative journalism uncovered this. Read the synopsis version here from seventypercent.com or the full version here . I called Noka and learned that you get 8.5g of chocolate for your $39. (That's the total weight of 4 pieces, so 1 piece is a mere 2.13g!) Therefore the price is...US$458/100g (or $2084/lb).Do you have more to add? What chocolate is in 3rd place?
updated by @ChocoFiles: 05/03/15 10:29:19

Free Bean to Bar chocolate in exchange for critique

Posted in: Tasting Notes

QUOTE "I think that the "send message" link is only there for one's friends. " /END QUOTEClay,Strangely, on this page I can only see the "Send Message" option for you. Everyone else-- Hallot, Alan, Valerie, Sera-- are in My Friends list, but none of them have the "Send Message" option. I wonder why? Do you see the "Send message" for each of us?BTW, what does "permalink to this reply" do?

Free Bean to Bar chocolate in exchange for critique

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Yes, I'd like to do this. I live in Garner, and I've already been to your store and tried several of your chocolates. Please email me at LyrhNC (at) gmail.com and we can make some plans. I've made detailed review notes on >180 chocolates that I've tasted, and if you look at those you can get an idea of my preferences and my methods.

Weird Flavors and Inclusions in Chocolate

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I tried this Vosges Mushroom bar in Feb 09 and I didn't like it at all! Not because of the mushroom, I couldn't even taste that. It's mushroom powder, not pieces. It was just weak, and I didn't like the walnuts.I rated it 2 out of 10. Way too expensive for what you get.

Weird Flavors and Inclusions in Chocolate

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Have any of you tried Vosges new Enchanted Mushroom bar ?Organic dark chocolate + reishi mushrooms + organic walnuts. 66% cacao.I'd especially like to see Susie Norris' reaction.

Describing chocolate

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I've found the taste wheels to be useful, but they do have limitations. To me, the biggest benefit is the breakdown into the broad family/category and then the specific taste descriptions. If I can start with the category that helps me narrow down what the specific taste might be. One limitation of these wheels, though, is that the categories are somewhat arbitrarily named and don't match from wheel to wheel. I also find it hard to have to read around a circle. Also, some wheels have descriptors that others lack. It was easier for me to compile these from several wheels into one list. Looking at a list of words grouped by categories is easier for me to use. I've attached my list. I've also attached a file with a few tasting wheels, if those work well for you.

Describing chocolate

Posted in: Tasting Notes

On Chloe Chocolat there is her tasting guide , which is a pdf excerpt from her book. You can save this as a pdf file for yourself, so that's the download part.If you scroll down you'll find her version of a tasting wheel. I find it most useful how these wheels are grouped by "Aroma families" and then the specific aromas within that.

Describing chocolate

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Thanks. Now I see what you mean. Yes, those aren't very useful and they're useless for comparing two graphs.

Describing chocolate

Posted in: Tasting Notes

QUOTE: "I am really unhappy with the spider graphs that many chocolate manufacturers use"----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay,What do you mean by "spider graphs"? Are these the tasting wheels or something else? I'm not sure what you're referring to.

Describing chocolate

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Hmmm... bars are cheap, fast, and easy. So with this "sexy" metaphor what does that make truffles?