Forum Activity for @Norbert Mergen-Metz

Part 2: Fact Checking Georg Bernardini's "Chocolate - The Reference Standard"

Posted in: Opinion

Clay, why do you not e-mail your comments to Georg? And make an even better book. Together. And, if possible, with the one or two other experts. That would be a great contribution to the chocolate loving society.
What Georg did was a great and unique job not many people dare to do. Or would not even think of it. Okay, you aknowledge that.
I find the book very usefull. Even with the flaws you mention.
Wouldn't it be great if this Reference Standard - yes, The Reference Standard, because there is no other - would be the basis, the foundation, of something even better. With your help? But when I read your comments I think: Why this way? Think of the bigger picture!

PS The Ecuadorian brand Hoja Verde might not be known in the US, in the EU it is fairly wel known brand. We, ClearChox, distribute it in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg (of course). And it is distributed in Australia.... Please consider that the other way around, many US brands are unknown overhere.

PS As long as the entire chocolate world talks about Criollo, Trinitario, Nacional and Forestero, I do not see a problem to bother the average reader with genetics - which is never ending. But then, only the criollo and nacional 'survive' as true genetic types + many new ones. And in Ecuador arriba is considerded the nacional grown in the areas of the river basin of the Guayas.

updated by @Norbert Mergen-Metz: 02/11/16 03:10:10PM

Part 1: Fact Checking Georg Bernardini's "Chocolate - The Reference Standard"

Posted in: Opinion

Ho ho ho! This book should be embraced. It is the first in its kind. At least there is someone in the chocolate world who tried to make a comprehensive overview and prints it. Instead of a lot of talking and gossiping. Yes, of course, one can critisize things he writes. But he also earns a great deal of respect - especially because he knows what he wrote and, hence, became in the vulnarable corner.
And please think of the meaning of the word reference. It is something to refer to, to compare with. You might agree or disagree, but it is a reference. Since there was nothing and now there is, this is The reference. A reference suggests there is more. And there is not.

We at ClearChox do not always agree with Georg Bernardini, but we use his book. And sell his book. In Englisch and German. Why? Simply because it is a master piece. It is easy to critize, but, dear experts on the side line, why not build together an even better book?
Mind you, famous dictionaries and encyclopedias also started like this. One man or woman collected material. So maybe it might become in the future that everyone interested in chocolate consults The Bernardini

About Pacari
The company is simply to blame itself. They discourage visitors - now they bring some of them to mister Bolivar, a single Kichwa farmer in the community of Santa Rita; an almost fake show case - and they are not open where they get the cacao from. The only thing Santiago Peralta and the people around him say: "It is not true. It is unfair."
If Pacari would be transparent, the problem is gone.
Don't blame the messengers of the 'bad news'.