Recently Rated:
In the last five months I tasted a lot of new chocolate: Friis Holm, Bojesen, Tobago Estate, Pralus Chuao, Idilio, Bouga Cacao, Bonnat (Hati, Cuba, Piura), Cacao Sampaka, Vietnam of Morin and Puyricard, Fine & Raw, Rogue, Mast Brothers, Patric, Red Star and of course Original Beans Piura Porcelana and the new recipe of Beni Wild Harvest (I love them!).
Although I have tasted 494 different dark chocolates so far, I had never tasted a single origin from Guatemala.
On my blog about Amsterdam I got a comment from Cheebs. I didnt know who he was so I became curious. I took a look at his site ( www.dantachocolate.com ) and found out that he not only makes bon bons but also chocolatefrom Guatemalan beans! I would love to taste his chocolate and asked Cheebs if it was possible to order from The Netherlands. Yes, it is! Yesterday I received the package. I expected it to be good, but it is very good!!! I already tasted Los Ujuxtes and Las Acacias both 70%. They are quite different. The first one is spicy and the other fresh and fruity. To explore all the flavours I have to taste them a few times more..
Last year on February 11th I was in London to attend a tasting of Seventypercent.com with Art Pollard of Amano, which I enjoyed very much. This year on February 11th I was in Kortrijk to visit my chocolate friend Geert Vercruysse ( www.patisserievercruysse.be ).
I met Geert at a chocolate symposium for professionals arranged by Hidde de Brabander, a talented patissier/chocolatier in the Netherlands, May last year. I represented Original Beans (I am their ambassador). Geert was very enthusiastic and I was impressed by his tasting vocabulaire. It took a lot of months before I had the opportunity to visit him. But finally....
What a beautiful shop he has! Pastries, homemade chocolates and a fine selection of bars. Original Beans' had just arrived and were already displayed on the counter. First I had to taste some delicious pastries and chocolates. My favourite was a chocolate with a Pacari Raw ganache. Geert makes everything on his own, unbelievable! After that there was some work to do: making chocolate cakes with a mousse of Valrhona's Tanariva and a mousse of Amano's Madagascar, see photos below. Gorgeous!
At last I did some research in the shop. Could I find a bar I didn't taste so far? Yes! Bouga Cacao and the Heritage Limited Edition of El Ceibo.
February 14th is my birthday. I will treat my colleagues on Geert's fine chocolates. I'm sure they'll love it!
Thank you Geert for your warm welcome. I had a wonderful time!
In 1997, when my passion for fine chocolate started, the only premium bar I could buy in The Netherlands was Valrhona's Le Noir. For many years it was very difficult to get good chocolate. At some places you saw more bars of Valrhona and if you were lucky one of Amedeis.Still there was not much going on. For the real stuff I visited Paris a lot.
But the last two years there is a chocolate revolution going on in The Netherlands!In 2009 Kees Raat, our most famous chocolatier , opened his new "Metropolitan Deli" in Amsterdam. He makes delicious truffles and lollypops with Original Beans Piura Porcelana couverture and he sells bars of Pacari, Akesson's, The Grenada Chocolate Companyand of course Original Beans.
In the same year "Chocoweb", an online chocolate shop, was launched. A lot of bars you couldn't get here before were now only a mouse click away.
In the two last months of 2010 two new chocolate shops opened in Amsterdam. The first is "VANDERDONK Fine Chocolates", it offers bars by Bonnat, Fine & Raw, Donna Elvira and many more. They also make wonderful French-style chocolates.The other one is "Chocoltl", it has an almost completely different collection: Pralus, Askinosie, Corallo, Amano, Domori, etc.
So the real chocoholic who wants his collection complete must visit them all! The owners of the shops createdtheir own unique style. But what they share is a true passion for chocolate.....and Original Beans' bars!
