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Hola Chocolate Lifers!
My name is Jenny Samaniego, founder and owner of Cocoa Provisions. I grew up in Ecuador and I moved few years ago to NY. My love from the chocolate industry took shape in the Unites States while working for chocolate companies, Pacari Chocolates and Vintage Plantations Chocolates, and traveling back to Ecuador to meet the farmers.
The special connection I had with the industry, grew to become my life goal, after witnessing the need and struggle of the small farmers to find a market for their produce. My company is the bridge that connect the world of the small Ecuadorian farmer and your world, bringing in a taste of the passion and hard work that is needed to bring such quality products.
Cocoa Provisions source directly from the small group of farmers in Ecuador, thus contributing to the conservation of "Arriba National" cocoa, Fair Trade & Sustainable Agriculture Practices. This makes us a purveyor of fine organic fair trade "Arriba Nacional" cocoa beans. We dedicate our work to "Bean to Bar" Chocolate Makers, Chocolate Manufactures, Chocolatiers, etc.
Visit Cocoa Provisions at www.cocoaprov.com or contact us directly us jenny@cocoaprov.com .
The company's products are supplied to many
multinational chocolate companies, as well as to a number
of independent manufacturers, all over the world
There has been a lot of news recently regarding the world chocolate shortage. Some sources are stating that there will be a 1 million MT deficit in chocolate by 2020. The ICCO denies that projection, addingthat this year actually showeda 40,000 MT surplus of chocolate.
A few factors certainly could contribute to a shortage of chocolate overall in the world. Note the emphasis on overall. If were to take the chocolate shortage claims seriously, we must include all the factors that could contribute.
Read more about what this news has to do with Root Chocolate and any other small bean-to-bar maker here:
Ever wonder what the Root Chocolate Factory looks like? Check it out!
Its been about 8 months since we starting playing around with chocolate. And in that time, weve collected quite a bit of equipment, tools, and ingredients that now fill an entire area of our apartment. We like to call that area our Chocolate Factory.
We started with just a bag of cocoa beans from the Grand Central Market in LA and some white cane sugar . From our very first coffee grinder to the old fashioned grain mill to the melanger we use today, weve gone through more than a few iterations of our process.
Id like to show off a little about our current set-up, in the hopes that it will be useful to other chocolate-makers or aspiring chocolate-makers out there!
Read more here: http://rootchocolate.com/2014/11/18/chocolate_factory/
"Organic" "Local" "Single Origin" "Fair Trade" "Rainforest Alliance" "UTZ" "Direct Trade"
What do these all mean and which ones should you pay attention to when you're choosing your chocolate? Good question! Some relate to labor practices, others relate to the environmental circumstances surrounding the farming.
Here at Root Chocolate, we've discussed where cacao farmers fit into the picture, the complications of importing cocoa beans, the benefits of slowing down our interaction with food, and the importance of supply chain, and the relevance of genetics. Now let's talk about the external certifications that can factor into your decisions around chocolate purchases and consumption.
I'm not going to claim that one certification is better than another or that any one of these means your chocolate is sustainably produced and sourced, but let's go into what each of them mean.
Learn more here: http://rootchocolate.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/chocolate_labels_1/
Last week, we made a batch of chocolate from some very special beans. They are Carupano Corona from Venezuela, 2014. The Chocolate Alchemist describes them as Criollo/Trinitario with clove and soft fruity high notes and very low bitterness.
And the exciting part John Nanci roasted them right there in his workshop with us watching (and smelling) on! In his homemade roaster with temperature gauges inside the drum roaster and in the oven itself, these beans smelled amazing. Ill write another post just on his roasting style and tricks, but for now, suffice it to say that it was quite an experience!
Read more and find out how to win a prize from Root Chocolate here: http://rootchocolate.com/2014/11/06/venezuelan-batch/
One of the areas of innovation in chocolate where we have not yet ventured is that of ingredients. Well, thats not totally true When we first started out, we tried a bacon batch, but we added way too much bacon. Another time, we tried a salted chocolate batch, but we added way too much salt. (Noticing a trend?) Weve strayed away from new ingredients since then.
However, our visit to John Nanci in Oregon taught us many things. One of them was the appropriate use of cocoa butter and soy lecithin. Cocoa butter is the fat of the cocoa bean. Most beans have about a 50% cocoa butter content compared to cocoa mass, though the percentage varies by genetics, origin, and even roast profile (which can dry out the beans). See John Nancis post on cocoa butter percentages here .
Read more: http://rootchocolate.com/2014/11/03/new-ingredients/
Happy Halloween!
You may expect a rant about Halloween chocolateor a self-righteous monograph about how I dont eat junk candy. But, to be honest, I love candy corn and Swedish fish and even Milky Way bars! We dont eat too many sweets, but every once in a while, the candies from my childhood provide that comfort of sugary deliciousness.
Our apartment complex didnt get any trick-or-treaters last year, so we dont expect many (if at all) this year either. Still,we have our costumes ready to go (Carmen Sandiego and Waynes World pictures to come) and some baby pumpkins decorating our front step.
So,today Id like to take a positive spin on this mostly unhealthy holiday to cover some of the research on the health benefits of chocolate.
Read more here: http://rootchocolate.com/2014/10/31/healthy_halloween/
We supply to many multinational chocolate companies, as well as to a number of independent manufacturers all over the world.
Our company's policy assures high quality products at competitive prices
