Forum Activity for @Clay

Marañon Chocolate - Cacao Thought to Be Extinct Found in Peru

Posted in: Chocolate Education

Adam:

I have no reason to believe that you're anything but honest, ethical, and responsible. However, as you point out, you're new to the chocolate business and didn't know what you have. I don't think you've been given the wisest counsel and - as near as I can tell - no one employed by Maranon has much experience against which to evaluate that counsel.

I am confused - and the confusion starts with the company name, Maranon Chocolate and the address of the website, maranoncacao.com. Are you a chocolate company (I don't think so - you don't make chocolate) or are you a cacao company? I think you're a marketing company and, at least at the moment, the messages are not clear, at least not to me.

I find there are claims you make that are unsubstantiable and that reflect your inexperience about the world of chocolate. So I don't really understand why you're telling the story you're trying to tell the way you're telling it. I think you didn't cast your net wide enough to get opinions on the true value of what you may have. I say may have because I still don't know what you do have.

What I do know is that if you keep it locked up in a canyon in Peru the full value to the cacao and chocolate community worldwide will never be realized - and that would be a real shame.

As far as the Tumbled Beans are concerned. The interesting story there is not that the beans are uniform in size, but that differences in pigmentation cause differences in flavor due to fermentation, drying, and roasting. Thus, any given handful of beans may all taste very different. Also, they're not the first chocolate-covered beans I've tasted where the beans are covered with chocolate made from the same beans. That honor goes to REPSA at the Salon du Chocolat last October.I do have to say that I prefer the chocolate-covered wild beans of the Beni, produced entirely in-country in La Paz, Bolivia by Rainforest Exquisite Products. These are the wild beans used to make Felchlins Cru Sauvage and they are covered in chocolate made from the wild beans. In this case it is the lack of uniformity in size and small size of the beans (140-160/100gr) that contributes to very different roast profiles and therefore very different flavors in the beans. There is a brightness to them that I (and everyone who's tried them) finds truly fascinating. I just finished the last of my sample that I got when I was in Bolivia in November and the next ones won't be available until June at the earliest but I will be more than happy to share them with you when I get more.

As far as direction is concerned - I mention in my original writeup that there are amazing similarities between your story and the wild beans of the Beni; I would counsel you to reach out to Volker to extend the opinions you are getting about how to handle what you have. He has decades of experience working in-country that I think you will find invaluable.

:: Clay

Marañon Chocolate - Cacao Thought to Be Extinct Found in Peru

Posted in: Chocolate Education

Nacional.

I don't know about you, but when I hear the term Nacional applied to cacao, two words spring immediately to mind:

• Ecuador
• Arriba

Ecuador has long been thought to be the home of cacao Nacional, a variety of cacao unique in the world: it is the only cacao that has a name for its flavor Arriba.

Yet, Pure Nacional as it has been named and is being promoted by Maraon Chocolate is from Peru, and the chocolate made from the beans does not (at least to me and many others I have asked who have tasted it) have any of the distinctive orange blossom/jasmine aroma that is associated with the name Arriba. Maraon Chocolate even acknowledges that Nacional is known for fruity/floral aroma on the home page of its web site, yet the chocolate did not deliver on that expectation.

According to USDA ARS (United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service), Peruvian Pure Nacional (from here on in, Nacional.P[eru]) and "pure" Ecuadorian Nacional (from here on Nacional.E[cuador]) are genetically one and the same. "Pure" Nacional.E, is thought to have disappeared in Ecuador as a result of a blight that began in 1916 and that wiped out some 95% of Nacional stands in Ecuador within a few short years. However, there are some key differences between Nacional.P and Nacional.E, differences that many (including me) might think are expressions of meaningful genetic differences:

• Nacional.P contains high percentages - 40-60% - of pure white seeds (there is no record of Nacional.E displaying this trait).
• Nacional.P grows at very high elevations for cacao - more than twice what is considered "normal."
• Nacional.P is high yielding when compared with Nacional.E.
• Nacional.P is disease resistant when compared with Nacional.E.

The story of the discovery and voyage to market of Nacional.P is remarkably similar to that of Volker Lehmann and the wild beans of the Beni (Bolivia), the cacao silvestre that are the basis of Felchlin's Cru Sauvage among other chocolates. Brian Horsley (a ChocolateLife member) has been working in Peru for many years and stumbled across this remarkable strain of cacao. Horsleyy realized that he had something different and special and, working with stepfather Dan Pearson, a California-based investment professional, worked to bring the cacao to market. Along the way, samples were sent to the USDA ARS lab where genetic testing confirmed that the cacao was a match for "pure" Nacional.E.

A short aside: early in 2010, after my first trip to Bolivia to visit Volker, I encouraged him to send samples to USDA ARS for testing. Tests revealed that the wild beans of the Beni constituted a unique genetic cluster, separate from the ten proposed by Juan Carlos Motomayor in 2008, bringing that total up to fourteen.)

As with the wild beans of the Beni, the logistics of getting the Nacional.P beans to market are challenging. In both instances, the beans are wild harvested, and collecting them centrally and fermenting and drying them is only the start of the process. In both locations, getting the beans from the collection center to a place where they can be exported requires many different forms of transportation and can take weeks or longer before they get on a boat for shipment overseas to make chocolate. Nacional.P is not unique in this respect.

Like the wild beans of the Beni (and unlike Nacional.E), Nacional.P displays a remarkable resistance to many cacao diseases (or, at any rate, the cacao stands show little evidence of disease), and cacao professionals are unsure why this is the case. It is conjectured that the habitat (an isolated mountain valley) and the fact that there has been no deliberate breeding/selection may have something to do with this. At the moment, no one knows for sure what is cause and what is effect.

Although the folks at Maraon Chocolate are not publicly revealing the name of the company that has been making the chocolate from the beans, its obvious: Felchlin. Mention Switzerland and 1879 longitudinal conches in the same sentence (on the home page of their web site, for example) and that narrows the possible players down to just the one. Furthermore, when we were served samples of the chocolate at the launch event on January 11th at ICE (Institute of Culinary Education), those samples had the words "Grand Cru" embedded in them from the mold in a design that is instantly reconizable as Felchlins. Not only that, the chocolate is 68% and is conched for 60 hours - the same as Cru Sauvage. And finally, two people associated with the marketing of the beans and the chocolate, Paul Edward (aka Chef Rubber) and Franz Ziegler, both have long-standing ties to Felchlin and their US distributor, Swiss Chalet Fine Foods.

The question is: Why all the secrecy? That lack of transparency extends to the location of the valley where Nacional.P grows. From an intellectual property perspective I suppose it makes a little sense Cacao Maraon is protecting its investment, fearing, perhaps, that someone may come in behind them and secure the supply out from under them. All we have been told is that the valley is somewhere along the Maraon River downstream from Lima. The lack of transparency is troubling, especially in an era where there is intense interest and scrutiny in origins and stories about shenanigans in Chuao.

According to what was revealed at the launch, work is underway in expanding production, which amounted to ~12 MT (tonnes, or metric tons, 1000kg) of beans in the just-past harvest year. Much of this increase will be achieved through a grafting program aimed at delivering a more uniform percentage of white beans, which will make consistent, uniform fermentation easier. Unlike "wild cultivated" programs in Bolivia, where no selection is being made, the grafting program being undertaken by Maraon in Peru appears to be a classical approach of selecting a single variety (or very small number of varieties) for propagation for a specific set of desired traits. In the long run it will be interesting to see what this does to both yield and disease resistance.

Research in Ecuador on Nacional.E has identified a total of 6 trees (from more than 100,000) that can be thought of as "pure Nacional.E." All other Nacional in Ecuador has been hybridized (deliberately or naturally) with introduced varieties in the last 100 years or so. According to Cacao Maraon there are no plans to export seeds, grafts, or seedlings out of Peru to Ecuador, which, to my mind, is a wasted opportunity, because chocolate made from Nacional.P has none, or virtually none, of the hallmark Arriba flavor.

While it may be technically true that Nacional.P is indeed "Pure Nacional" hanging the marketing of the cacao on this name can only cause some unneeded confusion, despite what the Maraon Chocolate folks think. People associate the Arriba descriptor with Nacional (even though, in most cases, this conflation is more marketing hype than reality, or is result of a mistaken belief that Nacional and Arriba are synonyms). Furthermore, there is at least a third Nacional in the region, the Cacao Nacional Boliviano, itself a genetically distinct variety according to USDA ARS. Motomayor identified a distinct genetic cluster he called Maraon, which does not apply to this cacao, increasing the potential for confusion in the marketplace.

From a research perspective, it would be very interesting to see what would happen if Nacional.P were to be planted in the Guayas River valley in Ecuador, the source of Nacional that exhibited the famous Arriba flavor. There are very few opportunities to truly understand the nature/nurture concept in agriculture and the true effects of terroir (in this instance, micronutrients in the soil) and their affect on flavor development. Nacional.P grown along the Maraon River in Peru does not exhibit the characteric Arriba flavor. If some where transplanted in Ecuador, would it? A very interesting question which, sadly, may never come about, leaving the chocolate world a much poorer place.

Another very interesting line of research would be to introduce Nacional.P into a breeding program in Ecuador to address the yield and disease resistance deficiencies of Nacional.E. Could Nacional.P be part of an answer to reducing the spread of CCN51? We may never know because of a (in my opinion misplaced) desire to very tightly control the ownership of Nacional.P.

What About The Chocolate Itself

Surprisingly, the taste of the chocolate itself was a secondary objective of the launch event on January 11th even though the chocolate is being touted as the best chocolate either Edward or Ziegler and many others have tasted. In all respects, the chocolate is classic Swiss chocolate as crafted by Felchlin. It is very reminiscent in texture to Cru Savuage, though the melt is not quite as delicate (I have described the melt on the Cru Sauvage as being more like dissolving than melting). The fat content is a tad on the high side, contributing to a buttery mouth feel and a very long, lingering finish. From an overall flavor profile perspective it fits between the Cru Sauvage (Bolivia) and the Cru Hacienda (Dominican Republic). The Cru Sauvage tends to be light and aromatic with the aromas in the top of the mouth and in the nose. The Cru Hacienda is all rich and dark and on the tongue and in the lower part of the mouth. The chocolate Felchlin made from the Maraon cacao fits comfortably in the middle of the mouth delivering nice rounded chocolate flavor that lingers for a very long time. It is a very pleasant chocolate with nothing challenging about it.

Is it the best chocolate in the world, as they at least verbally claim? Thats not for a cacao marketing company to decide. They can announce it, but the crowning really should be made by an independent body. For me, a best chocolate in the world would be one that I could not live without, and Chocolate Maraons interpretation, through Felchlin, does not rise to that level, for me.

Mark Christian of The C-Spot ( www.c-spot.com ) was a consultant to Maraon on the development of the chocolate gives it an 8.19 out of 10. Upala 82 from US startup Potomac gets an 8.39 and Xoconusco from Bonnat gets a 9.5. Oh, well. (Surprisingly, Mark makes a simple mistake on his website, identifying the origin of Maraon as Peru, where the origins of the other chocolates are the country of manufacture.

All that said the project is a remarkable achievement and one that needs to be acknowledged for what it is, not hyped for what it is not.

The original full press release can be read by clicking here :

The Maraon Chocolate web site is at http://www.maranoncacao.com/

updated by @Clay Gordon: 11/16/24 05:25:08

Mechanized cutter for chewy centers

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Melanie:

Chocolate World makes such a machine. Their on-line catalog is not very helpful. You will find a couple of photos on this page - M1920 (manual) M1922 (automatic).

I don't know anything else about these machines, I just remember seeing them when doing some other research.

:: Clay

Enrobing Advice

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

You can certainly get panning machines for a lot less than $16K. However, they do require a good deal of skill to learn to use well. (Hint #1 - you do NOT use tempered chocolate when panning). If you don't want to learn, or don't have the time to learn, a system like the Selmi Comfit is basically automatic. However, you do pay for it.

Enrobing does sound like it could work, but one thing to look for is that the enrober has a "bottomer" feature. This is when the carry chain goes below the level of the chocolate for a brief period to ensure that the bottom gets coated, not just the top.

In the Selmi line the smallest machine that accepts an enrobing belt is the Plus, and the combination is well over $20k, last I checked. FBM's smallest continuous temperer/enrober combination is about 10K Euros (~$13,500) after TheChocolateLife member discount. You may be able to find a batch/wheel combination for less.

Otherwise, a used machine may be your best bet.

Enrobing Advice

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Margaret:

Panning is an interesting concept, put would only work if the center is really solid. It wouldn't work on a ganache center for example.

What kind of center do you want to coat?

Enrobing Advice

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Steve:

If you could post a photo of what one of the items looks like, next to something that will give a good size reference, that would help.

You could probably use an enrobing line that comes with a "bottomer." If you post a photo, I can forward to someone who does this for a living and he can let me know if it will work for you.

Dark Chocolate and migraines, some thoughts

Posted in: Opinion

Lowe:

There is no straight-line answer to this. Cocoa butter will weaken the flavor ... if it's deodorized. If the cocoa butter is pressed from the same beans that the chocolate is made from and the butter is not deodorized then the flavor isn't diluted.

When it comes to people handling or not handling the non-fat cocoa solids, there are taste and texture issues. If you make cheap chocolate with cheap beans then reducing the amount of non-fat solids is necessary because they taste nasty. Cover up the nasty flavor by alkalizing, adding sugar, milk, and vanilla, and you have something that might be palatable, but does not have a whole lot of chocolate enjoyment to it - for me.

The point is to separate the two different tasting aspects, texture and flavor.

Dark Chocolate and migraines, some thoughts

Posted in: Opinion

Lowe:

The first link to The Nibble article is broken for me. The second one takes me to The Nibble glossary on chocolate.

The entry on cocoa butter contains a lot of inaccuracies - for example, there is more than one way to get cocoa butter from liquor. Hydraulic presses are one, expeller presses are another. I won't go on nitpicking the article because I will be here all night.

In pure cocoa mass, the only fat is cocoa butter. And yes, it is a vegetable fat, and no one whose opinion I defer to uses the phrase "cocoa fat" to refer to cocoa butter. So you can drop cocoa fat from your lexicon.

The Nibble entry is also inaccurate in that they refer to the "powder" as solids. Technically (and this is according to the USDA Standards of Identity), cocoa butter is a solid (it is solid at room temperature) and what we call powder is "non-fat cocoa solids."

When looking at an ingredients list, you have to list added things you add to the recipe. When you see an ingredients label that says cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter it means that the chocolate maker has added extra cocoa butter. If the ingredients list only cacao/cocoa beans, then the bar contains only the naturally occurring quantity of cocoa butter.

Cocoa mass and cocoa liquor are different names for the same thing. The non-fat part of cocoa mass is "non-fat cocoa solids." The fat part of the cocoa mass is cocoa butter. By definition, non-fat cocoa solids contain no fat; that's a technical definition, not a marketing/labeling definition.

I suppose cocoa butter and cocoa fat are synonymous - but you can clear up the confusion by not using cocoa fat. Cocoa butter has more than fat in it in the same way that butter has more than fat in it, though cocoa butter contains almost no water. Cocoa butter contains aromatic compounds (even if it has been deodorized there's still some aroma) and might also contain some teeny-tiny small particles of non-fat cocoa solids that can't be filtered out.

There is a correlation between cocoa butter content and texture, though this relationship is not necessarily straightforward when lecithin is factored in. If you eat a Bonnat chocolate bar you get a very soft, buttery mouth feel because there's a lot of extra butter in his chocolate (how much depends on how much occurs naturally). It's a stylistic choice and you may or may not like it. Another aspect of texture attributable to cocoa butter content is the "hardness" (melting point) of the cocoa butter. Butters with lower melting points are "softer" than butters with higher melting points.

HTH,

:: Clay

Dark Chocolate and migraines, some thoughts

Posted in: Opinion

Lowe:

Some terminology because I know you love this stuff.

What we think of as cocoa powder is what the industry technically calls "non-fat cocoa solids." Cocoa butter is also cocoa solids - so it's good to be careful in differentiating between the two when the goal is to be accurate and precise.

Cocoa powder almost always contains cocoa butter. A "high-fat" cocoa powder will consist of 20-24% fatby weight; a "low-fat" cocoa powder will consist of 10-12% fat by weight. It's really expensive (in part because it's time consuming) to go much lower than this. Cocoa powders making "non-fat" claims can do this because of labeling regulations that allow "non-fat" claims when the amount is below a certain threshold per serving (usually less than 1/2 gram).

FYI generally, cocoa butter is generally more expensive than cocoa powder- often much more expensive.

New Here

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Richard - it's Beckett, not Beck.

The Science of Chocolate provides a good overview of chocolate basics and a tiny bit of history. If you do plan to go into production then the more complete version, which costs a couple of hundred dollars, is one of the definitive reference guides and is highly recommended.

Link to The Science of Chocolate (hardcover - Amazon)

Link to Industrial Chocolate Manufacture and Use (hardcover - Amazon)

:: Clay

:: Clay

Pricing in weight opposed to per piece?

Posted in: Opinion

Dirke:

Pricing by weight makes it easier for consumers to compare the prices of similar products. It's not a universal requirement ... there are many chocolate stores here in NYC that sell by the piece and do not advertise price/weight.

In Paris, I noticed that pricing was by weight for everything - boxed (which makes sense) and loose pieces.

Pricing by the piece makes sense to reduce sticker shock. A 15-gram piece costing $2 means that 2 pieces cost $4, which, to some, is less costly than $60+/pound, which is the equivalent.

In the end, I think it's really up to what are the local rules for pricing (if there are any - and where Ruth is there are), plus the local market's perception about pricing is.

I like the mix of both - professionally speaking - because it enables me to establish value for products based on my experience with other chocolates.

Is there such a thing as GREAT Fair Trade chocolate?

Posted in: Opinion

Frank -Some very good arguments. I especially like the analogy to encouraging farmers to make a business out of being poor.A focus on improving quality is what's needed - but then mass market chocolate makers really don't want to support programs that would drive up their costs significantly. They are in a real Catch-22 here.:: Clay

Is there such a thing as GREAT Fair Trade chocolate?

Posted in: Opinion

Kristina:Thanks for pointing this out to me. I recently purchased some Zotter bars and did not notice the Fair Trade logo on them I will have to search and see.:: Clay

Is there such a thing as GREAT Fair Trade chocolate?

Posted in: Opinion

Along with ChocolateLife member Sunita de Tourreil, I am giving a presentation to a group at the World Bank next week.

Having just come back from the Salon du Chocolat two days ago and taking a look there, I was wondering if anyone knows of a truly world-class chocolate made with FLO Fair Trade certified beans.

Equal Exchange, Alter Eco, Divine, etc., all make certified chocolates but I don't know anyone who puts them in the same class as Bonnat, Amedei, Domori, Askiniosie, Amano, et al.

There are very large companies making certified chocolate but that's all mass-market chocolate-like substance, IMO.

Any thoughts?

updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/10/15 16:47:11

Chocolate Drinking Machine Recommendations

Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)

Andy:

It's that time of year again, so people are looking more and more at hot chocolate. One of the avenues I've been exploring is using one of the insulated Zojirushi water boilers to heat milk instead of water. There are multiple temperature settings, including 175F. Pour your house-made syrup into the bottom of a cup then add hot milk.An alternative would be to create a syrup that has the milk in it and then just add hot water (you can get to boiling in these machines). This would avoid the waste problem at the end of the day that Brad mentions.

I also like the flexibility this approach offers - one for milk, one for water, one for soy milk ...

Price is about $170 each for a 4 liter machine, discounted. Make sure to get the insulated variety as they are far less expensive to operate and can maintain temps above 140F for several hours after being unplugged.

Interested in a device to make tempering in a Santha or Cocoatown grinder easier?

Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)

Nat:A very interesting possibility ... I think a number of people would go for it.Over at TCHO they developed just such a controller (though I think they use an IR temp sensor) and they use it during the refining/conching process to control the temp of the mass. This enables them better consistency in the finished results and they can force the temp to a specific place to volatilize a specific aromatic component.While you're at it, how about hooking up a speed controller to the motor?:: Clay

Shipping Chocolates in Hot Climates

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Natan:There have been a number of discussions about warm weather shipping on TheChocolateLIfe. Here is one of the more extensive ones.Much of the references are to US firms, but there's definitely enough here to help out.:: Clay

Where can I find a Guillotine?

Posted in: Classifieds ARCHIVE

Sam -

Please post photos here on the ChocolateLife (there's a link below the comment box after you click reply where you can upload photos).. Or - you can create a photo album and link to the photo album.

If you share here, you won't be bombarded with lots of individual requests to send the photos.

:: Clay

Where can I find a Guillotine?

Posted in: Classifieds ARCHIVE

Samuel:

Would love to see photos of what you've produced. I've been looking into ways to make the less expensively, too.

:: Clay

Chocolate boxes in Europe?

Posted in: Classifieds ARCHIVE

Annika:Going into the holiday season, ordering only 500 boxes may be a mistake. It may seem like a lot now, but if you are successful and it takes weeks to get the boxes once your order them ... what do you do? While 500 may seem like a huge number now, ordering 500 and running out on December 1st is far worse than buying 1000 having 100 left over on December 1st.I know it's also a cash flow issue - does it make sense to have that much money tied up in boxes? But running out of boxes in the middle of the busiest time of year makes no sense to me. It may make more sense to find a slightly less expensive box.

Looking for recommendations for a portable display case

Posted in: Classifieds ARCHIVE

Carol - Nice recco. There are several quite nice ones here.

Zokoko Australia weighs in!

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Michelle:Are the Bolivian beans you are using the wild beans from the Beni? If not - can you tell me what region (generally) you are getting them from? I am going to Bolivia next month at the request of Volker Lehmann) and it would be nice to be able to add this into my presentation.:: Clay

Rival Projects Both Parse Cocoa’s DNA

Posted in: News & New Products Press


updated by @Clay Gordon: 03/11/26 06:20:34

The WORST "Article" About Chocolate - EVER

Posted in: Opinion

I tried to write a response over on the Natural News site, but the software won't allow me write a post longer than a certain length. I posted the intro on Natural News with a link back to this comment.

Following is my entire response:
===================================================================

Over on my web site, TheChocolateLife.com, I called the original version of this article The Worst Article on Chocolate Ever Written. I suppose, in response to a private message I sent to Mr Adams, he felt compelled to make some changes that took hours of additional research and discussions with cacao experts. I would like to know which "experts" Mr Adams spoke with - and if any of them were NOT identified with the raw foods community. He certainly did not consult me, or acknowledge my message to him.

My bona fides. I have been researching cacao and chocolate since 1994 and I've been writing about chocolate professionally since 2001. My critically acclaimed book, Discover Chocolate, was published in 2007. I have been to Ecuador twice (and also visited cacao plantations Bolivia, Venezuela, Mexico, and Belize among other places). I am a friend of Santiago, the founder of Pacari, and have many friends and acquaintances in the raw chocolate world. None of what follows is to in any way be perceived as casting any aspersions on the quality of the products Pacari produces. Santiago is a very nice guy and I believe he is highly ethical and to be believed in his claims for his products.

That said, the updated version of the article is no better and in some ways worse than the original

The following quote is breathtakingly wrong: "... virtually all the chocolate used in candy bars, chocolate chips, chocolate cakes, breads and so on is derived from a new, genetically divergent plant called CCN-51 -- a pale shadow of the original cacao tree it was supposed to replace." The world annual harvest of cacao beans is roughly 3 million metric tonnes. Ecuador's contribution to that harvest is approximately 3-5% and only a portion of that is CCN-51, which is not grown widely in many other countries. So there is simply no way that "virtually all of the chocolate used ... is from a new, genetically divergent plant called CCN-51."

What is "genetically divergent" supposed to mean? Genetically modified? In fact CCN-51 was created through conventional cross breeding techniques and was not genetically engineered in a lab. Like many cross-breeding programs in cacao, the purpose of this program was to create a variety with improved yield and disease resistance, with no attempt to select for flavor characteristics. There is no laboratory evidence (that I am aware of) that suggests, let alone proves, that CCN-51 is nutritionally inferior to Nacional in any way - assuming that the two varieties were grown and processed the same way. One might taste better, but better taste does not infer better nutrition.

Nacional is the preferred name for the variety among professionals. Arriba is a colloquial term that means "upriver" because cacao traders needed to go upriver (the Guayas) from the port of Guayaquil to get the beans. In more than 15 years, I have never heard the beans referred to as "Arriba Nacional complex by trinitari." The name Arriba came to be associated over time with the flavor of Nacional, which Mr Adams refers to as lychee but has been historically more commonly described as a combination of orange blossom and jasmine.

Another claim: "Once you eat the fruit, you're left with cacao seed pods." Actually, you don't eat the fruit. If you are lucky enough to open a fresh cacao pod, you get the great pleasure of being able to eat the pulp that surrounds the seeds. You do need to leave some of the pulp behind, because it is the fermentation of the pulp that is responsible for developing flavor compounds in the seeds. Once the seeds have been fermented they are dried and it is the dried cacao seeds (now called cocoa beans) that are turned into chocolate.

The seed pods are not, as Mr Adams writes, "dried and fermented." Only the seeds (the pods are normally composted in the cacao orchard), and it is necessary to ferment before drying. It is physically impossible to ferment a dried cacao seed.

In a conventional chocolate, the cocoa beans are roasted to develop flavor and to make it easier to remove the shell. Obviously, the beans used to make raw chocolate are not roasted. The "meat" of a cocoa bean (roasted or unroasted) is called nib. Nib is ground into a thick paste (most commonly called cocoa liquor (which is not alcoholic). Cocoa liquor can either be pressed to separate the fat (cocoa butter) from the non-fat solids. If the separation is done in a hydraulic press (the most common method), the non-fat solids form a compressed cake (called press cake) that is kibbled (broken into bits) and then ground into cocoa powder, contrary to Mr Adams assertion that, "The resulting fine powder is a cacao 'cake.'"

It is also important to note that the name, theobroma cacao, is Latin. It was given to cacao by Europeans. There is no evidence - anywhere in South America - that cacao seeds were ever consumed until after cacao was domesticated by the Olmecs and Toltecs in Central America. In Ecuador specifically there is no cultural iconography of cacao. You will find corn and many other plants depicted in art and textiles, but not cacao. It is the Aztecs, thousands of miles away in what is now Mexico, who believed that cacao was a gift from the gods.

Finally, Mr Adams writes, "When you get some of this, consider it a treasure. I recommend not feeding it to anyone who isn't enlightened enough to appreciate what they are consuming. Most children, in particular, are expecting sweet "junk" chocolate and will likely not appreciate "Arriba" cacao."

In fact, virtually all raw chocolate, and unsweetened chocolate in any form, is an acquired taste. Unsweetened raw chocolate is doubly so, irrespective of the type of bean it's made from - they wouldn't appreciate chocolate made from raw Arriba cacao or raw Porcelana cacao, or any other varietal. One of the main reasons that children will not like unsweetened chocolate in any form (junk or no) is that they do not possess receptors on their tongues to process bitter flavors (most young children don't like anything bitter, not just chocolate), we grow into our ability to enjoy bitter flavors.

The WORST "Article" About Chocolate - EVER

Posted in: Opinion

I made a screenshot of the updated article for all to see. Even heavily JPGd it's almost a meg.If the article continues to be updated, let me know and I'll track its progress.

The WORST "Article" About Chocolate - EVER

Posted in: Opinion

A lot gets written about chocolate every day.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/10/15 15:16:37

Unsweetened (or stevia sweetened) milk chocolate?

Posted in: Classifieds ARCHIVE

Richard:

I have a colleague (the buyer at a local chocolate store) who is going to ISM (international confectionery show) in a couple of weeks and I have asked him to see if he can locate it, try it, and see if it's worth bringing in. They already bring in product from Germany so they should be able to combine shipping.

In the meantime, it's available on Amazon.de and other on-line shopping outlets in the EU - the company, Tiroler Edle, is Austrian.

:: Clay

Help needed finding cake cutter wire in bulk!

Posted in: Classifieds ARCHIVE

I have never heard of anyone using serrated wire on a guitar. It would be very difficult to clean. Kerekes (bakedeco.com) sells guitar wire in 30m rolls on their site. Design et Realisation ( www.dr.ca ) sells guitars but does not advertise wire, but I would have to believe that an e-mail would reveal a source (or the fact that they sell it); in fact a post on the eGullet forum referenced below mentions that they do sell guitar wire. TCF Sales sells guitars - they probably also have wire.But you do want stainless steel. In fact, you could probably source the wire locally as long as it's food grade stainless and the right gauge it doesn't need to be packaged specifically for ganache cutter. Here's an article on eGulle t that includes plans for building a frame.

Can you store finished chocolates in a "cooling cabinet"?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Yes, the Johnson Controls device should work with most refrigerators to get the temp up to 55F or so, which is usually above their range. You may want some sort of commercial fridge because it will have the wire shelves you need - home fridges are not set up for this.

If humidity is still a problem, try one of the PolarFresh units, and you might even consider a very small computer fan on a dimmer to increase air flow.

Can you store finished chocolates in a "cooling cabinet"?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Chest freezers are available through many retail outlets and tend to be very inexpensive compared with specialty refrigeration made for working with chocolate.

They do need to be modified to work for the purpose of storing chocolate:

a) You need to get a thermostat override device like the one from Johnson Controls. While you might get a 7 cu/ft chest freezer for $300 (here in NY), the controller might cost another $70. This is still inexpensive compared with $5,000 to $10,000 or more for specialty refrigeration. You wouldn't use the chest freezer for crystallization, only for storage.

b) You need to add something into the chest freezer compartment to control humidity. One option is PolarFresh; it works like a box of baking soda but it's specifically designed to help control humidity; baking soda is only about controlling odors. There are other options - but as you say, obtainability is the issue.

When putting things into the chest for storage, you'll want to pack them in a way that protects them from exposure to air and humidity. You don't want any humidity to condense on the items when cooling down or warming up. SO ... the best way is not to use huge tubs that need to be opened and closed, exposing all of the contents to the air each time the tub is opened. You could do that for organization purposes, but then I'd wrap "serving size" portions individually and put those into the larger tubs. Opening up the tub would then not expose unwrapped pieces to the air.

When taking items out of storage, you have to let them warm up to ambient temperature before unwrapping them to keep moisture from condensing on the chocolate ... it will condense (if present) on the outer wrapping.

Can you store finished chocolates in a "cooling cabinet"?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Linda:

There are a couple of different questions here.

Johnson Controls makes a line of "thermostat override" devices that can be used to modify the maximum temperature a unit can go to. Most refrigerators want to work in the range of 28-46F or thereabouts. Using one of these override devices you can set the max temp to 55F. By the way, one of the least expensive storage units you can buy is a chest freezer. These temp controls work perfectly for that application

That doesn't solve the humidity issue. One way to do that would be to use a product like PolarFresh or panels from Avive, which are placed in the compartment and reduce humidity.

The streaking you're seeing is probably because the chocolate you're using is unevenly tempered. For example, in a Chocovision machine, you need to wait a few minutes after the machine says you're in temper to evenly distribute the desirable crystals to influence even crystallization. Without knowing more, I'd say you need to mix/agitate your chocolate more than you're doing once it's "in temper."

Small-scale Chocolate Storage?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Take a look at page 22 of this catalog: http://www.alexanderindustries.net/catalog.html It's a "speed rack" on casters enclosed on all six sides. You can place you work on sheet pans and place it inside this enclosure. As it will be in a climate-controlled space, issues with respect to temperature and humidity inside the cabinet are really taken care of by the ambient environment. If you needed to, you could add a little assist in a DIY project grafting on a little thermo-electric cooler unit.Another possible alternative is these: http://www.restaurantequipment.com/CAMCARRIERS.html Again, as the environment these are in is climate-controlled, the temperature and humidity issues are taken care of outside these portable units. These are nice in the sense that you can take them to and from the kitchen and the pieces are protected in transport. You can get a dolly so they are easily movable, and they stack. They even have optional removable gel-packs (camchillers). You can get ones that hold standard-sized sheet pans.Also consider this: http://www.coolerking.com/polarfresh_filter/polar-fresh.php

Small-scale Chocolate Storage?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

There is NO room for any sort of storage in the workspace? Where do you plan to put chocolates being stored? In a space that is climate-controlled? Outside?

Small-scale Chocolate Storage?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Jennifer:One of the key pieces of information missing here is how much storage space you need. I am going to assume that you don't need to worry about temperature and humidity control in the work space itself, and that you're not having problems with crystallization of your chocolates.From the sound of it - the answer is not much, but please give me a better idea. The chocolate "storage" cabinet you refer to at aafixtures.com is really display cabinet and is really not meant for storage. Your reaction to the price makes me think you really are looking for a low-cost DIY solution. The approach to take will depend on how much chocolate you need to store at any particular time.

Canadian Chocolate Company Bernard Callebaut Forced into Bankruptcy

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Read the full posting on the bankruptcy action .
updated by @Clay Gordon: 03/11/26 06:20:34

"Trouble in Candyland" - Cocao bean price fixing underway?

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Here's another news story on the purchase.

compressed air?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Yes, a bitterant will negatively affect the taste of the chocolate.Interestingly, David Funaro of Godiva d emonstrated just such a technique at the recent World Pastry Forum in Phoenix. Although it's not a part of this video he did discuss his experiences using compressed air with a bitterant added and says to stay away.There are several places where you can get cans of compressed air that do not have added bitterant. One of them is Chef Rubber.

Caputo's Chocolate Program featured in Specialty Food Magazine

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Matt -Thanks for sharing this. I am interested in what others think.:: Clay

CSI - It's not Just for Crime Scene Investigator Anymore

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Lana -I heard back from Sarah yesterday after I posted this -- she's already sold more than 75% of the shares!Woo Hooo!- Clay

CSI - It's not Just for Crime Scene Investigator Anymore

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Willamette Week announced today that ChocolateLife member Sarah Hart of Alma Chocolate in Portland, OR has started a sweet alternative to a CSA (community supported agriculture program) - CSI, or Community Support Ice cream.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 03/11/26 06:20:34

Under-counter heating instead of refrigeration?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Many people know that I advocate using under-counter refrigeration in chocolate kitchens whenever possible because work space always seems to be at a premium. If you are using smaller, counter-top tempering machines it even makes sense to consider using a low-boy chocolate crystallization cabinet like one from Irinox so you can put your molds in for cooling without having to move from the work counter.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Tips for clearing a chocolate-clogged drain?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

The trick is to warm the pipe itself.You could use wire tape that you wrap around pipes to keep them freezing in winter. Another solution is to use a heat gun directly on the pipe.