What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
Awesome Clay.... You nailed it .
Forum Activity for @Paul John Kearins
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
Being Dutch , the truffle is divided into two categories: ganache ( chocoladetruffels) and fresh cream ( slagroomtruffels) . There are recipe variations on these basic types.The ball shaped globe I see elsewhere are not so prevalent in the Netherlands and the understanding of truffle is that the form is "truffle like" and if you have seen a real truffle dug up out of the ground it looks pretty rough and dirty hence the classic coarse cocoa-dusted exterior of this confection.A ganache truffle is classically ( in my education at least) scooped and tossed in cocoa powder.A fresh cream truffle is classically whipped cream with a large proportion of sugar and fresh vanilla , scooped , frozen and dipped in untempered chocolate, then tossed in cocoa powder.Of course , in the business we need some sort of preservation so the ganache has been dipped in chocolate to extend shelf life and the cream truffle has been restructured as a very creamy butter cream to extend the life of that... Progress?! I'm not sure if I agree , but we do what we do and evolution is unavoidable...... So in short , truffle> ganache> scooped roughly> cocoa powder.
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
It drives me crazy too! Ha! It's as if there is no other definition any more
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
If you want to know something about chocolate go to the source! Thank you Clay. I will be forwarding this information along with the information from the International Chocolate Contest to the operator of the show and competition I entered. Competition is good but judging should be on a level field. ]
Thank everyone who answered my question.
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
In a word, yes.
The definition of truffle is not ingredient dependent on that level. It's the form of the finished piece.
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
I have always understood a truffle to be a ganache of chocolate, fat and flavor. If it has glucose syrup or other stabilizers is it still considered a truffle?
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
Now that is what I call a definition of all definitions! Thorough and articulate....well done Clay (as per usual 
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
The word truffle, as it applies to a chocolate confection, traditionally refers to confections that look like the truffles (fungus) dug from the ground - irregularly shaped and very often covered with cocoa powder. Traditional truffle centers are made by hand-rolling usually fairly dense ganaches (high chocolate to liquid ratio) and not worrying at all about whether they are perfectly regularly shaped. Traditional truffles are sometimes referred to astruffe nature or natural truffle because of that resemblance.
Depending on how long the truffle needed to last (and the maker's thoughts about texture), a truffle may be covered (mechanically enrobed or hand dipped) with chocolate. Further embellishment may come in the form of additions or alternatives to the cocoa powder coating - green tea powder is common in Japan, shredded coconut, and nuts in one form or another are also common; any these may be used with or without the chocolate covering.
The hand formed truffle is contrasted with two other production methods:
A) Slabbed (usually ganache, but may be layered with pate de fruit, caramel, or other element) pieces that are then enrobed and may be further decorated. A slabbed ganache that is covered in a powder or left uncovered is sometimes called a pav (maybe referring to the gem cut, or to a paving stone).
B) Shell-molded pieces.
The important technical difference between slabbed and shell-molded pieces is that in a slabbed piece the center forms the support for the chocolate shell; in a shell-molded piece, the shell forms the container for the center, which tends to be softer than that of a slabbed piece.
I use the word bonbon (from the French, colloquially "good good") to refer to slabbed and shell molded pieces. I don't use the word praline (which I believe is Belgian in origin - as contrasted withpralin, which refers to caramelized nuts and is French) because it is already so overloaded with meanings. I use truffle to refer to a truffe nature.
Bonbon, praline, and truffle have all been conflated over time and are generally used interchangeably though technically, at least in my mind, they refer to different final forms based on the method of production.
PS. I useFrench (aka southern European), Belgian (aka northern European), American, and Nouvelle American (or nouveau French) to refer to different generalized approaches to flavor in ganaches and centers, not to physical styles of work.
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
My personal definition?
Ganache that is hand rolled into balls and then enrobed with couverture. Sky's the limit as far as surface decoration is concerned, but no piped in fillings into molded shells.
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
That is my definition also. This contest judged molded and filled Bonbons, Pralines and Truffles in the same category as "Traditional" and "Non-Traditional" Truffles. I will be contacting the contest administrator with some suggestions.
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
We call it "classic" truffles, made with chocolate +cream+ butter, rolled in tempered chocolate and then in cocoa powder.
We distingue between truffles and pralines by the first being round, piped and rolled by hand, the second being moulded items with a filling...
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
We make traditional truffles and then cover them in tempered chocolate for exactly the reasons Jeffray mentioned; they will have a shorter shelf life if they're not protected. The average consumer here thinks of the mass produced so called "truffles" as what a truffle is. That drives me nuts!!!!!
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
Hi Bill,
A traditional confectionary "truffle" is best described as a ganache with no tempered chocolate involved. A ganache is simply chocolate and cream. The ganachecan be rolled in a variety of coatings including cocoa powderor diced or finely chopped nuts/seeds.Since the outer layer of ganache is not covered or protected with tempered chocolate the shelf life is very short (around 2 weeks). They will also need to be refridgerated, preferablycovered with plastic wrap.
Hope this helps.
Jeffray D. Gardner
Marsatta
What is a "Traditional Chocolate Truffle"?
Posted in: Opinion
I have a dilemma. I entered what I thought was a "Truffle" contest and the winners were what I consider "Bonbons". I remember some time ago on the old Discover Chocolate site Clay defined several types of Truffle. I think they were: French, American, Nouvelle American. I also posted this question: What is a "Traditional Truffle" on the Ecole Chocolat Graduate forum. There seems to be a wide and subjective definition. What is yours?
updated by @Bill Tice: 04/20/15 06:40:22
The Malting Process as it Relates to Cacao Fermentation
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I've brewed beer for many years. The malting process as you mentioned, does break things down, though I think its primarily starches (the endosperm's energy supply storage) into sugars useable by the barley seedling. It's essential to kill it, (kilning) to interrupt the sprouting process. This might be akin to the patio drying taking place in cacao processing. In barley production, its done in gas rotary kilns. Malting and kilning does have dramatic impact on the barley's flavor profile, it's diastatic power (the sugar-to-alcohol conversation) and ultimately the beer's flavor.
I know nothing about cacao, though I'm absorbing info like a sponge... But your intuition is probably spot-on, as Aussie's might say. Experiments were probably done by big chocolate co's over the past century, though those may be trade secrets. As the folks at Xoco point out, the drying/fermenting process by small farmers nowadays is probably hit or miss.
I'd do a controlled experiment at your in-laws house. Take a pod or two and wrap them in damp newspaper or muslin, take some other pods and remove the seeds, then wrap the seeds in damp paper, etc, with a control group with no fermenting at all. Dry each batch under the same dessicating conditions and then roast, grind and process. Do a taste test, varying ferment times and temp.
Would be cool to try this at home, but alas no cacao in Atlanta, GA usa.
BOb
The Malting Process as it Relates to Cacao Fermentation
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi tom i was in campo and offline for some time there. sorry for the delay. I said that the 1 day rest period did NOT produce a noticeable difference, they were indistinguishable flavor-wise from beans taken out of the pods the same day as harvest which is our normal procedure.
brian
The Malting Process as it Relates to Cacao Fermentation
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks for the explanation Nat. I agree this is not part of fermentation that I have heard much about and it is interesting as it may help some of the growers I know make better chocolate.
The Malting Process as it Relates to Cacao Fermentation
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I don't think we have to turn to malting as an explanation. It's basically a drying out of the pulp as Jim said, which probablyreduces the anaerobic yeast stage of the fermentation with air gaps opening up in the beans faster. This would lead to a faster take over of the aerobic bacteria and a faster heating of the pile.
I think it can have a lot to do with the variety, as thin-walled Criollo may dry out too fast and no longer be good for a ferment, whereas the other varieties can benefit from sitting for a bit.
I agree with Seneca that grains have sugary starchy endosperm as the majority of their seed, whereas the cotelydons that make up the majority of cacao seeds do not have all these stored sugars, one of the reasons they have to be planted within a week of harvest and can't stored to keep them viable like grains. This is true of many tropical seeds that depend on germinating very quickly and not survivingthrough a winter with the stored sugars before having proper conditions to germinate. Without those stored sugars, there's nothing to malt!
Thanks for stimulating the interesting discussion, Tom! This aspect of fermentation needs to be talked about more.
-Nat
____________________________
Nat Bletter, PhD
Chocolate Flavormeister
Madre Chocolate
The Malting Process as it Relates to Cacao Fermentation
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Seneca, I was meaning that during the time between cutting a perfectly ripe pod from the tree and the opening of that pod the seeds may undergo chemical changes similar to that of the malting process as they move towards germination. I am certainly not advocating germinating seeds before fermentation. Just looking for an explanation as to why leaving the cut pods for a few days before opening and fermenting results in beans that ultimately give better chocolate, as attested to by Jim and Adeir Boida de Andrade.
The Malting Process as it Relates to Cacao Fermentation
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
It may be that I'm misunderstanding, but I wanted to clarify that germinated cotyledons should *not* be included in ferments...these will inevitably result in faulty outcomes, and should be discarded. Jim's comments make sense to me--it's useful to experiment with holding pods (or wet seed, for that matter) before beginning a ferment, but germinants are a sign of substantial overripeness, and definitely not a positive.
As far as the issue of malting, I think there are substantial enough botanical differences between seeds and cotyledons that there's probably no useful parallel. See Wood & Lass, Hardy and Knapp for solid analysis of the various processes occurring during fermentation and their effect on flavor precursors.
The Malting Process as it Relates to Cacao Fermentation
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks for the responses guys, that has been very insightful!
So Brian, would you say that leaving the pods for the one day period gave you the best flavour in the finished chocolate, you mention it is noticably different from doing it asap.
I might try and get my mate in FNQ who grows to try leaving the cut pods for a day or so and see the effect on the chocolate.
My little cocoa babies in Darwin are going great guns, only about 2 more years and we might see some flowers.
The Malting Process as it Relates to Cacao Fermentation
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Tom,
We have a standard practice of cutting pods and leaving them in a collected location for 4 days. I have found that the "resting" phase, through evaporation, reduces the amount of liquid that must be drained during fermentation and concentrates sugars contained in the fruit. We have had no germination experiences and find the fermentation temperatures rise substantially higher when the pods are opened 4 days after harvest. I don't know what the method of collecting after cut is being used in other locations but we have developed a tool for picking ip pods without using sharp tools. Many locations use machete or other to "stick" the pod then enter to the transport basket. BAD PRACTICE....once the pod interior has been introduced to oxygen, fermentation begins and there's no way you can expect to get a controlled fermentation cycle. We have found the most significant steps in our process are:
1. collect only fruit that is fully ripened. There are economic reasons to collect all ripe, near ripe and promising to ripen pods when the harvest is made. This precludes having to return the next week for an additional cutting.
2. move beans to fermentation boxes within 8 hours of opening the pods. Do not co-mingle "good" beans with diseased, discolored or otherwise non-standard quality.
3. utilize fermentation boxes that have free flow for allowing liquids to exit the fermentation unit. Our fermentation boxes are constructed with 5mm gaps at all joining surfaces.
4. maintain a cover over the fermenting beans to retain heat. I am against the use of banana leaves as cover as the collect humidity on the surface adjacent to the bean and "rain" on the pile when cooled temperatures are encountered at night. We use fabric material which can be washed after the fermentation cycles terminate.
5. The remaining steps are a function of bean temperature, ambient temperature, sugar concentration, heap size, and must be measured at daily intervals with adjustments as required. Final phases of fermentation must be carefully managed to produce full fermentation without excessive fermentation. We use pile temperature to manage the first phases and bean cuts for concluding when beans are ready to dry.
Item 1 and Item 5 are absolutely required for quality fermentation...the other items may have a small impact on the final product but omission of 1 and 5 are guaranteed disaster.
Jim Lucas
Fazenda Venturosa
Floresta Azul, Bahia, Brazil
The Malting Process as it Relates to Cacao Fermentation
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
unfortunately, for me, i have no access to fresh pod!
but reading the comment from brian, and taking in consideration a bit of experience with wheat (beer) and germination, i would do it this way:
Remove the beans after the first day of picking, somehow wash them (to stop/slow down fermentation) let germinate in a even bed, then roast them directly. see the result.
i guess it could be one of those "add on" to your traditionally beans to create an extra/different flavor note...
I would be very curious to taste a chocolate made with 100% unfermented but malted beans... i might have just given a world discover away. !!!!
For you lucky people living in Cocoa farms: if you ever try my idea and it works:please, at least, send me a fly ticket to come and visit you ah ah aha !!!
The Malting Process as it Relates to Cacao Fermentation
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi from Peru Tom, I can only speak to my personal experience with this in one place and two varieties of cacao, and without a serious grounding in the chemistry of it which you appear to have. i've done sample lots of pure nacional (with 40% white beans) and ccn51 leaving cut pods on the ground 1, 3 and 5 days before opening and beginning fermentation. the 1 day lots are not noticeably different from putting the beans in the fermenter the same day they are opened.
in 3 days, as you say many beans germinate. these have a slightly different aroma going into the fermenter, and they seem to ferment a little differently, and taste a little different once fermented, producing a problem with uniformity between the two classes of bean. also the germinated beans can have a problem with their skin sloughing off somewhat in the fermenter box and thus they are not well protected on the dryer bed and can get kind of burned and crumbly in the time it takes the other beans to dry.
at 5 days most of the beans have germinated and to me they have an off flavor, slightly putrid, that does not improve with fermenting. a matter of opinion obviously and my palate is not among the best so who knows?
a few logistical problems, at least here in my area with letting them sit -- the cacao parcel is not always right next to the farmer's house and if the pods are left lying there often someone will steal them. also a pile of pods is like a dessert tray to a squirrel or monkey, they get some % of pods on the tree but i have seen a sitting pile get ravaged almost 100% by critters. finally many consider a germinated bean defective, it has a telltale hole where the germ comes out and it can affect grading of the beans.
so for all those reasons we don't do it here, but in the right place at the right time, and taking logistical issues off the table, it might be a good option. i am attaching the one study i know of which addresses it, from portillo et al in venezuela, this is the english translation they published, its not perfect, if you want the original spanish let me know. they conclude that 0 days on the ground is best, but i think they only compared it to 5 days, not any intermediate value like 3 or 4. also they are talking only about criollo porcelana
good luck in darwin,
brian
The Malting Process as it Relates to Cacao Fermentation
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I have read now in a few places that the best chocolate is made from fermented beans that were left in the pods for about 4 days after picking before then being opened and fermented. This got me thinking about an explanation, perhaps this is akin to the malting process. The malting process is where a grain is taken, most commonly barley, and it is soaked in water and then allowed to germinate. Once germinated it is then dried for a few days at around 50degC then roasted after that to the darkness required. The process of germination breaks down polysaccharides into monomeric sugars such as glucose and fructose and also proteins are broken down into amino acidsthese arethe two precursors for the Maillard reaction which is responsible for the flavours in chocolate.
So joining the two together is it possible that leaving the pods once cut for 4 days before opening and fermenting leads to changes in the beans akin to malting providing the bean with more precursors to the chocolate flavour? I know that cacao germinates very quicky, I am growing some in Darwin at my sister-in-laws house.
I had a quick look in the scientific lit. and couldnt find any refs on the subject, it would be a cool research project I think.
updated by @Tom: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Revolation x3210 beeping and flashing "HHH"
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Ah crap. You got one too? I guess it got bashed around during shipping. They test them all before sending so it worked when it left the factory. Call them. They are very nice.
Good luck.
Revolation x3210 beeping and flashing "HHH"
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thank you. I was afraid that I would have to send it back.
Revolation x3210 beeping and flashing "HHH"
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Sean. Yes. I spoke with the company soon after and it was a faulty machine. Nothing I could do but return the whole unit to them and have another shipped out. Have loved my new machine every day I've had it. Never a problem.
Cheers!
Revolation x3210 beeping and flashing "HHH"
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hello,
I wanted to know if you found the cause of this problem?
Thanks,
Sean
Revolation x3210 beeping and flashing "HHH"
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hello,
I have just purchased and unboxed a new Revolation x3210 and am anxious to use it.
I have plugged it in, cleaned all the parts, alligned all the contacts, read all the directions and am ready to go. Turn it on and all it does is blink "HHH" and beep incessantly. Has anyone else come across this?
I've left a VM at Chocovision but not heard back yet. I'd love to be able to use it this weekend but need help. Anyone?
Thanks.
Kai
updated by @Kai Kronfield: 04/11/25 09:27:36
2012 cacao and chocolate salon - Lima, Peru
Posted in: Travels & Adventures
you can communicate with Stella Coello of USAID at scoello@usaid.gov . One of the key people working on the salon for the Peruvian Ag Ministry got injured and is on bed rest and Stella has stepped in to fill some of her duties while she recovers. Stella speaks english and can put you in touch with the right people to "seed the clouds"
2012 cacao and chocolate salon - Lima, Peru
Posted in: Travels & Adventures
Clay,Thanks for your thoughts and advice. I have decided to fly up to Lima for the Salon, arriving on Friday AM. Hopefully we will have a chance to meet. As you wisely note, it is always best to seed the clouds before traveling. I sent an note a a couple days ago to an email address that appeared on the salon's website, but have not heard back. Any chance you could share a name and email of the salon's liaison you mentioned?Cheers,mg
2012 cacao and chocolate salon - Lima, Peru
Posted in: Travels & Adventures
Mark -
I am going to be attending the Salon this year and I can tell you from the contacts I had with the organizers that there is a specific focus on attracting international visitors to meet with producers in order to stimulate exports. The reason I am going is to talk about sourcing for a project I am working on.
There is, obviously, a consumer side, but there is also a conference program with some technical talks.
I haven't been in previous years, so I can't comment on whether or not USAID/Technoserve involvement is more or less than it has been - but like many things it's about making contacts before you go in order to be able to leverage the time you have there. We are working with the US-based liaison to do just that - make sure our needs are made known before we go down and to start the discussions before we leave the US.
2012 cacao and chocolate salon - Lima, Peru
Posted in: Travels & Adventures
brian, thanks for the quick and helpful response. if i end uptraveling to Limai will be sure to let you know, since Iwould love to have a chance to meet. this is totally unrelated to my day job with TNC.years ago i worked with cacao/chocolate in Ecuador and i am thinking of getting back into craft chocolate here in Chile.veremos....
2012 cacao and chocolate salon - Lima, Peru
Posted in: Travels & Adventures
Hi Mark, yes I'll be there, they have me giving a presentation on saturday i think. In previous years it was just as cacao focused as chocolate, and you could certainly speak to most of the heads of the big cooperatives like Acopagro, Sol Verde, Naranjillo, Cepicafe, Ceproaa, etc. This year it seems to be scaled back, i think USAID has decreased or cut entirely their support, so I get the impression that it might be more consumer chocolate focused this year. Having said that, there will definitely be at least some cacao people there, and they're always looking for clients. also the folks from the Ag ministry or Appcacao can connect you to potential suppliers.
Is this a nature Conservancy project (i looked you up) or are you thinking of getting into chocolate? or are you already into it?
2012 cacao and chocolate salon - Lima, Peru
Posted in: Travels & Adventures
Hi Brian, I see that the Cacao and Chocolate salon is back for 2013. Will you be attending? I live in Santiago, Chile and am thinking of traveling to Lima for the salon with the hope of meeting some suppliers who can export quality cacao beans to Chile. In your experience, is the salon a good place to meet cacao suppliers or mainly an end consumer focused chocolate show? Appreciate your thoughts. Thanks, mark
2012 cacao and chocolate salon - Lima, Peru
Posted in: Travels & Adventures
Hi Brian, Thanks for this info. I will be in Lima a few days before that after climbing Machu Picchu. Not sure of my exact itinerary but if you're there, it might be nice to grab a coffee and talk chocolate.
Cheers!
Kai Kronfield
Nosh This
2012 cacao and chocolate salon - Lima, Peru
Posted in: Travels & Adventures
Hi Brian,
I think I emailed you directly. I will be in Lima on the 6th of July. Our Hawaii Chocolate & Cacao Association is active in promoting cacao farming and chocolate production in Hawaii. We'd look forward to meeting and chatting with you.WE are hoping to bring back some inspiration from the travels for our own festival in Hawaii.
2012 cacao and chocolate salon - Lima, Peru
Posted in: Travels & Adventures
The 2012 version of Peru's cacao and chocolate salon takes place July 4-8. I'm not connected to the salon in any way, although I may give a presentation, the organizers have yet to confirm. The website is poor but the link is:
http://www.salondelcacaoychocolate.pe/index.html
BecauseI live and work with cacao farmers in the campo here in Peru, I sometimes feel disconnected with the world of chocolate, despite being directly involved in it. If any chocolate life members are planning to come to Peru for the salon, i'd love to get together, have a chance to speak english, and gain new perspectives on the cacao and chocolate industries.
If anyone has any questions about the salon, peru, or travel to peru, let me know and I'll be glad to help as time and internet connection permits. I look forward to meeting any intrepid types who make the trip.
brian
updated by @brian horsley: 04/12/15 00:37:23
Boxes for my chocs
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Hi i am using the Chocolate artist software and am getting on with it realy well, the problem i have is finding a company in the uk that makes chocolate boxes to fit the size of the chocolates used with the magnetic molds. The inserts all seem to be to small, is there anywhere in the united states that i can order them from.
many thanks
updated by @david roberts: 05/21/15 13:09:03