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| ...People new to the appreciation of chocolate often ask which is better, the exclusive derivation or the blended approach. Both options have equal validity, but as one who thinks the unexamined chocolate is not worth eating, I'd say that the piece of information missing here is the cacao's origin (or origins). This should be on every package from supermarket candy wrappers to boxes of luxe truffles. Today's boutique chocolatiers have no reason to follow the example of old-style corporate giants who treat their blending formulas as state secrets, and every reason to tell information-hungry aficionados the exact origin and variety of all the cacao in their chocolate. A common argument against disclosure is the manufacturer's need to replace some cacaos from time to time in their blends. Yet this should be a part of the informational literature handed out to consumers. The labelling issue has another dimension related to the disturbing shifts and disappearances that I've described taking place in the global roster of cacao varieties. Truly excellent cacaos currently represent less than 2 percent of the international cacao bean trade, while a few mediocre cultivars increase their comparative share by leaps and bounds. Who will have any incentive to carry on the demanding task of growing yesterday;s rare and exquisite cacaos if today's industry fails to demand fine flavor beans. pay premium prices for them, and make their names well known to adventurous food lovers? When information about provenance routinely appears on labels, the friends of fine chocolate may be able to strike a few blows for heirloom cacao from particular region or even particular farms. ** - the New Taste of Chocolate, Maricel Presilla |
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At Carter's Chocolates you can experience several
chocolates from around the world just in the
confections that we make.
In addition to that, we typically have several
varieties available for tasting.
To get information on upcoming
tasting events, or to arrange a tasting
for your group of 12-25 people, email:
matt@carterschocolates.com
chocolates from around the world just in the
confections that we make.
In addition to that, we typically have several
varieties available for tasting.
To get information on upcoming
tasting events, or to arrange a tasting
for your group of 12-25 people, email:
matt@carterschocolates.com
** It's true!
and something to think about.
Just as in the Turkey industry in the US...
back before World War II, there was a wide diversity of varieties of
turkey raised for meat.
Now almost all turkeys grown in the US are of a nameless white variety,
well known to be unable to breed on its own, and to grow so fat so fast
that it has severe leg issues... and of course having such a
mono-culture means that one well focused germ can wipe out an entire
industry.
Slow Food USA is an organization dedicated to preserving the
biological diversity through awareness and marketing, and really ought
to involve itself in chocolate awareness as well.
Please, could somebody look into that?
and something to think about.
Just as in the Turkey industry in the US...
back before World War II, there was a wide diversity of varieties of
turkey raised for meat.
Now almost all turkeys grown in the US are of a nameless white variety,
well known to be unable to breed on its own, and to grow so fat so fast
that it has severe leg issues... and of course having such a
mono-culture means that one well focused germ can wipe out an entire
industry.
Slow Food USA is an organization dedicated to preserving the
biological diversity through awareness and marketing, and really ought
to involve itself in chocolate awareness as well.
Please, could somebody look into that?
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| Flavor as a Dynamic Experience Think about the amount of time that elapses when you taste a dark chocolate (or a wine). It takes about 6 seconds to experience all the flavors and sensations, and something different happens during each of those seconds. In the first second, you feel the chocolate melt on your tongue. A Tartness or sourness becomes obvious, followed quickly by wonderful fruity flavors. The fruit notes continue but another note appears -- you begin to experience the mid-palate sensations of smoothness and richness as the fat begins to coat your tongue. At this point the chocolate's sweetness begins to react with the fruitiness, which results in a crescendo of flavors. As that tapers off, soft tannins excite your tongue, allowing some of the broader notes to come through. At the finish, a slow drying sensation combines with a final note of sugar. If you can imagine those 6 seconds of tasting as a very short symphony, you grasp what we're trying to do when we blend various beans to make chocolate. We're assembling notes -- putting together high fruity notes and lower, broader base notes to try to make those 6 seconds that you taste a bite of chocolate as wide-ranging and intensely flavorful as possible. The flavor notes come first from all the beans we choose, but we can affect the notes in our chocolate by how long we roast the beans, how long we grind the nibs, and by the proportions of the various beans we use in our blends. --- John Scharffenberger, The Essence of Chocolate |
