Featured Article
Why cocoa content matters
It has been said that cocoa content has one purpose and one purpose only: to advertise how much of a chocolate bar’s weight is comprised of cacao solids. Sounds simple, right? Well, not really. Cocoa content is a secretive number, actually, one that carries with it several implications about the cacao beans that comprise the chocolate. Read more...
Inside the bean
Many people are surprised to discover that chocolate comes from seeds. But that kind of makes sense, if you really think about it, as many of our everyday foods are also derived from seeds, such as bread, pasta, vegetable oils, and peanut butter. So, in the case of cacao, we all know what comes from these seeds, but do we know what is actually inside the seed? This is a question I wanted to answer myself, so I did some investigation. Read more...
Take two beans and call me in the morning
It’s no secret that early Mesoamericans drank cacao. We even know why they drank cacao and who did the drinking. But what many people may not be aware of are the other formats in which cacao was consumed, and for what reasons. Cacao was a much more versatile substance than many people may think, and indeed, it seems that maybe, just maybe, it could have modern day applications as well. Read more...
Amedei vs. Bonnat
Chuao is one of those places we’ve all heard about but never visited. It’s a remote coastal village in northern Venezuelan flanked by lush rainforests, lofty mountains, and the sparkling Caribbean Sea, and inhabited by a people that may seem trapped in time. Indeed, Chuao has an illustrious and romantic history that still can be witnessed, in a sense, just by looking at pictures of cacao fermentation or, better yet, tasting a bar of chocolate produced from its beans. Read more...
What's in a Name?
When selecting a bar of chocolate, many consumers seem to have certain expectations. Porcelana, for example, is a unique and rare cacao highly revered for its delicacy and surprisingly strong chocolate flavor. So, it has always been expected to be a top notch chocolate year after year, mainly because it has been. But we must be honest with ourselves and realize this will not always be the case. Read more...Chocolate that tastes as good as it looks
That’s the slogan Kshocolat uses to headline the browser window whenever you access their ultra sleek and polished website. With a minimalist layout, glossy appearance, and handsome pictures of their products, you might be convinced that the company does indeed produce some mighty fine chocolate without even knowing what it looks like. Read more...