Archive for the ‘Gourmet Chocolate’ Category

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Give Fair Trade Chocolate This Valentine’s Day

Friday, February 12th, 2010

As you show your love to that special someone this Valentine’s Day, why not give a gift that also shows your care for the farmers who cultivate your special gift – chocolate!

The following are some Fair Trade chocolate suppliers:

  • Equal Exchange: Equal Exchange has created Big Change since 1986. Our founders envisioned a food system that empowers farmers and consumers, supports small farmer co-ops, and uses sustainable farming methods. They started with fairly traded coffee from Nicaragua and didn’t look back.

  • Alter Eco: Alter Eco’s chocolate bars are made in the pure Swiss tradition from Fair Trade and natural ingredients. For these mouthwatering, soul-quenching bars, Alter Eco has selected fair traded ingredients from distant corners of the world: Fair Trade cocoa from Ghana and Bolivia, unrefined organic Fair Trade sugar from the Philippines, as well as Fair Trade cashews, raisins, and fine Arabica coffee beans. Alter Eco chocolate bars are 100% natural and do not contain artificial flavors or sweeteners, chemical additives or emulsifiers.

  • Divine Chocolate: Choosing Divine as your chocolate treat is a delicious way of playing your part in a more equitable trading partnership. Divine is the only Fairtrade chocolate company which is 45% owned by the farmers. While Fairtrade ensures farmers receive a better deal for their cocoa and additional income to invest in their community, company ownership gives farmers a share of Divine’s profits and a stronger voice in the cocoa industry. Take their Valentine’s Day Chocolate quiz by clicking here.

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Additive-Free Handmade Chocolate

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Every wonder why the ancient Mayans drank chocolate instead of eating it? Hot chocolate, or cocoa rather, existed before chocolate truffles because it is a considerably difficult process to get the chocolate to solidify. But the Phoenix New Times reports that one choclatier, Sam Filicetti, has perfected the process without using additives.

In ancient times, Mayans drank cacao concoctions to achieve an altered consciousness believed to bring them close to a god-like state. It was this promise of elevated awareness and an interest in Divine Metaphysics that initially attracted Sam Filicetti, an electrical engineer, to chocolate-making.

The Mayans drank the chocolate, but we prefer to bite into it and getting the cacao mixture to the perfect state is where the modern magic happens. The process of getting chocolate to solidify and form a shiny coating is tricky.

Filicetti, who calls his company ib2, explains that many large chocolate producers use a small amount of paraffin to guarantee the glossy finish and this addition can give the finished product a slightly waxy taste.

Read the entire article by clicking here.

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Become a Gourmet Chocolate Guru

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Wish you had a delicate palate that could taste the subtle differences in fine chocolate? Experience Chocolate is an organization that teaches chocolate aficionados how to become chocolate experts:

Experience: CHOCOLATE, LLC is dedicated to acquainting discerning chocolate lovers with premium chocolate brands and the factors that influence their taste. We conduct fun, informational, hands-on chocolate tasting parties that enable participants to Experience the many nuances of chocolate flavor. You provide the guests, we provide everything else you’ll need to host an enjoyable and entertaining chocolate tasting event.

Experience: CHOCOLATE, LLC believes that consuming good chocolate has a positive effect on one’s mood or psyche. Whether you prefer white, milk, or dark chocolate, we’ve developed different chocolate Tasting Experiences™ using a variety of packaged gourmet chocolates from around the world. Our chocolate tasting collections consider the origin of the cocoa beans, cocoa content of the selection, and the manufacturing process to provide the best in exceptional chocolate Tasting Experiences™.

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Vegan Chocolate

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

In essence, vegan chocolate shouldn’t be hard to find. Yet, it can be since milk is often an additive of chocolate. About.com explains when chocolate loses its vegan status and how you can find the vegan versions:

Chocolate itself comes from a plant, making it vegan, yes, but in the process of going from the tree to the grocery store, a variety of additives are added, including sugar and milk or milkfat. A good quality chocolate, however, will have a higher chocolate content, pure ingredients and no additives. The ingredients will be simple: cocoa, cocoa butter, lecithin, sugar and sometimes vanilla. And that’s it. Lesser quality chocolates have a long ingredients list, which, along with cheap fillers such as food starch and artificial flavorings, will often contain milk, milk solids or milk fat.

So while most chocolate is not vegan simply due to the additives, the good news is that there are plenty of vegan chocolate options available.

  • Chocolove Dark Chocolate and Orange Peel
  • Trader Joe’s brand chocolate chips
  • Newman’s Own Chocolate Bars: Sweet Dark Espresso and Sweet Dark Orange, regular and organic)
  • Ritter Sport – Chocolate Mint (the light blue ones) and Marzipan (the red one)
  • Green and Blacks Organic Chocolate – Dark Chocolate
  • Organic Equal Exchange Chocolate All flavors except for milk chocolate

  • Here are a few brands of vegan chocolate that are specifically made to be vegan and are marketed and labeled as such. Most of these vegan chocolate brands are organic and fair-trade as well.

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    Count On Fairtrade Chocolate From Green and Black’s

    Friday, January 29th, 2010

    Green and Black’s is making a bold move. The organic chocolate maker is now pleging to be the world’s largest producer of Fairtrade chocolate. From International Supermarket News:

    The organic chocolate manufacturer Green and Black’s has pledged to go 100% Fairtrade in 2010, making it the world’s biggest manufacturer of Fairtrade chocolate.

    The move will mean an investment of $485,000 per year over the next decade in premiums paid to farmers, mainly in the Dominican Republic where most of the cocoa is sourced from. Farmers in Belize have already benefited from Fairtrade practices the company has put in place.

    Green and Black’s Maya Gold Chocolate was the first official Fairtrade product to be sold in the UK. Paul Rice, President and CEO of TransFair USA, said: “Green & Blacks’ 15-year history of sourcing Fair Trade Certified cocoa has made an impressive difference in the Belizean farming communities from which it sources, and we are thrilled with the company’s deepened commitment to ethical trading. This expansion will extend the benefits of Fair Trade to thousands of farmers in the Dominican Republic, empowering them to take care of their families, protect the environment and improve their communities.”

    Read the entire article by clicking here.

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    Posted in Belize, Dominican Republic, Fairtrade, Gourmet Chocolate, Production | No Comments »

    The Chocolate Swap

    Sunday, January 24th, 2010

    The Chocolate LifeGotta love this idea: Chocolate lovers around the world uniting to swap samples of chocolate. The Chocolate Life website invites users to sign up to get involved in the chocolate sampling…

    The Chocolate Swap is the place for ChocolateLife members to reach out to other members to trade chocolates.

    As of press time of this post 32 people worldwide have joined. One member posted a comment kind of illustrating how it could work:

    I live about half an hour away from Naked Chocolate Cafe in Philadelphia, PA, which has some pretty good stuff. I’d like to try this swap thing, if anyone else is interested in that.

    I like milk and dark chocolate, the smoother, the better. I’m interested in trying something new. No raspberry, please. (Dee)

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    Flavor Labs for Developing Cacao Farmers

    Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

    It’s a strange reality: most cacao farmers in developing nations have never tasted chocolate. NoBellyPrize.com reports one company is changing that, giving cacao farmers the opportunity to indulge in what their crops produce:

    This story first appeared on CNET News.

    Tcho, a San Fransisco-based chocolate company, gets its cocoa beans from farmers in Peru, Ghana, and other countries. Although many of the families there have been growing cocoa beans for generations, some have never actually tasted chocolate, much less the products made from their own crops. Aside from not being able to enjoy the fruits of their own labor, they have no way to directly understand the relationship between their growing techniques and the final product.

    Tcho has solved the problem by bringing the factory to the farm. Using what co-founder Louis Rossetto calls “appropriate technology,” the company sets up “flavor labs” on farms in the developing world using about $8,000 worth of equipment consisting of a Macintosh computer, an off-the-shelf-grinder, a roaster that uses a hair dryer as a heat source, and other equipment that enables farmers and technicians to turn raw beans into chocolate. That way the farmers can get a better sense of what their product will taste like to consumers. That process, according to Rossetto, helps the farmer know which beans to pick and how best to process them.

    Read the entire article by clicking here.

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    Mayan Inspired Chocolatier

    Thursday, January 14th, 2010

    The Mayan Magic Global Raw Cacao Cafe Jacki PhilleoThe Mayan Magic Global Raw Cacao Cafe is a new chocolate café in Arizona. An excerpt from a review published by Jack Central:

    With the room engulfed in green potted plants, Mayan-themed murals splashed across the walls, and the combined sound of trickling water and softly playing music, the atmosphere felt calming.

    Amita, the owner of the cafe and chef of the cacao creations, greeted me and my boyfriend in a warm and soothing manner synonymous with the environment. She explained what the cafe offered — cacao, a healing and antioxidant chocolate from the rainforest — and proceeded to grab us a sample.

    As we waited, our eyes wandered the earth-toned room, shaded in hues of teal, brown, yellow and green. Photos, oils made from 800-year-old Juniper trees and cacao beans were all on display and for sale.

    Amita came back promptly with two tiny spoons, each carrying a small amount of melted cacao. She instructed us to put the cacao in our mouths and eat it slowly, cautioning we would instantly feel a tingling sensation throughout our bodies. And she was right.

    The cacao had a thick consistency and a bitter chocolate taste, but the effects of its consumption were incredibly jolting — almost as if I just drank five cups of coffee, or as if someone just slapped me clear across the face — I felt awake, and all of my energy was fully restored.

    View the entire article by clicking here.

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    San Diego Chocolate-Maker Evokes Islander Ambience

    Thursday, January 14th, 2010

    Eclectic hocolate from Tropical ChocolateLooking for a “pura vida” kind of chocolate experience? Look no further than Tropical Chocolate:

    When you think of chocolate, do you also think of green tea, pineapple juice, tequila, basil, roses, curry, chipotle chili or potato chips? If not, you haven’t experienced the exotic world of Tropical Chocolate.

    Until they moved to the Central Coast in July 2008, owners Roger and Pam Marshall were San Diego residents looking for “something to do with the second half of our lives.” On Jan. 20, that something became a premium chocolate shop on Broad Street featuring a raft of fresh, handmade temptations that celebrate the tastes of the islands.

    View the entire by the San Luis Obispo Tribune article by clicking here.

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    Chocolate Goes Great with Feng Shui

    Monday, September 28th, 2009


    Feng Shui guru Ariel Joseph Towne says chocolate helps find balanceApparently chocolate can help you find balance. Examiner.com reports that Feng Shui guru A.J. Towne pairs wine and chocolate with his “Schway” workshop series. Below is an excerpt:



    For the peanut-butter and caramel chocolate and the espresso and brandy infused chocolate, he offered a Spanish Granache and a Californian Zinfandel, which are rich, full-bodied fruit-bomb type red wines. For the sea-salt and caramel chocolate he offered a sweet German Riesling (white) and for the Earl Grey infused chocolate he offered a delicate, peachy Californian Viognier (white). He also offered, afterward, a light-bodied Italian Pinot Noir (red) and a Californian Moscato, a white dessert wine. With these last two, he invited audience members to find their own pairings. For instance, the Viognier went even better with the sea-salt and caramel chocolate and the Pinot Noir nicely complimented the espresso and brandy infused chocolate.


    Click here to view the entire article.

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