While working as a personal chef for a client, she subscribed to a fruit delivery service called Miami Fruit and kept receiving fresh cacao pods. She decided to use the pods to make a batch of chocolate from start to finish – fermenting, dehydrating, roasting, hand cracking and winnowing, then grinding them in a tabletop stone melanger.
Shortly after that, Rebecca enrolled in Melissa Coppel Chocolate and Pastry School in Nevada. After attending a few courses and drafting a business plan, she found the perfect start-up location in 2020. Three years later, she bought a larger facility to increase production and won a Good Food Award and 5 International Chocolate Awards (2 silver and 3 bronze).
Rebecca loves to let the fruit shine in her bar and to offer an approachable flavor profile that focuses on the natural flavors of the bean being used. The simplistic quality approach used in sourcing the best quality ingredients and allowing them to really shine through in her craft is the same philosophy she has used as a chef.
Chocolate-making is a craft of love and patience. The steps involved in making chocolate are methodical, and you have to really enjoy the process because it can feel like groundhog day sometimes. Waiting for the chocolate to conche and adjusting cacao percent and side-by-side tastings are a must and can be hard at times to wait for the finished product, but the result is worth the wait.
As a new chocolatier, Rebecca is humble and eager to learn about this craft she has jumped headfirst into. Undoubtedly, her future is bright as her success and accolades continue to grow.
]]>A bean-to-bar chocolate maker, River-Sea Chocolates is located in Chantilly, Virginia. Founders Mariano and Krissee D’Aguiar started making chocolate in 2017 after visiting family in Brazil. Their son, who was 10 at the time, climbed a cacao tree in a family member's backyard, then brought a pod down and asked how to make chocolate from it. That's what started their journey into chocolate making! When they came back to the US, they began making chocolate bars, first renting a small 100sqft space in a shared kitchen, and working other jobs to make ends meet.
Having an owner who comes from a cacao-growing region provides a unique aspect to being a US-based chocolate manufacturer. River-Sea bridges both worlds of grower and maker, advocating for all.
Mariano visits cacao producers as much as possible, creating relationships with single-estates, and providing continuous feedback on River-Sea’s fermentation practices to hone in on the most desirable flavor traits. River-Sea directly imports the cacao, and this enables it to offer origins that other bean-to-bar makers don't have, like Thailand and Gomes, Brazil.
]]>After changing career paths and moving back to the beach from the mountains of Colorado, Jess began learning about the intricacies of the coffee world and dabbling in hand tempering, truffle making, and dried dipped fruits. With his mother’s toffee recipe in hand, Tucker started a small toffee company called Topsy Toffee in 2014. While Topsy Toffee was thriving in the local and regional market, Tucker began looking into origination of each ingredient in his toffee, finishing with chocolate.
After many conversations, a trip to the Seattle-based NW Chocolate Festival and an origin chocolate maker trip to Belize with Uncommon Cacao, Makenu Chocolate was born. Makenu Chocolate’s goal is to transform sustainably harvested cacao into chocolate that speaks to the senses.
Makenu, pronounced Muh-Ken-ew, is Maori for “trail” or “imperfection”. Jess and Tucker have interpreted the name to include journey, specifically the chocolate journey. With both owners gravitating towards their love of the outdoors, the chosen name brings the adventure of New Zealand’s nature to Northeast Florida.
Makenu opened its production and retail space officially in September 2020. Jess and Tucker learned about the chocolate-making process through much hands-on learning, trial and error in the shop, consultations with Videri Chocolate founder Sam Ratto, roasting workshops with John Nanci, and lots and lots of quality control taste testing.
Makenu chose to maintain a tight focus on the Single Origin 70% line-up as the owners feel this offering connects their local consumers directly to the origin, including farmers, agriculture practices, family life on the farm, pay, export, and finally what happens in the shop to produce high quality and transparent chocolate.
Both owners are highly involved in every step of the chocolate-making process, as well as training their small staff to slowly step into each process – from hand sorting, roasting, cracking and winnowing to melanger use and tempering.
The first few months of chocolate making integrated learning on how to mitigate the high humidity of Northeast Florida in the making process, the characters of each piece of machinery with each origin, and how to engage the customer in this process…during the pandemic! This time period is highlighted with the highs and lows of owning a business, the successes and the struggles, and how to manage the ongoing problem-solving and work-arounds to continue moving forward.
]]>The first batch of chocolate Dustin made was actually the first time he had tried craft chocolate. He was experimenting with coating candies but he also made some chocolate bars to try. He remembered using Ghana as he liked the fudgy flavor to complement the candies. He shared his first batch with family and friends who were trying craft chocolate for the first time. Everyone enjoyed the chocolate and over time, his chocolate got better.
Both he and his wife Mai own and run the Chocolat Inn & Café in Beattyville, KY. The café serves Mai's pastries along with Dustin's coffee and chocolate, and is connected to a modern bed and breakfast inn.
Once renovations for the inn and café were completed and the pandemic was in check, Dustin could get back to his passion – chocolate! He began creating new recipes and developing unique packaging for his treats. He even created the Craft Chocolat Challenge, an international bean-to-bar chocolate competition geared towards providing feedback to up-and-coming chocolate makers, much like himself.
Through Dustin's efforts of perfecting his art, his chocolate making process started getting noticed and also winning awards. He still creates seasonal boxed chocolates but he is focused on creating an experience through craft chocolate bars. He has several different origins and percentages so everyone can find their favorite bar.
We asked Dustin what his fondest memories were about making chocolate and he replied, “I remember using my Specta 11 in the kitchen of my small house. I had to let it run while I slept and it was not enjoyable. I remember waking up in the middle of the night once to a broken belt and the machine not turning. The following day was also a nightmare remelting that chocolate to be able to start the process again...I asked myself, why am I doing this? That memory inspires me to keep growing as from then, I have taught an entire small town Eastern Kentucky community about what craft chocolate is and that is exciting!
]]>Mark Merritt began experimenting with making chocolate in 2013. Through much research, he taught himself how to make chocolate and bought the (small-scale) equipment: a winnower, melanger, and later, a tempering machine. Being the owner of a successful machine shop, he set up his miniature chocolate factory in a spare room at his shop and set out to perfect his new craft.
Having done such thorough research beforehand, his first few batches came out well. Mark really only encountered two issues starting out. At the time, he did not know when the batches were done, so the chocolate was a little gritty, and he also did not yet know how to temper.
Despite the grit and uneven temper, the chocolate still came out pretty tasty! His hobby led him to explore the origin of the cacao bean and how flavors develop to culminate in a bar of chocolate. In a day when less is more, he discovered that the essence of bean to bar is ultimately in the process. Bean-to-bar chocolate requires a proper balance of both chemistry and physics. With limited ingredients – cacao beans, cocoa butter, cane sugar – each aspect of the method enhances the unique character of a cacao bean.
Mark named his chocolate passion after another passion – his best friend and wife Maribea (pronounced "merry bee")! After years of encouraging feedback on his homemade dark chocolate, Mark decided to turn his hobby into a business and opened Maribea in 2018. In 2019, he brought on Meredith Horton to take over the chocolate-making process for Maribea. He taught her everything he knew and she quickly learned the art and science of making bean-to-bar chocolate herself. Even though Mark does not do much of the chocolate making anymore, he is still heavily involved in every step of the process.
Before starting a batch of chocolate with a new origin of bean, Meredith roasts samples of the bean at various times and temperatures. These samples are then evaluated for taste, so she can determine how each bean will be roasted in a way that best complements its natural flavors.
Another thing that Meredith and Mark do when making each batch of chocolate is taste it at various points in the grinding process to determine if the batch needs to be aerated to allow volatile components out of the chocolate. This is an important step in getting the bitterness or acidic flavors out of the chocolate before it finishes grinding days later. After volatile components such as lactic acid have aerated out, the lid of the melanger is secured to keep the remaining flavors inside the chocolate. The appearance, aroma, taste, and mouth-feel of the chocolate are all important in knowing when the chocolate is ready and at its peak of perfection.
Most bars are 72% cacao, because through Mark’s years of chocolate experimentation, he realized that that amount of sugar was just enough to complement the flavors of the beans without being overly sweet. However, each bean is treated individually and only the amount of sugar necessary to bring out the best flavors in each bean is used. So you might find a 60% Tabasco, Mexico bar available in their shop, because for that bean, a little extra sugar brings out a world of new flavors that are not present in a 72% bar.
Maribea chocolate takes pride in its commitment to high-quality ingredients, minimal sugar and processing, unique chocolate flavor, and artisanal packaging. All aspects of Maribea chocolate come together for a pleasurable, guilt-free chocolate experience that will leave you appreciating dark chocolate like never before.
Thanks to its rich, sweet taste, chocolate is one of the most popular treats in the world. If you adhere to a strict diet due to health or dietary needs, you may wonder how to find chocolate vegan options or vegetarian chocolate. Vegan chocolate has grown in popularity as more people become conscious of helping the environment and avoiding animal cruelty.
Is chocolate vegan friendly? Keep reading to learn more about the kinds of chocolate available for vegans.
Is chocolate vegan? To answer this question, it helps to know the origins of chocolate. It comes from the Theobroma cacao tree, which means that in its purest form, chocolate is plant-based.
Cacao beans are harvested from pods that grow on the cacao tree. The beans are then fermented, dried, roasted, ground up and melted into chocolate liquor, which is a paste that is then separated into cocoa butter and cocoa solids.
Various combinations of cocoa butter and cocoa solids are used to create unique colors and flavors of chocolate, including sweet, bittersweet or semisweet, milk and white chocolate.
Chocolate is non-vegan when it is made with animal products such as dairy milk. Some natural flavors that are added to chocolate are tested on animals, so vegans should avoid them as well.
White and milk chocolate and some dark chocolate usually contain dairy milk. In recent years, some craft chocolate makers have created milk chocolate for vegans using coconut milk, oat milk and cashew milk. It is important to read the ingredients list to determine which chocolate is vegan.
If you want to know what chocolate can vegans eat, you need to know which non-vegan ingredients to look for in a chocolate bar. Milk is the most obvious non-vegan ingredient. Milk derivatives, such as cream, casein, whey and lactose, are used as fillers. Other fillers, such as lecithin, are made from egg products.
Biscuits and caramel are often added to chocolate and most likely contain butter. Even some butter substitutes are not vegan friendly. Bacon has become a popular addition to many treats, including chocolate.
Chocolate contains sugar in some form or another. Some refined sugar may be bleached using charred animal bones. Sugar labeled “USDA-certified organic” has not come into contact with animals, but it can be difficult to know what kind of sugar is used in a pre-made product. The best way to be certain is to look for chocolate labeled “vegan” or find chocolate with cocoa mass and organic sugar like Cococlectic’s craft bean-to-bar chocolates that have only three ingredients—cacao beans, organic sugar and cocoa butter.
If you’re wondering, can vegans eat chocolate, the answer is yes! When pursuing vegan chocolate options, check the list of ingredients carefully. Look for chocolate bars with a minimal amount of ingredients. The fewer the ingredients, the purer the chocolate.
What is vegan chocolate? High-quality dark chocolate with a cacao content of 50 percent or more indicates a higher chocolate content and is a great option for vegans. Nuts, dried fruit, and mint are vegan-friendly additions.
What is vegan chocolate made of? Vegan chocolate ingredients are those that do not come from animals. A typical vegan chocolate bar should include chocolate liquor, sugar (organic), cocoa butter and vanilla. Some craft chocolate brands add the “Certified Vegan” logo to make their vegan treats easy to identify.
Some chocolate makers use honey to sweeten their products. They look for honey sourced from ethical beekeeping practices. However, since bees cannot consent to giving humans their honey, this means honey technically is not vegan. Honey falls into a gray area, but many vegans eat it when they can confirm that ethical beekeeping practices are maintained.
Is milk chocolate vegan? Milk chocolate made with dairy milk is not, of course, but some craft chocolate makers have discovered how to make delectable milk chocolate without the dairy.
“In my personal life, I try to reduce dairy and animal-based products,” Angela Pfleiderer, chocolate maker, said. “I guess I'm something between a vegetarian and vegan because of environmental reasons and consuming meat is weird to me. There was never a thought of making a regular milk chocolate because I was already trying to reduce dairy in my personal life, so why start with it in my chocolate life? Additionally, I thought of it like a challenge. Would I be able to create a vegan milk chocolate? Or do you really need dairy for it? Turns out, no need for dairy!”
Vegan chocolate doesn’t taste the same as classic milk chocolate, but dairy-free options such as coconut milk, oat milk, cashew milk and hazelnut butter can give it a creamy texture.
“I never saw any reason to make chocolate that wasn't vegan,” Johnny Epps of Odyssey Chocolate said. “I have never had a single customer complain about my chocolate not having milk powder. What I do get are people that are more sensitive to bitterness or people who just prefer a bit more sugar. They'll ask me if I make a milk chocolate, and I'll give them my 50 percent Monster bar to try that has extra sugar, a little vanilla and more cocoa butter to smooth it out. This has never failed to satisfy the milk chocolate lover. It's not milk powder that people want—they have just come to associate it with sweet chocolate. At the end of the day, choosing to forgo milk in your chocolate is better for the animals, your health, the shelf life of your chocolate, keeps from cross contamination issues, opens up your chocolate to people with allergies and of course makes a better tasting chocolate free from the tongue-coating properties of the milk powder which can hinder you from tasting the chocolate as well.”
The chocolates at Cococlectic are vegan, non-GMO, fair-trade and ethically sourced. They do not contain any soy, gluten, dairy or nut, but they may be produced in a facility that handles these ingredients.
Cococlectic features a different American small-batch bean-to-bar chocolate maker each month. These chocolate makers passionately make chocolate bars from scratch using only three main ingredients: cacao beans, sugar and cocoa butter.
Cococlectic offers an extensive assortment and variety of chocolates or gift boxes containing vegan chocolates. Sign up for a chocolate-of-the-month subscription club and join us for a free virtual chocolate tasting with our featured chocolate maker of the month.
]]>To Ben and Becca Snyder, chocolate is a special experience that should brighten the day of whomever it comes across.
Hence, they started Lumineux Chocolate for that exact purpose – to brighten the day of the customer through the transformative power of chocolate. Their careers began in the restaurant industry, specifically in the pastry department; Ben as a pastry chef and Becca as a baker. Working with chocolate every day sparked a discussion of what could happen if they created their own artisan chocolate.
Starting off with no first-hand experience creating chocolate, their first batch was a 70% Ivory Coast dark chocolate. Though the batch was a little rough around the edges and underwhelming in flavor, the potential was exciting. It sparked in them the desire to continue trying to bring to life cocoa beans that were underused and left behind, but had a flavor so distinctly their own.
They continued to press on, through trial and error, to create a chocolate that would be distinctive. They started off with a single 8 pound refiner, cracking and tempering by hand. Starting off small and crafting by hand strengthened the passion they had for artisan chocolate.
Lumineux Chocolate chooses to work only with African and Asian beans. The distinctive qualities move from bold, punchy fruit flavors of a Tanzanian bean to the rich, luxurious brownie notes of a bean from Ghana. Currently, Lumineux Chocolate focuses on single-origin bars with a few inclusion bars. These bars showcase the beautiful and diverse flavors of the beans from Africa and Asia.
Have you ever wondered about the history of chocolate? Where did chocolate come from? Who was the inventor of chocolate? Chocolate history goes back several millennia, but it wasn’t until the 1800s that the edible chocolate treat we know and love today was created.
So what is the history of chocolate? Keep reading to learn more.
Chocolate really does grow on trees—the Theobroma cacao tree, to be precise. The cacao tree is native to Central and South America and can grow in any tropical climate. Today, about 70 percent of cacao is grown in Africa.
The cacao tree produces a football-shaped fruit (or pod) that grows on branches and the trunk and can make up to 2,000 pods per year. Inside the pods is a sticky white pulp surrounding 30 to 40 seeds. If eaten straight from the pod, the seeds are extremely bitter.
Where was chocolate discovered? The first cacao trees were found over 4,000 years ago in ancient Mesoamerica (present day Mexico) and in Central America. The ancient Olmec people in southeast Mexico were probably the first ones to use chocolate. Their word, “kakawa,” gives us our word for cacao.
Are you curious about when was chocolate invented? In 1828, Coenraad Van Houten invented the chocolate press and brought chocolate making into the modern era. Cacao beans were roasted and then placed into the chocolate press, where cocoa butter was squeezed out. A fine cocoa powder was left behind and mixed with liquids and poured into a mold, where it solidified into an edible bar of chocolate.
You may be wondering who invented chocolate and where was chocolate invented. The modern chocolate bar was invented by Joseph Fry in England in 1847. He mixed cocoa butter with cocoa powder and added sugar instead of hot water to create a solid chocolate that could be molded.
By 1868, William Cadbury marketed boxes of chocolate candies in England to high praise from Queen Victoria, who was certain of chocolate’s life-enriching qualities. Milk chocolate was introduced a few years later in Switzerland in 1875 by Daniel Peter and Henri Nestle when they added condensed milk to solid chocolate.
In 1879, the invention of the conch machine by Rudolphe Lindt ensured the smooth consistency of chocolate that we know and love today.
Chocolate is known as the “food of the gods,” and for most of its history chocolate was a drink prepared by inhabitants of Central America rather than the solid treat we know today. The long history of chocolate really started with the Mayans, who used cacao beans as currency and in religious rituals. They also created xocoatl, a chocolate drink made from roasted and ground cacao seeds mixed with chilies, water and cornmeal.
Centuries later, in 1502, inhabitants of Honduras offered a gift of cacao beans to Spanish conquistador, Christopher Columbus. When Hernando Cortés arrived in Mexico in 1519, he expected to find gold but was offered cacao beans by the Aztecs. In 1528, Cortés imported chocolate to Europe, where it was used as a medicine.
The flavor and nuances of chocolate depend on the quality and origin of the cocoa beans used to make it. The best chocolate beans come from Venezuela, Brazil, the Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Central America and the Caribbean.
Craft bean-to-bar chocolate is made from scratch with a focus on quality. Starting with the way cacao beans are harvested (carefully, by hand, and using a machete) and ending by wrapping to retain freshness, the craft bean-to-bar process places a strong emphasis on sourcing transparency and the flavor of the cacao beans. This is the type of chocolate Cococlectic features in the monthly subscription and virtual chocolate tastings.
French chocolates are known as some of the best in the world because the French government prohibits the use of any vegetable or animal fat in French chocolate. French chocolates must contain at least 43 percent cocoa liquor and a minimum of 26 percent pure cocoa butter.
One of the most popular modern chocolates is Ferrero Rocher, which was introduced to Europe in 1982 by the Italian chocolatier. These world-famous chocolates consist of whole roasted hazelnuts surrounded by a thin wafer shell, covered in milk chocolate, and topped with chopped hazelnuts.
Ruby chocolate, a pink chocolate developed by Barry Callebaut, hit the market in 2018. This whole fruit chocolate uses 100 percent of the cacao bean, which is a valuable selling point when promoting to Millennials and Centennials who are interested in sustainability and protecting the environment.
The National Confectioners Association (NCA) reported that 92 percent of consumers purchased chocolate between March 15 and September 6, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The US chocolate market is expected to continue growing and to exceed $20 billion by 2025.
At Cococlectic, we feature a different American small-batch bean-to-bar chocolate maker each month. These craft chocolate makers produce chocolate from scratch using only three main ingredients: cacao beans, sugar and cocoa butter. The chocolates at Cococlectic are vegan, non-GMO, fair-trade and ethically sourced. They do not contain any soy, gluten, dairy or nut, but they may be produced in a facility that handles these ingredients.
Sign up for our chocolate-of-the-month subscription club and join us for a free virtual chocolate tasting with our featured chocolate maker of the month.
]]>For years, there has been an ongoing debate—is white chocolate really chocolate? White chocolate was labeled a confection rather than chocolate because it doesn’t contain cocoa solids, the part of the cocoa bean that gives dark and milk chocolate its color and flavor. But most chocolate connoisseurs agree that the best white chocolate is, in fact, chocolate when it’s made to a high standard.
So what is white chocolate? Keep reading to learn more about this tasty treat.
You may be wondering who invented white chocolate since it is a relatively modern creation when compared to dark and milk chocolate. Nestlé developed white chocolate in Switzerland in 1936 by using up excess milk powder that had been produced for World War I and was no longer in demand.
Nestlé called their new creation Milkybar. It was introduced in both the UK and Switzerland at the same time, where it was called Galak. Both versions are still on the market today.
In the 1980s, Nestlé introduced the Milkybar with Almonds in the United States. The candy bar met with huge success but has since been discontinued.
Cocoa butter, which is colorless, and cocoa beans are separated during processing, and only cocoa butter is used to make white chocolate. This gives it a light color.
In addition, cocoa butter is often bleached with clay minerals that absorb color. It is then deodorized through a steam distillation system that reduces the volatile compounds that give white chocolate its scent. Cocoa butter is expensive, and many large-scale manufacturers add fillers such as vegetable oil to deodorized cocoa butter to reduce the cost.
If a white chocolate bar is bright white, it has been bleached and probably deodorized. High-quality craft white chocolate is not bleached or deodorized and has a yellowish tint because cocoa butter is naturally yellow.
What is in white chocolate? White chocolate consists of cocoa butter, milk solids and sugar. It sometimes also consists of vanilla and lecithin. It does not contain caffeine. Cocoa butter is the fat from cocoa beans and is extracted during the process of making chocolate and cocoa powder.
What is white chocolate according to the FDA? The agency states white chocolate must contain at least 20 percent cocoa butter, 14 percent total milk solids, 3.5 percent milk fat and no more than 55 percent sweetener.
According to craft chocolate makers, white chocolate is “real” chocolate because it contains cocoa butter, which solidifies at room temperature just as cocoa solids do.
“In this debate, it's important to remember that chocolate isn't cacao—it's merely a fat-based product containing cacao that melts around body temperature,” William Marx of Wm. Chocolate said. “In that respect, white chocolate should be called chocolate because it checks all of these boxes.”
Robbie, the head chocolate maker for Ritual Chocolate, explained, “Any food can be made poorly or made well. White chocolate can be made well, usually high quality ingredients, but more often than not it's made as an industrial product with unwholesome ingredients. It's not a matter of if white chocolate is truly chocolate—it's white chocolate. The same could be asked of cheap, industrial style dark chocolate—’is it true dark chocolate?’ Technically maybe, but from a quality perspective, it's just garbage. White chocolate made from good ingredients, like nice single origin cocoa butter, local/organic/free range milk powder, organic cane sugar and high quality whole vanilla bean is truly a high quality food—it's not dark chocolate, but it's mostly pretty wholesome.”
Are you wondering how white chocolate is made?
The cacao bean contains about 54 percent cocoa butter, a natural fat which is the foundation of all chocolate. To make cocoa butter, cocoa beans are ground up to create chocolate liquor, a chocolate paste. Heavy-duty presses can further process and separate chocolate liquor into either cocoa butter or cocoa solids that are then ground to make cocoa powder.
Making white chocolate uses up excess cocoa butter from chocolate production. You can learn how to make white chocolate at home. If you don’t like the sweetness and vanilla taste of store-bought white vanilla, try experimenting with other flavors such as ginger or orange.
You can find white chocolate recipes online, including this one by Stef Pollack from the Cupcake Project: To make white chocolate, melt 2 ounces of cocoa butter in the microwave until completely liquified. Stir in 1/3 cup of powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of milk powder (or soy milk powder for a vegan version). Add flavorings like ginger or vanilla and stir thoroughly until all the ingredients have completely dissolved. Pour the mixture into molds and refrigerate until cool.
Cococlectic features only dark chocolate in our subscription boxes, but we can recommend where to buy white chocolate from two of our craft makers, ChocolateSpiel and BOHO Chocolate.
Angela Pfleiderer of ChocolateSpiel tried for almost two years to make plant-based white chocolate before finding a good replacement for the milk powder. Once she found a solution, she was able to release her white chocolate matcha bars.
BOHO Chocolate began making white chocolate in 2018. They currently produce a white chocolate lemon olive oil bar and a turmeric swirl bar, both of which have won bronze medals from the International Chocolate Awards.
Cococlectic features a different American small-batch bean-to-bar chocolate maker each month. These chocolate makers passionately make chocolate bars from scratch using only three main ingredients: cacao beans, sugar and cocoa butter. The chocolates at Cococlectic are vegan, non-GMO, fair-trade and ethically sourced. They do not contain any soy, gluten, dairy or nut, but they may be produced in a facility that handles these ingredients.
We only sell dark chocolate bars in the chocolate shop, but if you want a chocolate box with a mix of other chocolate bars, you can purchase the Office Box.
Sign up for our chocolate-of-the-month subscription club and join us for a free virtual chocolate tasting with our featured chocolate maker of the month.
]]>When most people hear the word “chocolate,” undoubtedly, they find their mouths begin to water. Chocolate is undeniably loved all over the world by everyone of all ages. However, there is more than one kind of chocolate.
The different types of chocolate are distinguished by the percentage of cocoa mass (chocolate liquor and cocoa butter, both derived from the cacao bean) it contains and the overall percentage of sugar, milk solids and other ingredients.
Now, the question is—what are the different kinds of chocolate? Continue reading to find the types of chocolates available.
To create this type of chocolate, a combination of cocoa solids, sugar and sometimes additional cocoa butter is used. Adding lecithin, which serves as an emulsifier, and vanilla for a whisper of flavor is absolutely not necessary, but some chocolate makers do include them in their recipe. The amount of cocoa used in this kind of chocolate will generally range from 60 percent upward. Dark chocolate contains the most antioxidants, theobromine and is considered a superfood.
While most of the other varieties on this chocolate types list contain a certain percentage of cocoa solids, white chocolate does not contain any cocoa solids. Instead, this type of chocolate relies only on cocoa butter. Because it contains only cocoa butter, white chocolate doesn't offer a very chocolatey taste but is more along the lines of a smooth and creamy vanilla. The ratios for white chocolate are typically a minimum of 20 percent cocoa butter, a maximum of 55 percent sugar and around 15 percent solids from milk. White chocolate does not contain theobromine.
This kind of chocolate is perhaps the most widely known type. Milk chocolate is much sweeter than its counterparts like bittersweet chocolate and dark chocolate. This sweetness comes from 10 percent cocoa solids mixed with up to 90 percent sugar and milk solids. On the other hand, craft chocolate milk bars usually contain between 35 to 55 percent cocoa. This ratio of ingredients also gives milk chocolate a lighter color and offers a weaker chocolate taste.
Ruby chocolate is the latest and newest addition to the chocolate family. Introduced by Barry Callebaut in 2017, ruby chocolate is made up of ruby cocoa beans that give the chocolate its rosy hue. Ruby cocoa beans are not anything new; rather, this is the name given to the beans used to make ruby chocolate. Even though the chocolate has no berry content, there are those who say it has the flavor of white chocolate and berries.
Cocoa powder is made by cold-pressing raw cacao beans. It does not contain any sweetness. Cocoa powder is used in many recipes to produce a deep chocolate flavor. Cocoa powder has a lot of nutritional benefits that range from healthy digestion to lower blood pressure to reduced heart disease risk. Many use cocoa powder in baked goods.
Named after its creator, Samuel German, sweet German chocolate is dark chocolate used primarily in baking. Samuel German added sugar directly to the chocolate to make it convenient for bakers to use. This addition, in turn, made this variety sweeter than its counterpart, semi-sweet chocolate. It is this kind of chocolate that is used today in the German chocolate cake.
Semi-sweet chocolate contains around 60 percent cacao and has slightly more sugar than bittersweet chocolate. These different kinds of chocolate can be used interchangeably when baking, and semi-sweet chocolate is a popular choice widely used in many recipes because it works well with other ingredients. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), both types of chocolate must contain a minimum of 35 percent cocoa solids.
Bittersweet chocolate contains about 70 percent cacao and can be used instead of semi-sweet chocolate in any recipe. While these different types of chocolate must contain at least 35 percent cacao according to the FDA, most chocolate in this category contains a much higher percentage of cacao. Bittersweet chocolate has a rich flavor and smooth texture, making it ideal for baking.
Also referred to as baking chocolate, it is just as the name implies—unsweetened. Unsweetened chocolate is pure chocolate liquor created from ground cocoa beans and poured into bars. It is referred to as baking chocolate because it is used in recipes where it is combined with butter or cream to smooth out the consistency and sweetener is added. In its simplest form, it is not very tasty, and it is not intended to be consumed in its solitary form. However, it can add a deeper, richer chocolate flavor to a recipe when combined with other ingredients. It is also the base for the creation of several different chocolate types.
Because this type of chocolate contains a much higher percentage of cocoa butter than the other types of chocolate on this list, it tends to be more expensive (craft chocolate not included). Couverture chocolate offers a lower melting point due to the high cocoa butter content, and it melts evenly. This lower melting point makes it the perfect choice when needing chocolate to temper well or to make candies. It also comes in different chocolate varieties, such as milk, white, and dark.
Vegan chocolate is created without ingredients sourced from animals. For example, high-quality bean-to-bar dark chocolate can be considered vegan chocolate. To ensure that the chocolate is, in fact, vegan, it is essential to make sure that the cacao content is at least 55 percent or higher and that organic sugar is used. Non-organic sugar is filtered through bone char.
Cococlectic is a chocolate-of-the-month subscription club. We feature vegan, non-GMO, fair-trade and ethically sourced dark chocolate that’s made by American craft chocolate makers. Chocolate do not contain soy, gluten, dairy or nuts, but it may be produced in a facility that handles these ingredients. Their products contain only cocoa beans, sugar and sometimes cocoa butter.
Cococlectic sells only dark chocolate in their online chocolate shop, where you can purchase different types of chocolate from the best craft chocolate makers here in the United States. If you want a chocolate box with other bars, purchase the Office Box.
]]>The US ranks in the top ten for chocolate consumption, and Cococlectic, a craft bean-to-bar chocolate club, supplies chocolate to consumers with its chocolate subscription box and virtual tastings.
Here are twelve interesting facts about chocolate that may surprise you.
Technically, chocolate is a fruit. Cocoa beans are seeds found in cocoa pods, a fruit of the Theobroma cacao tree. After these seeds are fermented and dried (at the region), roasted and then conched (at the chocolate factory), cocoa solids and cocoa butter are created and used to make chocolate.
However, the FDA has declared chocolate a vegetable. Milk chocolate must contain 10 percent chocolate liquor, at least 3.39 percent milkfat, and at least 12 percent milk solids.
White chocolate contains cocoa butter, milk solids, and sugar, but not cocoa solids. FDA guidelines state white chocolate must contain 20 percent cocoa butter, at least 14 percent total milk solids, at least 3.5 percent milkfat, and less than 55 percent nutritive carbohydrate sweetener. Anything else is not white chocolate.
Craft chocolate makers disagree. Their consensus is cocoa butter comes from the cocoa bean, and that makes it chocolate.
An interesting fact about chocolate history is that Joseph Fry of England created the first chocolate bar in 1847. He molded it using a paste made of sugar, chocolate liquor, and cocoa butter.
Melting points vary by type of chocolate. Dark chocolate melts between 114-118 degrees Fahrenheit, while milk chocolate melts between 105-113 degrees Fahrenheit.
Milk chocolate originated in Switzerland with Daniel Peter, who changed the flavor of chocolate by adding dried milk powder to chocolate.
Some cool facts about chocolate are that the Aztecs believed cocoa beans were more valuable than gold, and they used them as currency to buy food and other goods.
The word “chocolate” comes from the Aztec word, “cacahuatl” or “xocolatl”
Chocolate is one of several foods with a name that comes from a Native American language. The word cocoa comes from the Aztec word “cacahuatl,” and “xocolatl” was a chocolate drink.
A milk chocolate bar has about 20 milligrams of caffeine. On average, people consume about 110 to 260 milligrams of caffeine every day. For comparison, consuming 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is considered high.
Here are some facts about chocolate’s health benefits: Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants, which help fight inflammation and protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals. One study showed cocoa and dark chocolate had more antioxidants than any other fruits tested, which included blueberries and acai berries.
Dark chocolate interesting facts show it can reduce the risk of heart disease. It contains heart-healthy nutrients that reduce inflammation and increase levels of “good” HDL cholesterol that prevent plaque buildup in the arteries.
It may surprise you to learn these interesting chocolate facts: Cocoa beans contain more than 300 compounds that are beneficial to health, and dark chocolate contains minerals such as potassium, zinc, selenium and iron. In moderation, chocolate can be part of a balanced diet. Build chocolate into your daily calorie count so you can enjoy a treat guilt free.
Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a chemical that encourages the brain to release dopamine and endorphins. Dopamine creates a feeling of pleasure and motivation, and endorphins induce a feeling of euphoria and reduces stress.
Cococlectic sells only dark chocolate in their online chocolate shop, where you can purchase different types of chocolate from the best craft chocolate makers making bean-to-bar chocolates here in the United States. To receive a variety of chocolate selections, choose the Office Box. Cococlectic features vegan, non-GMO, fair-trade and ethically sourced chocolate. Their chocolate does not contain soy, gluten, dairy or nuts, but it may be produced in a facility that handles these ingredients. Their products contain only cocoa beans, sugar and sometimes cocoa butter.
]]>Triangle Roasters was started by four friends – Mikey, Jeana, Joy and Joe – who wanted to do something beautiful and meaningful in the world. They see chocolate and coffee as a relationship, and imagine the connections between grower, maker and consumer forming a connected triangle where all three pathways are transparent and healthy. They love the opportunity to highlight the work of the growers, whose commitment to meticulous farming is the most critical step in making an exceptional chocolate bar or a great cup of coffee.
Experiences in grad school studying International Development, as well as living outside the US and coming into contact with coffee, cacao and farming communities ultimately led the team away from the non-profit sector into fulfilling their dream of starting a chocolate and coffee business. Their main focus and values are shared by many other small-batch chocolate makers – transparent trade, sustainability focused, deep care for neighbors both locally and internationally, and making some of the best chocolate in the world.
As head chocolate maker, Mikey has been waking up thinking about making chocolate since his first batch in 2010, though the chocolate-making process continues to be a team effort. After many late nights of experimentation on a home roaster and a homemade winnower, they remember the bright, fruity cranberry flavor in their first great bar. It was this bar that made them believe there was a future for Triangle.
Jeana, Triangle’s lead roaster, dials in each bean before processing begins and this is where they have noticed the biggest differentiator in their chocolate, from one sample to the next, and one maker to another. Being dual makers, they believe their expertise in coffee roasting and understanding roast profiles have helped them get the most delicious flavors out of each cacao bean. To them, each cacao bean is a treasure.
Triangle hopes to honor all the hard work that went into each bean by meticulously caring for it till its final destination in a bar of chocolate. In short, they care about people and flavor, and think that makes their chocolate stand out. If they make a chocolate available, it is because they love it and want others to share in the love!
Mmmm, chocolate. It’s so delicious, we all want to get the ultimate taste experience when we eat it. Whether you are hosting a chocolate tasting party or just want to get the very most out of your personal chocolate tasting, you always want to savor this delectable treat.
Believe it or not, there are guidelines on how to taste chocolate. This article will outline the best ways to taste chocolate so you can get a rich and creamy, flavorful experience every time.
Reading the chocolate bar wrapper will provide information on what to expect when you taste chocolate. Most craft chocolate bar wrappers will have tasting notes that will let you know exactly what you’re looking for as the chocolate melts on your tongue.
Reading the chocolate bar wrapper before buying the chocolate is also advisable. You can read the ingredients to make sure what you are purchasing is high quality and reasonably healthy.
Ideally the fewer ingredients, the better. Cacao bean and sugar is all you need to make great tasting chocolate. You don’t want much more added than these two essentials.
Tasting different chocolates will allow you to compare the nuances of each. It’s best to try four to six at a time but even tasting two side by side will give you a good frame of reference.
Taste chocolate bars with the highest cocoa content first. Lower cocoa content chocolate bars have higher sugar content which will coat your tongue and prevent you from tasting other flavors from the cacao bean.
Chocolate should never be stored in a refrigerator or in an excessively hot area. Rather, store it in a cool dry place, between 63 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Moisture and humidity will ruin the chocolate bar over time. It’s best to keep it in an airtight container. Let it get to 72 degrees F before tasting it for the best experience possible. Chocolate will melt at body temperature.
Look at the chocolate before eating it. The best chocolate will have a smooth and shiny surface. This means that the chocolate bars have been well tempered. (Stay tuned for another article on tempering.)
If the chocolate has been kept for a while, it may have white patches or a dusty look on the surface. This is called chocolate bloom. This means that the fat and sugars have risen to the top of the bar. It causes effects known as fat bloom and sugar bloom.
Fat bloom occurs when chocolate is exposed to temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmer temperature causes alterations in its fat crystals. The cocoa butter softens as a result, giving the entire bar a softer, mushier texture.
Sugar bloom happens when the chocolate comes into contact with moisture. The condensation that occurs causes crystals to form that result in the white patchy, dusty appearance.
A chocolate bar with fat and sugar bloom will still be safe to eat, but it might be gritty.
It’s a good idea to smell the chocolate bar before eating it. The aromas will indicate the taste you can expect. It will smell strongest at the edge where it has been broken/cut. For best results, rub the chocolate before smelling it.
The best chocolate will give off a loud snap sound when broken. This will indicate that it is a well made chocolate bar that has gone through the tempering process successfully.
When touching the chocolate, you will want to feel whether it is soft or hard. This will determine how quickly it will melt in your hand…or your mouth.
For an insightful touching experience, close your eyes and rub the chocolate between your fingers. Press it and bend it lightly to get an idea of the melting rate and resistance.
Now you are ready to taste the chocolate. Put the chocolate in your mouth. Close your eyes as the sweet melts and inhale through your nose before you swallow. This type of breathing will send the aroma through the nasal passages twice enhancing the flavor.
During the chocolate tasting experience, you will truly be able to enjoy the texture of the bar. While creaminess is terrific, a gritty bar can also have a complex, intense flavor.
The texture will indicate whether the chocolate bar has additional cocoa butter added to the recipe. You will also be able to tell how long the chocolate liquor (liquid chocolate that has been grounded up for hours and hours) has been conched for and at what rate.
The flavor of chocolate comes in waves. After 2 seconds, you will taste its sweetness. After five seconds, a bitterness will occur. After 3-9 seconds you may begin to detect salty and sour notes. Those who are not used to chocolate bars with a high cocoa content , will taste bitterness first. Take a second bite and the bitterness will slowly dissipate.
Not all chocolates are created equal so what you taste will differ from one chocolate bar to another. The taste varies according to the harvest year, because of its terroir.
This chocolate tasting guide serves as an excellent way for you and your family to make the most of this rich, luxurious treat. But to truly enjoy your chocolate, it's important to start with a great product with high quality ingredients.
At Cococlectic, we feature a different American small-batch bean-to-bar chocolate maker each month. These chocolate makers passionately make chocolate bars from scratch using only 3 main ingredients; cacao beans, sugar and cocoa butter. The chocolates we feature are vegan, non-GMO, fair-trade and ethically sourced. They do not contain any soy, gluten, dairy or nut, but they may be produced in a facility that handles these ingredients.
So what are you waiting for? Sign up for a chocolate-of-the-month subscription club and join us for a free virtual chocolate tasting with our featured chocolate maker of the month.
Learn more about our corporate virtual chocolate tastings. They are fun, interactive, delicious and hosted by a culinary professional.
Break off a piece of our Cococlectic bars and look forward to enjoying the ultimate chocolate tasting pleasure.
]]>The story of Odyssey Chocolate began in a moment of curiosity amongst a group of friends talking in a backyard in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As the flow of conversation changed from one topic to the next, one sentence would stand out in the memory of then 22-year-old Johnny Epps: “Cacao was only for the kings.” He wondered why that would be the case.
What was so special about chocolate that it would be reserved for a select few? Maybe there was something about chocolate that most aren’t aware of like some forgotten secret. So Johnny set off researching the native culture around cacao and the modern chemistry of the bean. He also began to experiment making chocolate drinks with freshly ground cacao nibs which he used as a coffee replacement in the morning.
All of this led him to conclude that there was something powerful about chocolate. This so-called “food of the gods” was uplifting and life changing. It could bring on a sort of “satori-like” experience.
Over the next few years, cacao would become a more and more integral part of his life. His interest in ancient drinking chocolate led him to the work of Mark Sciscenti, a chocolate historian and alchemist who at the time was working at Art of Chocolate in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Johnny interned with Cacao Santa Fe to learn more about these drinks and also began his journey into the world of bean-to-bar craft chocolate there. Derek Lanter, co-owner and chocolate maker at Art of Chocolate in Santa Fe, opened Johnny’s eyes to the vast variance to be found between different cacao from all over the world.
After a few months of traveling around the US to learn from different chocolate makers, the now 26-year-old Johnny moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, to start Odyssey Chocolate. The goal of Odyssey Chocolate is to make the most elegant, complex and rewarding chocolate while maintaining as much of the health benefits of the nibs as possible, which is why cocoa butter or dairy are never added, and sugar is kept to a complementary minimum.
Every bar from Odyssey is 100% vegan, although the Mesoamerican-inspired drinks Johnny serves up at the Charlottesville farmer’s markets stay true to the historical sweetener – a touch of honey. His range of chocolates is focused on being as diverse as possible, not just in location but in flavor. As an avid believer in the wonder that a new relationship with craft chocolate can bring on, he seeks to show undeniable differences between any of his two different origins.
The name Odyssey Chocolate is born from this idea, that in just a bite, one is transported to another place and with a second, the journey continues on to somewhere new. Odyssey Chocolate is like a storyteller, coaxing out the best in every bean. No one origin is treated exactly as the next, with roasting profiles, conch time, and sugar percentages changing from origin to origin. Johnny is very passionate about monitoring every step –from sourcing to packaging – and he says he won’t be satisfied until he brings home gold honors.
]]>Loon Chocolate’s journey for the last two and a half years has been a wild one, to say the least. It all started by chance when Scott Watson, owner of Loon Chocolate, was browsing through Netflix and came across a documentary that looked interesting and peaked his interest. He is a self-proclaimed foodie and loves diving into the backstories of things he enjoys most. The documentary was about a small coffeehouse somewhere in Southeast Asia that had a unique way of making coffee. The entire process was so detailed that it captivated Scott. He was instantly hooked when the coffeehouse explained how it also makes its own chocolate on-site.
Scott's internal gears started spinning and got him thinking. "How is chocolate made? What makes good chocolate, well…good? Who else is making craft chocolate, from bean to bar, in the US? Where can I get my hands on some?" A whole new world began to unfurl right before his eyes and a passion was ignited. Scott decided to try making chocolate from scratch.
Scott started experimenting with small batches after investing in some specialized equipment. The process was simple but demanded the utmost precision and care. He was hooked. He started reading and watching everything he could get his hands on to master the process of creating his own organic bean-to-bar chocolate bars. He studied the vocabulary and listened to the wisdom of John Nanci of Chocolate Alchemy fame, whom he nicknamed “The Godfather of Craft Chocolate”, in a nod to John’s wealth of information on craft chocolate.
Scott’s first batch was both a success and a disappointment. It had rich chocolate notes and was well tempered but the grind size was an issue. The texture was gritty and the sugar wasn’t properly broken down. Over time, after months of experimentation, he got the hang of things. The process finally allowed for Scott’s creativity and personal touches to be imprinted on the chocolate bars.
The craft chocolate movement reminded Scott of the way craft beer first hit the scene in the mid-90s. As the head brewer for a small, local brewery around the same era, he sees the parallels between both crafts and how the public gravitated towards them because of the quality and care used to produce them. He would often hear, “I don’t like dark beer but this is good!”. Chocolate also frequently receives the same response.
In March 2018, Loon Chocolate was born. Scott decided he needed to become a part of the chocolate-making community. His idea of creating high-quality chocolate through the shared dedication of the craft is what fuels his creations. He even got a mascot, a rescue puppy who is not only cute, but also serves as comic relief after some brutal 18-hour days!
]]>A single-origin cocoa roaster located in Bend, Oregon, Seahorse Chocolate's philosophy is simple: work closely with farmers, tailor roast each small batch to reveal hidden nuances and hand-wrap distinct varietals.
R.C. and Amanda Gartrell of Seahorse Chocolate didn’t start out as chocolate makers initially. They were in the coffee business for years. R.C. started out roasting in Portland and was Stumptown Coffee’s original roaster. After years of sourcing, coffee judging and coffee shops, they decided to take R.C.’s roasting knowledge and translate it to cocoa.
Back then, many bean-to-bar companies were not roasting beans themselves and not tailoring the roast to each origin, treating each varietal as an individual. So the couple set out to educate and fill a niche. Amanda has a history with wine, and combining both hers and R.C.'s knowledge led to the birth of Seahorse Chocolate. Cocoa, like wine and coffee, contains layered flavors which vary greatly depending on the region, soil, altitude, farmer and preparation. Roasting for each varietal requires meticulous skill in order to reveal each one's unique aspects. The Gartrell's goal is to inspire appreciation for single-origin cocoa.
When Seahorse decided to update their packaging this past year they realized there was so much opportunity to connect back to the values and passions the people in their company have. Through the design’s look and feel, they wanted to hint at some of those things and help nod to what Seahorse is all about.
“As we began to tweak the design, one theme that kept coming up was our love of music. You see, we haven’t always been chocolate roasters. Many of us have lived the life of couch-surfing touring musicians. Playing in bands as guitarist, drummers and singers. To say we’re audio-files is an understatement--music is as much a part of our lives as chocolate, water, or sunshine. So we asked ourselves, how can we share our appreciation for music with our customers without being kitschy or over the top… the result was simple and clever, if not obvious: color.
If you haven’t noticed already, each of our chocolate bars has a unique color--Red, Blue, Pink, etc. However, these aren't just color for color’s sake, and they aren't just any color. We chose these colors because they are the tones, hues, and shades of some of our favorite guitars. Our Honduras chocolate uses Fender’s Cadillac Pink, the Trinidad is a nod to Gibson’s Firebird Blue, and our Vietnam Ben Tre boasts a seafoam green we’ve seen on Fender’s famous Telecaster.
Something that caught our attention as we dove into the history behind the color of these famous guitars we are so fond of, was that many of those colors were actually directly copied from some of the guitar maker’s favorite cars: Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Buick… Isn’t that wild? The colors we drew inspiration from by way of many of our favorite guitars were many of the same colors the guitar makers we admired were fond of from car makers from which they drew their inspiration. It’s funny how things play out sometimes, but good to remember: just because it’s not original doesn’t make it any less special.
We hope as you enjoy the chocolate we’ve worked hard to source, roast, winnow and conche, you’ll find some inspiration and pass it along to someone you love.” ~Cheers~ R.C., Amanda, Ian, and the rest of the Seahorse Chocolate Team
Founded in 2011, Animas Chocolate & Coffee Company is run by husband-and-wife team Marc and Carley Snider. The inspiration to open a chocolate business came from an old (around 100 years old or more) family recipe book that Carley had found along the Animas River which contained a lot of chocolate recipes.
An avid baker and extreme lover of chocolate, Carley was looking for a new business to start. All of their products are named after elements found along the Animas River corridor. Their chocolate company tagline, “Lose your soul to chocolate”, is derived from the proper name of Animas River or Rio de las Animas Perdidas which translates as The River of Lost Souls.
Animas Chocolate & Coffee Company was started as a one-woman operation, operating out of a small rented corner of a commercial kitchen space. For the first 3 years, Carley made only chocolate confections using Belgian couverture for all her baking needs.
Marc and Carley started making bean-to-bar chocolate in 2014, with Marc as head chocolate maker and Carley as head chocolatier. They had long wanted to make their own chocolate, and by sheer luck, one of the owners of Dandelion Chocolate, who has relatives in Durango, visited their café. They shared with Carley and Marc about the chocolate-making basics including where to get their equipment as during that time, it was pretty difficult to source for small-scale equipment.
From there, Marc and Carley started experimenting with chocolate and reading up on chocolate making as much as they could. Both of them have completed several courses through Ecole Chocolate, which was a great resource, but beyond that, they were self-taught.
When we asked Marc to tell us more about their chocolate-making process, he elucidated, “We have been pretty lucky and haven’t had any epic failures. Obviously, we get better with each batch, but overall, everything has turned out pretty well. We had the usual fiascos of over-pushing the melangeur and seizing it up, spinning chocolate all over the place, but hopefully, those days are mostly behind us.
“We conduct weekly tastings with our staff. We try our chocolates, other people’s chocolates, comparing and contrasting the two in greater detail. It doesn’t matter about the origin, technique, process, creativity, etc. if the chocolate doesn’t taste good.
“We source for high-quality ingredients and are extremely precise with the tempering process. We strive to maintain a consistent methodology in our process so that the only difference people taste is the inherent taste of the cacao. Our Highline bars are all made using the same exact process (roasting, grinding, conching, etc.) so the only difference in the final bars is the natural flavor notes that each bean/region brings.”
ChocolateSpiel takes its name from the German word for “game” or “play” which perfectly describes what the chocolate company is all about – playing and creating with chocolate!
Founder Angela Pfleiderer combined her background of chemical engineering with the delicious world of bean-to-bar chocolate when she discovered her love for chocolate in 2016, after moving from Germany to Seattle.
In Germany, she used to work as a Chemical Engineer and developed paints. During a tour at Theo’s Chocolate Factory, she realized that chocolate and paints are made with very similar machines, and that blew her away! That experience was the first time she thought about working with chocolate. A couple of weeks later, she stumbled into her first job as a chocolate maker. She learned how to make chocolate from cacao beans, and created fun and interesting truffle combinations. After 2 years working for someone else, she decided to start her own chocolate company and that is how ChocolateSpiel began.
In an interview with Angi, she told us her story: "I have always loved chocolate and baking, especially the combination. When I moved to the US, one of the first things I wanted to make was brownies. I thought great, it can’t be too hard to find the ingredients at a grocery store, right?
“In the grocery store, I was shocked that I could only find a handful (about 5 to 10) of different chocolate bars. In Germany, I would find at least 30 different bars. Without thinking much, I grabbed a bar that seemed most popular. Happy with my first all-alone-grocery-shopping-
“A couple of months later, my husband got me a Fruition Chocolate Bar Sampler for Christmas. I liked some of the bars a lot, but other bars confused me because I didn’t know what to make out of it. Over time, I learned that chocolate that tastes like chocolate is great, but additionally, I learned that there’s a whole playground of flavors and textures.
“Honestly, I was a bit intimidated by the bean-to-bar community at first. There’s so much to learn and know. So when I decided to start ChocolateSpiel, I wanted to make it fun. I started out without any colors, but soon added colors into one of my bars and I saw the light in my customers’ eyes when they saw it. The sparkly, powerful and fun colors helped me build a bridge between bean-to-bar chocolate and my customers, making it less intimidating and more playful."
Sweet Minou Chocolate has had a long, winding and bilingual road.
Chocolate maker Rebecca Ankenbrand grew up in the Midwest with rather more imagination than gourmet experience. With a childhood filled with reading mysteries, dancing to Madonna, plus a fascination with electronics, eventually, one intrigue led to another and she found herself faced with: dark chocolate – its history, its mystery, its real people.
Long hours were spent online researching this shapely passion while French homework was ignored. Discovery started with the corner stores and their weak offerings of 70 percent and higher dark chocolate. But she always just needed more. Wherever there was a whiff of dark chocolate, she would find it, taste it, try to understand it and its place in the world.
And then the real joy started when she was able to order her first cocoa beans, and eventually a battery of equipment, from Chocolate Alchemy. She roasted the first beans any way she could – burning them in the oven, burning them on the stovetop, and even burning them in a Dutch oven on top of a portable propane range outside (her parents were verging on asthma attacks from the fumes). But she persisted.
Everything was a subtle development, every taste of cacao an education. Even now when she roasts, 10 years later, each taste is like the first taste. Every single hot cocoa bean cracked and sampled is another world, and an old friend. Working with the same origins and people through the years had developed into a secure and yet subtly exciting love.
Several years after her introduction to raw cacao, after having taught English in France, Rebecca returned to Nebraska to finish her studies, which always included a good portion of avoidance thanks to small-batch chocolate making in her tiny apartment. She lived and loved in French and English, but also in chocolate. Out of all this time between countries and cultures, languages and literatures, boxed mac and cheese and baguettes, Sweet Minou (Sweet Pussycat) was born when the cafe she had been working for decided to take her (and all the whirly gadgets) on as head chocolate maker for Nebraska’s first bean-to-bar chocolate company.
Rebecca soon graduated from the small 10 lb melangeurs to a large one where she churns 65 lb batches, one per week. She loves the way the chocolate-making process is a bit like spinning plates; at any moment there is roasting, winnowing, grinding, tempering and wrapping to do in an infinite continuation.
Chris: "The taste of the chocolate makes it all worth it.” This post provides two key pieces of information about his inspiration and his journey.
]]>Chris Kopek, owner and chocolate maker of Lirio Chocolate, fell in love with chocolate in 2017. He worked in the tech industry for 13 years before finding chocolate. A self-proclaimed foodie, he has always loved unique foods and flavors.
Traditionally, Chris would avoid dark chocolate because he found it bland or bitter. However, things changed when he had the opportunity to taste bean-to-bar chocolate in North Carolina for the first time. The dark chocolate was full of flavor, something he never thought was possible. As there wasn’t access to high-quality, locally made craft chocolate in Knoxville, his love for sharing how chocolate can really taste, combined with the lack of local options available led him to start this chocolate adventure. The company, Lirio, is motivated by his daughter, who has been his inspiration behind the company due to her love of chocolate and coffee as a young child.
Chris learned how to make chocolate online through other makers and watching how-to videos. Making chocolate first started as a hobby in his home kitchen. During his first attempt, he roasted beans in his home oven, cracked them with a rolling pin, blew the husk away with a hairdryer, and attempted to “refine” them in a Vitamix blender.
Chris’s first batch was Akesson, Madagascar. It was awful, he recalls, as he over-roasted the beans and under refined them. They were all bitter and acidic. His next round wasn’t much better. Again, he over-roasted the Porcelana beans and ruined all their nuanced flavors. In those early rough days, his wife was his official taste tester. “I feel sorry for her,” says Chris, with humor in his voice.
Lirio Chocolate is founded on four key principles: Bold Flavor, Single Origin, Bean-to-Bar, and Minimal Ingredients. Within these principles, the one key element that ties them together is ethical practices. It is critical that Lirio not only produces chocolate bars that have great unique flavors, but that it also sources beans from ethical farmers.
Chris uses a lot of small table-top equipment, with several pieces hacked together like his winnower. The part he enjoys the most is getting beans from a new origin and discovering their flavors, figuring out how to maximize certain notes while minimizing others.
Chris’ mission is very similar to Cococlectic’s and that is finding new origins and new flavors with different origins, drawing more people to exploring craft chocolate. For Chris, the most challenging part about making chocolate is learning how to fine-tune the flavors and quality for consistency, batch over batch, knowing that every harvest will be different.
“The fun part about making chocolate is there are challenges and opportunities to learn, from running a business to branding and packaging, but, in the end, the taste of the chocolate makes it all worth it,” shares Chris.
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