tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post4364126099547098613..comments2011-02-03T01:03:16.796-08:00Stefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01248736087756634030noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-45479010901026951652008-07-12T08:02:00.000-07:002008-07-12T08:02:00.000-07:00Matt B: Yes. High quality producers of chocolate have their own problems as far as shortages as well. First off, there is the constant fighting over who gets what beans. While many of the chocolate makers know each other in some degree or another, everybody is very territorial about what beans they are using and who they are working with. Even so, people are always ready to "poach" someone else's beans -- simply because there aren't that many to be had.<BR/><BR/>Additionally, many of the shortages you mention come from diseases to which cocoa is highly susceptible. Because of that, many farmers are tempted by the large chocolate companies and government agencies alike into tearing out the native varieties of trees and replacing them with hybrids (such as CCN51) that are supposed to be more disease resistant. As a result, the fine flavor cocoas are slowly disappearing. Not only is a long genetic heritage lost but it results in cocoa/chocolate that tastes very much the same -- no matter where it is from. (Though you do get some variation due to local growing conditions.)<BR/><BR/>I firmly believe (and this is an unbiased opinion believe it or not), that it is the roll of the fine artisanal chocolate makers to help preserve these native varieties. If we don't do it, nobody will -- because the large chocolate makers surely won't.<BR/><BR/>-Artarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768551577356630644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-5563505428619690622008-07-12T07:48:00.000-07:002008-07-12T07:48:00.000-07:00Gina : You bring up a good question. The answer is ... It depends. They will often let you bring cocoa in without it being treated provided that it will be used right away. This is the same with most food-stuffs since allowing food to sit around will surely attract critters. Flour is a very good point of comparison -- it is fine unless you let it sit around for too long then it can attract (or eggs that were dormant will hatch) and then you have an insect problem. There are many ways to treat cocoa. Sometimes you can simply freeze it or heat it (to 120 degrees). Alternatively, there are special gasses that are sometimes used to treat it. These (unlike fogging agents) are gasses in the same way carbon-dioxide that we all exhale is a gas. Thus when the gas disapates, it is completely gone leaving no residue or chemical changes to the cocoa. But if you work with farmers that really know what they are doing, all this can typically be avoided.<BR/><BR/>-Art<BR/>Amano Artisan Chocolatearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768551577356630644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-33965686193814996512008-07-11T21:44:00.000-07:002008-07-11T21:44:00.000-07:00Although chocolate is surely a divine thing, it's interesting to see how it must pass through so many hands on its way to existence. The meeting of the sacred and the profane.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04624053211111153893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-15675223281095532442008-07-11T21:31:00.000-07:002008-07-11T21:31:00.000-07:00Very interesting about how you travel the world to find the proper beans, and are working with farmers to get the correct process needed for your chocolate.Michele P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12378360564649821012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-15269609268518852442008-07-11T17:29:00.000-07:002008-07-11T17:29:00.000-07:00It's amazing how much hard work goes into a product that we usually take for granted.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02709936607140287680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-84857894888017622932008-07-11T15:14:00.000-07:002008-07-11T15:14:00.000-07:00It's amazing the amount of work they go to bring us chocolate. Great interview!Half Bakedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12442227016558089720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-77210833570949897252008-07-11T13:31:00.000-07:002008-07-11T13:31:00.000-07:00This has really been an education. Can I ever eat a mass produced chocolate again?marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621368663884605097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-64339952541367952342008-07-11T11:33:00.000-07:002008-07-11T11:33:00.000-07:00Wow...after all they go through to bring us their amazing chocolate, it makes that much better!Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07804762556875055264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-86498048539353420322008-07-11T10:54:00.000-07:002008-07-11T10:54:00.000-07:00I've been hearing a lot about chocolate shortages and crop problems around the world - is that a problem for small producers like you too?Matt Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08245486837498826393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-64236560500334053152008-07-11T10:01:00.000-07:002008-07-11T10:01:00.000-07:00There's so much that goes into the simple bar of chocolate we buy - who woulda thunk it!?!?Reneéhttp://alittledabwilldoya.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-30118903720585214392008-07-11T08:30:00.000-07:002008-07-11T08:30:00.000-07:00Sounds like lots of hard work!!<BR/><BR/>traceyrtch@gmail.comTraceynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-40121827922526285732008-07-10T08:49:00.000-07:002008-07-10T08:49:00.000-07:00Do the bags of beans have to be treated (I don't mean with pesticides - I guess <I>handled</I> would be a better word) in any way to make certain insects, spiders or other animals haven't made their home inside? Since the lumber in the pallets must be treated - what about the bags full of beans? Is that a concern as well?Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10086462444136948547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-48384045667454273252008-07-10T06:52:00.000-07:002008-07-10T06:52:00.000-07:00The mental images here are very interesting. I picture a sort of Indiana Jones world but I do hear you when you say it is not romantic work. It does sound like a quality adventure though, with some amazing discoveries. I think your story would make a fascinating book!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02847319383348999446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-68332937503953260502008-07-10T00:17:00.000-07:002008-07-10T00:17:00.000-07:00Chocolate beans.... I wonder if the old saying is true.<BR/><BR/>"Beans, beans, they're good for your heart..."Gilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08985804166511102411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-44212646964065221162008-07-09T19:36:00.000-07:002008-07-09T19:36:00.000-07:00I'm glad that someone took the time to put some love into their product. I'm excited to try Amano, it sounds delicious! =)kkmabfflhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622723851574802990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-1379209082301536792008-07-09T11:34:00.000-07:002008-07-09T11:34:00.000-07:00Now I know how chocolate is made!! Yea!! No wonder I'm dissapointed when I eat a Hershey bar...Naominoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-13467019747619714252008-07-08T21:05:00.000-07:002008-07-08T21:05:00.000-07:00Wow, I didn't realize good chocolate took so much work.Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15036861269515075704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-5929608361685084272008-07-08T15:59:00.000-07:002008-07-08T15:59:00.000-07:00SJI Radio: Cocoa plantations are as you might expect surrounded by jungle and that is just what you get as far as smell. It is that musty jungly smell of damp rotting leaves with sometimes tropical flowers and very green vegetation. I guess that is the word that describes it best -- green. Everything is growing (or rotting) in these hot humid climbs. The sounds of the jungle are always present birds, monkeys (howler monkeys really can make things lively), and all manner of wildlife. The jungle is dense and very alive.<BR/><BR/>Yes, chocolate has terroir like grapes (and coffee). In addition, each plantation is different because they have a slightly different genetic history. For example, only one valley separates the Ocumare and Cuyagua valleys in Venezuela. We have made chocolate from beans from both of these valleys and the finished chocolate is while similar, very different. Our Madagascar bar is extremely different from each of these other two even though the genetic heritage of the trees comes through Venezuela. (They were brought to this farm about 100 years ago.) While the Ocumare and Cuyagua bars are rich and the Ocumare has flavor notes of cherries or perhaps plumb and the Cuyagua has what some describe as light spicy notes with perhaps hints of melon, Madagascar has a light chocolate flavor that is acidic giving it assertive flavor notes of citrus or raspberry. All this is due to terroir and the processing practices of the farmers.<BR/><BR/>Jazz: Yes, it is amazing to find good plantations. I believe that the big key to finding good quality cacao is simply to find farmers who really care about what they do -- just like it is here when striving for quality. So in some ways, the trick to good quality cacao is amazingly simple -- simply caring. And yet, that is such an amazingly difficult thing to find sometimes no matter where you are.Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17499251395881561186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-52756620743009198622008-07-08T13:27:00.000-07:002008-07-08T13:27:00.000-07:00Reading this, it's amazing you are even able to find a good plantation with all this conflicting information!<BR/><BR/>Well, the company has done wonderfully in my opinion: I love your bars to death <3Jazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06661824717861471971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-67432466372811557602008-07-08T13:04:00.000-07:002008-07-08T13:04:00.000-07:00Very interesting! I want chocolate!Andrew's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13814051183393727864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-65682355476223818352008-07-08T13:03:00.000-07:002008-07-08T13:03:00.000-07:00My nighttime ritual includes slowly savoring one small piece of fine chocolate, appreciating the craftsmanship that created this food of the gods. I go to sleep with a smile on my face no matter how the day passed.gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01273881208035651694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-11413530829081067532008-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:002008-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:00Makes you think a bit as you are craming the 3pm candy fix into your mouth.... <BR/><BR/>Can't wait for the rest.K8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16898170614720030388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-50910773999814624892008-07-08T12:05:00.000-07:002008-07-08T12:05:00.000-07:00Art, what is the scent carried on the air around chocolate plantations? Do chocolate beans exhibit terroir like grapes? May be you will cover all this in future interviews, I just find chocolaterie a fascinating subject and you give a very approachable interview. ThanksSJI Radiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047866676562760156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-20264689476698402472008-07-08T11:59:00.000-07:002008-07-08T11:59:00.000-07:00Wow, it's really interesting to find out how the beans actually get here. I just watched the movie "Chocolat", and so I was even more interested to find out about those beans. Mmmm, chocolate!Marienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1584888951419776675.post-46859488189668383432008-07-08T11:37:00.000-07:002008-07-08T11:37:00.000-07:00I have always been curious about the beans.Temperancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16522199035103333678noreply@blogger.com