Chocolate Is Healthy

Despite being geared toward the Western U.S., we love reading Sunset for its food and decorating ideas.  In the January issue, they called out a number of healthy dark chocolate products, some of which were new to us.

Utah’s Amano Artisan Chocolate makes award-winning, single varietal handmade chocolate bars incorporate carefully sourced beans from Venezuela, Madagascar, Ecuador, Bali, Ghana and beyond.  They also sell hand roasted cocoa nibs and bulk chocolate.

Claudio Corallo cultivates a cacao plantation on the African island of Principe, a biologically-rich island with world-reknown cacao.  His offers complex bars, some with flavors like orange and ginger, as well as whole roasted cacao beans that have a delicious nutty texture.

We also learned about Portland, OR based Sip to Live, a shop with unique blends of organic teas based on ayurvedic principles.  Each blend helps to serve and refresh different areas of the body.  For example The Cool-Out, with its blend of chamomile, cherry bark and other herbs is made to soothe the nerves.

Even larger chocolate makers are embracing the “bean-to-bar” philosophy.  In the same way that winemakers consider the “terroir” of their grapes, chocolatiers scour the world to find the right cacao to create their own balance of flavors.   Like grapes, cacao flavors differ
based on where it is grown.  Cacao grown in Venezuela tastes differently than that grown in Bali.    The unique chocolate flavors and nuances being created mean continued fascination with cacao from around the world.

“Many of these chocolatiers follow a bean-to-bar philosophy that includes working with cacao farmers and roasting and blending their own “origin” lines, made from cacao grown in a single, specific tropical valley in Venezuela, Madagascar or one of the other equatorial regions in which cacao thrives…”

“Real chocolate, he says, is redolent of not just terroir, but the very air in which the beans are fermented. Klassen calls it endemic microbiology 101 — each valley has its own airborne wild yeasts and active bacteria that launch the fermentation process. The resulting confection, he says, is meant to be savored like wine, not gobbled in a blaze of sugary glory.”

Artisanal chocolate is about more than candy – San Jose Mercury News.

While there is an increasing number of vegan and fair trade chocolatiers, there are fewer making raw chocolate bars.   It’s an expensive and labor intensive process that leads to very high price tags.

The Village Voice profiled two relatively new raw chocolate bars, both based in Brooklyn, New York.  One is “Bean to Bar” by Jacques Torres.  The other is the lesser-known Mast Brothers who make gorgeously-packaged from-scratch artisan chocolate bars.  We are delighted that attention is being given to the nuances as raw chocolate.  Just as there is tremendous variety within processed dark chocolate bars, raw chocolate bars can vary significantly in flavor and depth.

Here’s where the article netted out:

“Both bars, in other words, offered completely different experiences, and beauty that was very much in the eye of the beholder. The Masts and Torres are doing excellent work, so calling one better than the other based solely upon taste does a disservice both to them and to the highly subjective reactions that chocolate inspires. If you want a more bitter, idiosyncratic bar, you want the Masts. If you want a smoother, more comforting bar, then go for the Torres.”

Battle of the Dishes: Bean to Bar Chocolate Bars From Jacques Torres and Mast Brothers – New York Restaurants and Dining – Fork in the Road.

If you’re thinking about giving a gourmet chocolate gift this season, we strongly suggest you check out the Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club.  Similar to a “fruit-of-the-month” or “cheese-of-the-month,” Chocolate of the Month Club members get world class, gourmet chocolates each month.

The artisan chocolate selections provided in the Chocolate-of-the-Month Club are renowned brands including Spain’s Rabitos Chocolate and Vosges Haut Chocolat.  All handmade and rich in the world’s finest cocoa, this monthly membership is like giving several gifts in one.  It is a guaranteed hit because most people love chocolate, so you know it won’t go to waste.  Plus, given the explosion of interest in gourmet food and drink, this unique and thoughtful gift will please even a chocolate connoisseur with a sophisticated palette.

As part of the gift, they’ll receive an incredible newsletter that provides detailed information on the chocolatiers and their backgrounds.  Conveniently, you can pay for several months up front, or be billed as each selection ships.  You choose the start and end times, and frequency of each chocolate selection, with prices starting at under $35.

Susie Norris of Happy Chocolates in Los Angeles has just authored a sweet new book, Chocolate Bliss, featuring 24 photos and 38 recipes for healthy and sensual chocolate desserts.

As a former TV producer, pastry chef, chocolate boutique owner and educator, Norris has massive expertise and enthusiasm for chocolate and its health benefits.

“I wanted to offer my enthusiasm for chocolate and teach the surprising ways that chocolate benefits health and happiness,” Norris says. “It’s also a good occasion to share my favorite recipes for the holiday season when fine, handmade chocolate makes an affordable gift of luxury.”

Recipes in Chocolate Bliss include Artisan Caramel Bon Bons and Blueberry Cocoa Nib Crumble.  We can’t wait to check it out.

Chocolatier’s New Book Hits Stands Just in Time for Holidays.