Q: What's your favorite chocolate? A: Any real educator can only answer this one way - it depends. On what? - mood, connections, flavor preferences, time of day and experience. I used to have some "mid-price" ($3-$5) chocolate bars that I would eat when I wanted a fix...now I have enough bars from higher end makers that I maybe have too many choices. Favorite origin, however, might be Hawaii.
Q: Where does chocolate come from? A: Chocolate represents the outcome of processing the seeds from the plant, Theobroma cacao, which grows between +20 N and -20 S latitudes in places called "origins". More commonly called beans, these seeds get fermented, dried (and then often shipped), sorted, roasted, de-shelled, ground, pressed into a liquid, tempered and then poured and set in a mold.
Q: Where does "bean to bar" chocolate mean? A: Not too much really. All chocolate "bars" come from a bean. But, intention of this term focuses on craft or artisan chocolate that selects the beans and processes them with careful purpose to create chocolate with a myriad of deep flavors. Some of this takes place in small batch or at larger companies that still pay attention to the process. Equal Exchange provides a nice step-by-step explanation or you can also watch a video from Soma Chocolate using large-scale equipment.
Q: How many American Bean to Bar makers exist? A: No one really knows and there seems to be at least one more every week, but a Google Doc has emerged that is trying to keep track. Here's another recent updated list from blogger: Carol Wiley. Don Ramsey from the UK also has a bean to bar database in development. Q: What is "fine" chocolate and where do I find out more? A: I discuss fine chocolate as products made with cacao acquired at premium prices from quality producers with social integrity. The Fine Chocolate and Cacao Institute and the Fine Chocolate Industry Association are good places to start.
Q: Where do I buy my chocolate? A: See this list on my credentials page. At specialty stores when I'm on vacation or often direct from maker.
Q: What's your favorite chocolate education resource? A: I find myself increasingly appreciate of the podcast, The Slow Melt, by Simran Sethi. The Fine Chocolate and Cacao Institute also has a great list of resources for those interested in being a consumer, a maker, a chocolatier, a retailer or a buyer.
Q: Do you eat Hershey's chocolate? A: No. First, Hershey's "milk" at only 11% cacao does not qualify as chocolate to me. And I prefer to know from where my chocolate originates. Overall, I find it best to refer to the mass-market options as "candy" and to leave the chocolate to the real makers.