Hello Well Tempered podcast listeners and readers! If you're catching this on iTunes or my website you know it's been a while since I've broadcasted via this medium. After the start of the pandemic, I found it much more intimate to engage with guests through video conferencing -- the informality and honest connection that ensued, and yet equally as effective at conveying information, not to mention, much less editing on my part -- meant I spoke to more people than ever (50+ interviews in 2020). So if you've been holding out here for more content, the interviews continue, but the majority are now scattered about my Well Tempered Media Facebook and Instagram accounts. Latest episodes are non-gendered, featuring people from all walks of cacao and chocolate, and are published on Conversations in Cocoa via the substack platform. Enjoy this throwback to an in-person conference! These 3 interviews were recorded last February 2020 at Chocoa held inside the Beurs van Berlage (former stock exchange), in Amsterdam. Chocoa 2021 - the 9th of its kind - held this February 24-26th, will be its first digital edition due to the enduring global coronavirus pandemic crisis. Well Tempered Media listeners are being offered a 20% discount code, at checkout on the tickets page apply 20LAUREN.

These were all impromptu interviews, all under 10 minutes each. I approached these guests in between various other meetings. It's a bit hectic on the showroom floor, but that energy of people coming together for a common adoration for good cocoa and chocolate was inspiring -- filled with hope, promise, care and compassion for a world of full of flavor, fairness and opportunities.

Guests featured in this episode: Brigitte Laliberté coordinator of the Cocoa of Excellence Programme (also see the International Standards for the Assessment of Cocoa Quality and Flavour, of which Brigitte is the coordinator of the working group) María Salvadora Jiménez of Fine Flavor Cacao Specialist at Daarnhouwer & Co. Salla Mankinen Technology Director at Orijin.io storytelling and traceability software specialists A special thank you to the team at Chocoa for inviting me to take part in the events and Chocolate Makers’ Forum. Also, you'll find a recent interview with Chocoa partner Mariana de la Rosa on the WTM instagram page where we have recorded Q&A session to get to know the details of this year’s digital offerings.

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Thank you for your near 5 years support of this podcast project. I've been honored to find myself in your earbuds and as a companion as you wrap bars or send emails. I wish you a very safe and healthy 2021. I miss seeing you and sampling your delicacies table-side, but have faith together we can still do great things to create a bright cocoa future.Catch upcoming interviews with scholars and industry members, articles, audios, chocolate recipes, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

Description: An interview as part of the Well Tempered Podcast’s ‘Scholar Series’ (recorded February 2020)Guest: Allison Brown, PhD candidate at Penn State Area of study: Food Science and International Agriculture and Development

Allison Brown is a PhD candidate and USDA NIFA (United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture) predoctoral fellow studying a dual-title degree in Food Science and International Agriculture and Development at The Pennsylvania State University. She studies cocoa and chocolate using chemical and sensory analysis to fingerprint the flavor, taste, and mouthfeel of varieties of Theobroma cacao. In addition, she led a consumer research project to understand the importance of chocolate flavor to premium chocolate consumers. For the international agriculture and development portion of her PhD, she studies the impact of an in-country national cocoa sensory panel on cocoa quality, using Honduras as a case study. She draws on professional experience in food science product development, chocolate production, culinary arts, winery cellar work, and winery laboratory work. 

Most recently she has published work in The Journal of Sensory Studies, entitled "Flavor and Mouthfeel of Pseudo-Cocoa Liquor:  Effects of Polyphenols, Fat Content, and Training Method". 

Citation: Hamada, T. Y., Brown, A., Hopfer, H., & Ziegler, G. R. (2019). Flavor and mouthfeel of pseudo-cocoa liquor : Effects of polyphenols, fat content, and training method, (June), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1111/joss.12541 (Note: at the time of this podcast episode’s release, this article was available to access for free).

Her manuscript about premium chocolate consumer perception of chocolate quality and craft chocolate is currently under review.

UPDATE December 2020: Since release of this podcast episode Allison’s and her colleagues’ work ‘Understanding American premium chocolate consumer perception of craft chocolate and desirable product attribute using focus groups and projective mapping’ has been featured in PLoSONE. Their research was also referenced on Penn State’s news site.

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“ …(sensory evaluation) it’s not actually elite, it’s for the people. We all have these tools…we have our mouths. “ - Allison Brown 

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Allison Brown, PhD Candidate in Food Science and International Agriculture and Development. photo credit: Allison Brown

Topics discussed in this episode:

Part I. We talk about different types of food analyses: -Chemical analysis: GC-MS, HPLC-Sensory evaluation: hedonic testing (i.e. do you like this thing?), difference testing (i.e. are these different? triangle test), descriptive analysis testing (i.e. how are these things different?); the 3rd is used in Allison’s panel.

- Tasting cocoa liquors, creating references to other food products

- Attribute generation = key-in to your senses, looks, smells, tastes like (ensure air is present to volatilize chemical compounds), perceive flavor, then note aftertaste, oral touch

- The 5 basic tastes: bitter, sour, sweet, salty, umami—-> Receptors versus ion exchange on our tongue recognize bitter and sour as basic tastes, astringency is an oral touch. Sour can cause a puckering sensation. —-> Flavor on the other hand is different from basic taste; taste, smell, touch, burning (such as from capsicum), sound, sensory. A complex perception. The burnt flavor (such as related to burnt toast) falls into this category. 

- The ‘golden tongue’

Part II. We also talk about genetics, and how flavor could be linked to genetics (scroll to the bottom for a quick overview of genetics).- there are 4,000 known accessions of Theobroma cacao in genebanks; lots of diversity. In her project she studied 11 cultivars.

-Mark Guiltinan and Siela Maximova (see here for information about their lab and access some of their publications: https://plantscience.psu.edu/research/labs/guiltinan) are plant biologists who have spent their careers researching the plant, Theobroma cacao. In 2010, they discovered the genome of Theobroma cacao (https://plantscience.psu.edu/research/labs/guiltinan/publications/manuscripts/genome-cacao2010), and use this information to understand how diseases and pests impact growth of this plant. 

- In her work, it was necessary to search for a tropical research center that could provide adequate needs of cultivars for sampling; Fundación Hondureña de Investigación Agrícola FHIA

Part III. Publications, Projects, and her Panel. In fall 2019, they published in The Journal of Sensory Studies: Flavor and mouthfeel of pseudo-cocoa liquor: Effects of polyphenols, fat content, and training method. Researchers were: Terianne Y. Hamada, Allison Brown, Helene Hopfer, Gregory R. Ziegler.

In post-conflict Rwanda, high quality coffee began to be produced there (and marketed outward).—-> To detect defects in coffee cupping, they introduced the ‘Coffee Doctors’ - who diagnose fermentation issues through sensory training tactics. This can be transferred to cocoa. Read more; article by Jenny Elaine Goldstein (2011): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07409710.2011.544226

More related coffee links: Coffee Quality Institute - Rwanda 2009.state.gov/documents/organization/106654.pdf">Transforming Rwanda’s Coffee Sector by Dan Clay (PPT)

For cocoa: Examples of USAID work on cocoa liquor tasting panels in-country: African Cocoa Initiative Final Performance Evaluation ReportUSAID Grants and the Democracy of Information, from Equal Exchange

Because no one has previously analyzed the impact of an in-country panel on cocoa liquor quality, Allison used exploratory, qualitative methods in Honduras. She conducted interviews with 35 members of the cocoa and chocolate supply chain, including growers, cooperative managers, Honduran chocolate makers, and American chocolate makers.

Fingerprinting taste and flavor of varieties ; do varieties taste different? —-> Fingerprinting is determining which chemicals, both volatile and non-volatile, and flavors, tastes, and mouthfeels, are associated with each cultivated variety (cultivar) of theobroma cacao

Convergent validity - Why is this important for scientists? This is important because it means two different methods tell you the same thing. It means your findings are highly robust.

Allison’s consumer focus groups: ---> People & Packaging---> Storytelling

Further links related to this episode:

Dr. Kristy Leissle’s article on craft. As well as her writing on the subject via Dandelion Chocolate’s blog.

PennState’s Dr. Gregory Ziegler, editor on Steve T. Beckett’s Industrial Chocolate Manufacture and Use; his work on bound and unbound polyphenols, fat content, and their nuances has informed Allison’s work 

FCCI/FCIA consumer survey mentioned, is only available to members of the FCIA: Here Karen Bryant offers an overview.

The Professional Manufacturing Confectioners Association (PMCA) conference scheduled for April 20-22, 2020 was postponed this year due to the pandemic. 

PennState Department of Food Science Short Courses: such as, Advanced HACCP Workshop, Principles of Sensory Evaluation, Ice Cream 101 ‘Introduction to Frozen Desserts’

(continued from Part II. )::A brief primer on genetics (as she says, “from someone who isn’t a plant biologist” but that “is still helpful to someone like me,” says the podcast host without a science degree.)::-Genes are composed of DNA which is the basic code for the plant. -Phenotypes are the perceivable traits or characteristics that are coded for by the genotype, but may be impacted by the environment (sun exposure, rain, soil type, etc.). 

Some phenotypes are more fixed than others. A human example would be: my genes code for hazel (phenotype) eyes and I have hazel eyes my entire life. A less fixed example would be: my genes code for brown hair (phenotype). However, when it is summertime and my hair is exposed to the sun (environment) regularly, it becomes blond. Think “nature and nurture.” 

When translated to cacao, seed color (white or purple) is a fixed trait that is coded for by the genes, whereas pod color is also coded for by the genes, but not fixed because it is influenced by shade cover and sun exposure.

Flavor is viewed as a phenotypic trait. To understand this from a genetic perspective, we would take one specific chemical compound, for example, linalool, which is responsible for floral flavor. We would analyze the amount of linalool (phenotype) in a large number of cacao varieties and then match this data with genetic data from the varieties. We could begin to understand what part of the gene regulates the level of linalool, which would help us understand the relationship between genetics and flavor. Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered Media productions and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate Twitter: @wkndchocolateArticles, podcasts, chocolate recipes, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

Podcast episode description: Dr Sarah E J Arnold is a Senior Lecturer in Insect Behavior and Ecology at the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich, UK, primarily focusing on pest behavior, chemical ecology, and ecosystem services.

After completing her PhD in sensory ecology in the Chittka Lab at Queen Mary, University of London, Dr. Arnold joined the University of Greenwich in 2010. Since joining NRI (a specialist research, development and education organization of the University of Greenwich), she has continued to develop her interest in pollinators, studying different aspects of how their environment may influence their behavior and health. She has published in areas including the role of pollen composition and nectar chemistry in pollinator performance, the importance of environmental characteristics of farms in affecting pollinator populations, and different aspects of their foraging and flower-finding behavior. She is particularly interested in how farms and other habitats can be managed to support pollinators’ needs better. As she works on both pest and beneficial insects, she rears various species of insects in the laboratory to explore their behavior and life history.  

Her work has appeared in international peer-reviewed journals, including papers on flower color evolution, insect ecology, and pollinator and storage pest behavior, and is one of the developers and managers of the Floral Reflectance Database (FReD). One of her latest projects, involving Caribbean fieldwork in conjunction with the University of Trinidad and Tobago and the Cocoa Industry Board of Jamaica - both areas with low yields of high quality fine flavor cacao - investigated the possibility of optimized production of Theobroma cacao via pollination by various Ceratopogonid species. Read on at the project website CocoaPop.

More about Dr. Arnold’s work and projects can be accessed here.

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Dr. Sarah Arnold. Photo uploaded with permission from Dr. Sarah E J Arnold

Themes discussed in this episode:

- What pollinates a cacao flower? - Midges are part of the Ceratopogonidae family, a group of of flies measuring 2-3 mm long- Ecology of midges; difficulties of breeding and physical discovery - Pollinator behavior according to country/landscape of origin- Attributes of a good pollinator; pick up the pollen, move to another flower (perhaps on another tree) - Cacao self-incompatibility; meaning it prevents itself from self-fertilization- Shape, odor, and complexity of the cacao flower; appeal for both humans and insects - Diverse family genus of flowering plants, Malvaceae, includes: durian (pollinated by bats), cotton, okra - Plant plasticity - Cacao in greenhouses and botanical gardens; at Kew Palm House in the UK, Theobroma cacao has successfully grown there, pollinated either by midges or another species;

“It seems like the (cacao) tree needs the midges much more than midges need the tree.”

- Questions she asked in her research: what pollinators are present? How does this population change over the year? And how that might match when the crop is in peak flower?

- Samantha Forbes; a colleague from Australia, who was helpful in studies regarding rearing cocoa midges over generations in a laboratory setting. —> For their project, it was the first known time midges from a cacao plantation were bred for months at a time, running over multiple generations. Previously eggs and larvae had been captured and raised to adulthood. - Complications of recreating the bacterial conditions of the farm environment in a lab; mimicking banana pseudostem - Pollinator life-cycles; midges lay their eggs in rotten material, generally the detritus of cacao pods- Pollination rates of the midges; ~5% of the cacao flowers will be successfully pollinated. While they are present, their numbers are not abundant in the wild, however they are apt at transmitting pollen, generally in 1-2x visits to the flower.

“...working out the perfect level of pollination to optimize yield and optimize it sustainably from a cocoa farm, is an area of continuing research that is very important at the moment.”

- Hand-pollination. Is it viable? - Effect of climate change on biodiversity in pollinators; potential population loss due to drought and heat waves.- Farmers and pollinators — offering habitats, working together - Methodologies for obtaining lab results for odor compounds; most drawing on studies from almost 40 years ago. - Professor David Hall, Professor of Chemical Ecology , and general expert on all things involving the chemistry of scents. - Testing natural floral odor versus a synthetic blend for attractiveness to pollinators.

Additional: If research continues — Dr. Arnold says, it will be interesting to see if wild flowers have evolved differently; might they be more disease resistance? Produce higher yields, or will flavor develop distinctly? These things will greatly inform future breeding programs. Where to find Dr. Arnold: Twitter @sejarbold

Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered Media productions and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate Twitter: @wkndchocolateArticles, podcasts, chocolate recipes, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

Description: Well Tempered Live; a compilation of #womeninchocolate interviews recorded live during the 2019 edition - and 25th anniversary - of the du-chocolat.com?lang=en">Salon du Chocolat, at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris, France.

This special episode of the Well Tempered chocolate podcast features three distinct perspectives, from three very unique countries: Grenada, Honduras, and Russia — all with specialty cacao and bean-to-bar or tree-to-bar concepts at the core of their businesses. Whether through agritourism, direct trade, international export, local distribution, and so on, the leaders of these chocolate companies reveal quick facts about their experience in the cocoa sector.

Meet the guests below, and listen to the complementing podcast on Apple Podcasts or download directly here.

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Featuring interviews with:

Shadel Nyack Compton third generation proprietor of Belmont Estate in Grenada Instagram: Belmont Estate Monica Pedemonte founder and chocolate maker at Palato Chocolate in HondurasInstagram: Palato Chocolate

Olga Yarovikova chocolatier and Managing Director of Amazing Cacao in St. Petersburg, Russia Instagram: Amazing Cacao Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered Media productions and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate Twitter: @wkndchocolateArticles, podcasts, chocolate recipes, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

Description: Carla D. Martin, PhD, is the Founder and Executive Director of the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (FCCI), a Lecturer in the Department of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. She leads the course: ‘Chocolate, Culture, and the Politics of Food’, known to many in the chocolate industry as ‘Chocolate Class’. Her work at the FCCI focuses on identifying, developing, and promoting fine cacao and chocolate, primarily by addressing ethics and quality issues in the supply chain. A social anthropologist with interdisciplinary interests that include history, agronomy, ethnomusicology, and linguistics, her current research focuses on the politics of fine cacao and chocolate in a global perspective, for which she has conducted fieldwork in West Africa, Latin America, North America, and Europe. From 2011-2015, she maintained a scholarly blog on chocolate, culture, and the politics of food at Bittersweet Notes. Her previous academic research examined the longstanding problem of language inequality in Cape Verde and its large diaspora and how scholars and creative artists have both perpetuated and challenged this inequality. Through historical and ethnographic study she charted the elements of language, race, gender, and social class expressed through music and the arts into the sociopolitical world of which they are a part and explored the ongoing, fruitful interventions and subversions made by Cape Verdean performers in debates surrounding the meaning of womanhood, "Africanness," and "Creoleness." Her writing has also appeared or is forthcoming in Transition Magazine, Social Dynamics, The Root, US History Scene, Sodade Magazine, Socio.hu, The Savannah Review, and edited volumes. She lectures widely and has taught extensively in African and African American Studies, critical food studies, social anthropology, and ethnomusicology, and has received numerous awards in recognition of excellence in teaching. She received her PhD in African and African American Studies in 2012, her MA in Social Anthropology in 2007, and her BA in Social Anthropology in 2003, all from Harvard University. Find her online at carladmartin.com and @carladmartin.

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Dr. Carla D. Martin Photo credit: FCCI

Topics discussed in this chocolate podcast episode: - Dr. Martin's Cape Verdean fellowship, launching her chocolate career and area of scholarship - Her PhD in African and African American Studies and Anthropology provided a foundation for lessons and a future focused on the study and awareness of inequality - Creating a syllabus for ‘Chocolate Class’ — 200 students the first year alone; now teaching thousands, both in-person and learning.harvard.edu/course/chocolate-culture-and-politics-food-0">online through Harvard Extension School- How the FCCI started, and how academia was woven into activities focused around industry education and research; support of the specialty market - Colin Gasko's cacao quality class; originally a beta class with Dr. Kristy Leissle / Jamin Haddox (SCA professor) became the Cacao Grader Intensive through FCCI to adapt and scale it to be accessible to more people globally. With goals to: provide a curriculum (especially for producers*) to identify defects in raw materials, better access the market (size, operations). *Members of the supply chain, cacao producers, co-operative staff, and farm managers. - The approach that has become known as the 'Raw cacao methodology' or FCCI Methodology. Simple and effective, possible with only a very small sample of beans.

A much more healthy supply chain would involve a conversation, a negotiation, and an awareness of the power dynamic that puts cacao producers in the sort of weak negotiation position that exists today. - Dr. Carla D. Martin

- How the chocolate industry works in silos — FCCI and the The Chocolate Conservatory born out of the challenges of connecting institutions and removing barriers of isolation within the industry. - The Chocolate Conservatory runs as a net-zero event. This year’s theme at the European Business School in Paris is ‘The Responsibility of Taste.’ - At the event, they will champion voices that are innovative and political. Women speakers are actually counted (to understand and offer transparency regarding representation), as are POC of all genders. Expertise is valuable from all, but it’s not the only trait that exists. Speakers are diverse in their tenures and backgrounds.

”…we (the industry) are prioritizing flavor and quality over all else, while making strident claims about the social, economic or environmental responsibility of what we’re doing.” - Dr. Carla D. Martin on ‘The Responsibility of Taste” via the Well Tempered Podcast

- How Dr. Martin approaches labor in general. How labor history is tied to human history. - Drug crops — driving the development of capitalism globally, agriculture products that are unnecessary for survival but stimulate, inebriate, etc.- Enslaved labor that developed the commodity system, and ultimately changed public perception of what to pay for final products. - The popularization of child labor in the cocoa value chain and the role of the International Labour Organization. What has been reduced to a single issue is much more complex, and can include familial child labor, detrimental labor to children (such as: forced, with the use pesticides), community/cultural systems and so forth (accessible education systems, family dynamics, survival). - Labor insecurities in other fields - What raising prices would mean to the supply chain - Companies’ responsibilities to paying more and what it might look like. Will they - heirs for example - share a piece of the pie? - The stigmatization of cacao from West Africa, and negative marketing alongside this. - Access to abuse-free labor products - Inequality and corporations playing saviors or giving themselves personhood — companies intend to step-in and do what producers “can’t do”.- The retail squeeze; Retailers being flexible to give up some of their margins. - The standard trajectory of the getting into retail, and from there how scale and price reduction harms this top-bottom approach. Most supermarket based bars thought to be priced at a USD $3.69-$3.99 sweet spot. - The New England Chocolate Festival October 12-13, 2019; & Chocotoberfest events by the FCCI. Consumers are seeking experiential connections to their food and producers. - Education for consumers — how to tackle, where the industry stands- Women in chocolate current status and future of

Links related to this episode:Summer/Fall 2019 creation and launch of the ‘Asociación para el Fomento del Chocolate ‘Bean to Bar’ de Tueste Artesano en España’, Spanish Bean to Bar Association ChocolateBeantoBar.com ChocoMad International Chocolate Salon/Festival in Madrid, Spain each September LA Burdick Chocolates, a New England chocolate enterprise. Evelyn Brooks Higginsbotham, Harvard Professor and mentor to Carla

Professor Romi BurksMore on drug crops, such as Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History by Sidney W. Mintz https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sweetness-Power-Place-Modern-History/dp/0140092331Dr. Amanda Berlan writings; here and hereFair Food Program Barry Estabrook — Tomatoland Dengo Chocolate Brazil — an example of higher farm gate prices paid. They are committed to buy cacao even if the factory can’t process it at that precise time.

Dr. Marie-Catherine Paquier ; author of The monastic product’s biography, a sacralization wave FCCI staffer/Culinary Institute of America graduate José Lopez Ganem

Jamin Haddox coffee expert and instructor Dr. Lauren McCarthy. Studies and lectures on corporate social responsibility and feminism; communities, allyship, and certifications. Examples of her writings: Consciousness-raising in the cocoa supply chain & Feminism hasn’t sold out even if it is being used as a marketing tool Legacy chocolate companies in the Boston area and mentioned on the podcast: Taza Chocolate Equal Exchange Where to find more from FCCI: Instagram: @chocoinstitute Twitter: @chocoinstituteFacebook: FCCI Website: Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered Media productions and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate Twitter: @wkndchocolateArticles, podcasts, chocolate recipes, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

Description: Dr. Kristy Leissle is a scholar of cocoa and chocolate. Since 2004, her work has investigated the politics, economics, and cultures of these industries, focusing on West African political economy and trade, the US craft market, and the complex meanings produced and consumed through chocolate marketing and advertising. Her recent book, Cocoa (Cambridge: Polity, 2018) explores cocoa geopolitics and personal politics, and was #3 on Food Tank’s 2018 Fall Reading List.

Dr. Leissle is Affiliate Faculty in African Studies at the University of Washington; Research Associate for the development through trade organization Twin & Twin Trading; and Cultural Specialist for National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions. She lives in Accra, Ghana, where she is currently researching for her next book on cocoa value addition across sub-Saharan Africa.

What is the Well Tempered Scholar Series? This first episode with Dr. Leissle and future editions of the podcast in coming months will focus on interviews with academics that hold a relationship to cocoa and/or chocolate in their research and professions.

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Dr. Kristy Leissle (Doctor Chocolate). Photo credit: Karolina Webb

”For me, the way I make sense of it, is the way I make sense of many things…where does the power lie?” - Dr. Kristy Leissle

Episode themes: - Dr. Leissle’s experience of witnessing realities of Ghana then and now- Thoughts on LBCs Licensed Buying Companies, new projects, funding cycles- Growth and boom of Ghanaian cocoa to become largest producer in the world (a position now held by Ivory Coast)- The tenacity of cocoa in the country — price falls and historical responses- When Africa is central to industry discussions; what is said and who benefits - Truths of rural farmer livelihood, and letting someone else’s voice speak through you - Under-discussed and underfunded; topics (particularly at conferences) lacking complexity, such as sanitation and menstruation in cocoa growing regions- Gifting when visiting communities - what would a farming family or community appreciate and need? - Racism, reductionism, intersectionality in cocoa; its connection to politics, economics, class, and business as usual - Who’s on stage and who can relinquish the microphone? How can one be an ally through action? ”De-experting” as methodology in her work and throughout her career

Links related to the episode: Ivory Coast & Ghana set to raise farmgate price in October West African cocoa floor price proposal from June, 2019 Period. End of Sentence documentary Oscar winning film available on Netflix Where to find Dr. Leissle: Website and blogTwitter @docofchocCocoa is available via Polity, Amazon, Wiley, or select bookstoresOther publications by Dr. Leissle Other podcasts with Kristy Leissle PhD as a guest: Unwrapped PodcastBloomberg Market Odd Lots podcast ‘This is How the Chocolate Market Actually Works’ Confectionary News; Power & Politics in CocoaWhere to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate Twitter: @wkndchocolateArticles, podcasts, chocolate recipes, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

Description: Amy Guittard -- Director of Marketing, cookbook author, San Franciscan and hobby surfer, is a 5th generation of the Guittard Chocolate family. The Guittard Chocolate Company was founded in 1868 by Etienne Guittard, Amy's paternal great-great grandfather. Before Quantum mechanics, before Rudolphe Lindt invented the chocolate conche, America's longest family-run and operated chocolate company was making chocolate from the bean. Follow along this episode as we get to know this woman in chocolate, and discuss a different 'theory of relativity' - working alongside her Father and patriarch of the business Gary Guittard, keeping the traditions of a 150 year old company in today's ever-changing and demanding premium chocolate scene, and developing innovative relationships and direct-impact programs with long-time farmer partners.

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Gary Guittard and Amy Guittard. Photo credit: Guittard Chocolate Company

Themes discussed in this episode:

• Beginnings of the company: Etienne came to San Francisco to mine for gold during the Gold Rush and realized he could be more profitable selling provisions, including chocolate.

• At that time, SF had a tight-knit food community of commodity producers/purveyors including, Folger’s Coffee and Ghirardelli Chocolate.

• 151 years in the business; hinging on classic tradition and innovation. They’ve spent decades creating new ideas/concepts for the market - sometimes without accolades for those advancements.

• American Chocolate movement - what is an East Coast vs West Coast version of chocolate making? How the global supply chain impacted chocolate companies.

• Flavor is a driving factor of their work as a company and legacy; a consideration even when planting raw material.

• Cultive Better a multi-country project working hand-in-hand with local governments, cacao research centers, and NGO collaborators. Guittard finds it imperative that their work at origin can be owned by country leaders/workers. Not limited to, but greatly involving micro-batch processing, tasting panels, and team evaluation using flavor as a precursor for present and future breeding programs.

• How holistic approaches in varied countries can be applied and/or diversified.

• Incremental degradation coined by Gary Guittard; whether in the finished bar of chocolate, cocoa supply chain, etc.

• Letting the beans tell them how to be roasted. Tradition of industry blended with historical flavor of a terroir. Head chocolate maker Gary Guittard’s making style; intuitive, consistent, and skill of blending.

• Responsibility and duty in a family business. How to focus on driving the business forward and staying balanced.

• Level of artistry at every step.

• Social media emphasis and opportunities in the baking and pastry-sphere with chefs and influencers such as Cloudy Kitchen, The Boy Who Bakes, cookie entrepreneurs, chocolatiers and more.

…chocolate is a grinding business. back then you couldn’t do just one thing…he (Etienne Guittard in 1868) also ground coffee, teas, & spices. - Amy Guittard, speaking of the origins of her great-great grandfather’s start in chocolate making

Amy would take these chocolates to the Cosmos: 38% Kokoleka Hawaiian Milk Chocolate Unsweetened liquor (cocoa solids, not alcoholic) for all her baking needs Grand Cacao Drinking Chocolate

Related links: Cafe-s-flourless-chocolate-cake-3813951.php">Zuni Cafe Gateau Victoire (flourless chocolate cake recipe) ’Don’t Mess With Our Chocolate’ campaign, Gary Guittard garnered 30,000 signatures to halt the FDA from allowing non-cocoa vegetable fats into the chocolate Standard of Identity. Read more here. Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (ICCRI)

More from Amy: The Guittard Chocolate Cookbook: Decadent Recipes from San Francisco’s Premium Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Company (Chronicle Books, 2015). Guittard Chocolate Company websiteGuittard Chocolate on Instagram @guittardchocolate

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Vintage Guittard advertisement, San Francisco, California. Photo credit: Guittard Chocolate Company

Amy generously shared her favorite cookie recipe for Well Tempered podcast listeners and readers. Bake a batch this wknd!

CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIESMost of us grew up with this beloved cookie and you’ve seen recipes for chocolate chip cookies countless times on the backs of chocolate chip bags. But I promise you, this recipe, created in our test kitchens decades ago, really does produce the best classic chocolate chip cookie. We’ve improved the recipe over the years to make sure the butter-to-sugar-to-flour ratio yields a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture. A bit of vanilla gives way to epic amounts of chocolate chips with every bite. This cookie can be underbaked a touch if you’re a fan of super-gooey goodness. When I’m feeling daring, I sprinkle a little fleur de sel on the tops right before putting them in the oven. Use high-quality unsalted butter and, of course, the best chocolate you can find. For me this means our tried-and-true semisweet chocolate chips. If you’re ready to take this classic to the next level, try the variation for a giant chocolate chip cookie.

2½ cups [300 g] all-purpose flour1 tsp baking soda1 tsp salt1 cup [220 g] unsalted butter, at room temperature¾ cup [150 g] granulated sugar ¾ cup [150 g] firmly packed light brown sugar2 large eggs1 tsp vanilla extract2 cups [340 g] Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Baking Chips1 cup [110 g] chopped walnuts (optional)

Steps: Preheat the oven to 375ºF [190°C]. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.In a medium bowl, combine the flour,baking soda, and salt. Set aside.In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and the walnuts (if using).Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonsful onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 in [5 cm]between the cookies; the cookies will spread as they bake.Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. MAKES TWENTY-FOUR 3½-IN [9-CM] COOKIES.Variation for a giant chocolate chip cookie:Prepare the cookie dough as directed. Spread it evenly into a greased 9-in [23-cm] round cake pan. Bake at 375ºF [190°C] for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan, and cut into wedges. To serve, top with your favorite ice cream.

NOTE: FREEZING COOKIE DOUGH. If you want freshly baked cookies any time, prepare the dough as directed and portion the cookies out on parchment paper as if you were going to bake them right away. You won’t need much space between the cookies; just make sure they aren’t touching. Place the cookies on the parchment paper–lined baking sheets in the freezer for 1 hour. Then, place all of the frozen cookie dough portions into a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to3 months. When you’re ready, follow the baking instructions for the recipe. Frozen cookies may need an additional minute or two in the oven.

Recipe and words courtesy of Amy Guittard, author of Guittard Chocolate Cookbook: Decadent Recipes from San Francisco's Premium Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Company by Amy Guittard. Reprinted on this site with permission from Chronicle Books and Guittard Chocolate Company. Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered Media productions and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate Twitter: @wkndchocolateArticles, podcasts, chocolate recipes, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

Description: Deanna Dick is a licensed midwife, mom to three, and founding family member of Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate in Eureka, California. Partners in life and business, Deanna is chief confidant and strategic consultant to husband Adam Dick (1/2 of the founding duo of DT), as well as head of hiring and employee happiness. For almost a decade Dick Taylor Chocolate has pushed the craft boundaries, hacking vintage machines to custom outfit their ever-growing chocolate factory and serve ever-loyal and new customers on the California coast and beyond. As part of the ‘Class of 2010’ the company has strived to create a framework for craft chocolate utilizing their woodworking past as motivation for intuitively turning raw materials into masterpieces.

For sensitive ears, this episode touches on themes of anatomy, biological events, and Mary J.

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Midwife and chocolate mom Deanna. Photo credit: Deanna Dick

Themes discussed in the show:

• Chocolate and women; pregnancy and breastfeeding and cacao and dark chocolate being a part of your diet

• Minimizing preeclampsia (reducing blood pressure), stabilizing blood sugar levels and evading cortisol spikes

• Deanna’s ever-changing roles within Dick Taylor, and juggling part-time work and full-time family alongside chocolate brand and factory growth

• How a video from Mast Brothers catapulted Adam and Dustin from carpenter life to chocolate

• The craft and sense of woodworking and chocolate making collide to form a business in the Redwoods, along the coast of California

• The ongoing question of “who will buy this?” and pushing forward

• Arriving at the caliber of chocolate they wanted to build the business upon and tweaking machinery to get that final outcome

• Unique geography and past and present industries of Humboldt County, CA

• The launch of a retail store after years of wholesale attention and investment

• Focus on marketing, strategic thinking of how and when to announce product, how to get people through the door — seeing the strength in local support

• Introducing farmer partners to new confidence after Big Industry has torn that down

Related links from the podcast episode: The Meadow - specialty chocolate, salt, and bitters - in Portland and New York CityJael Rattigan of French Broad Chocolate on the Well Tempered PodcastDave Elliott & Nat Bletter of Madre Chocolate in Hawaii Proof Podcast from America’s Test Kitchen; ‘Cravings’ episode

3 chocolates Deanna would take to the Cosmos: Zokoko in Australia Chale Milk 45% Gianduia (any, it’s her chocolate weakness); Hogarth Chocolate is a favorite of hersDick Taylor limited edition Bolivia, Alto Beni; 2016 Good Food Award Winner

Where to find more from Deanna and Dick Taylor Chocolate: Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate websiteInstagram @dicktaylorchocolateFacebook @dicktaylorchocolate

Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate Twitter: @wkndchocolateArticles, podcasts, chocolate recipes, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: Gwen Burnyeat is a Wolfson Scholar and PhD candidate in anthropology at UCL (University College London), author of 'Chocolate, Politics and Peace-Building: An Ethnography of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, Colombia' (Palgrave Macmillan2018), and is producer and co-director of Chocolate of Peace. Through cacao, she has found a lens to examine the past and present trials and realities of the people of San José de Apartadó, Colombia. In an anthropological manner, her work and activism is intent on retelling their story, by understanding the community in their own terms, especially through their livelihood and passion for their occupations as cocoa farmers and stewards of the land, whilst experiencing human rights injustices, paramilitary activity in the area, and personal attacks on and stigmas against their leaders/members.

In her almost decade long investment in the history and current events of this community (known as the Peace Community), and the country itself, she has found ways to connect academia with vivid mediums of storytelling, such as film, as well as projects for peacebuilding, linking the divide between urban and rural leaders and citizens for constructive dialogue and action plans.

…it’s often in the darkest corners of the world, where we find the greatest capacity for humanity and love and creativity. - Gwen Burnyeat

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The author and guest on the Well Tempered Podcast, Gwen Burnyeat

Themes discussed in this episode: - From literature to transitional justice; Gwen’s arrival to Colombia in 2010- The almost half century history of conflict, forced displacement, and victimization of many Colombian citizens- Economic interests of the region of Urabá, Colombia and natural resources of the zone surrounding San José de Apartadó - The community develops creative concepts to protect themselves; declaring neutrality on March 23, 1997- Interest in telling this story through the frame of organic cacao — by tracing the history of their cocoa growing and practices, one can trace their political history and experience - Failure of previous crops to take hold as a viable economic source/cash crop- Using a local beverage and dialogue to connect capital city consciousness with rural realities through ‘Peace Breakfasts’, hosted by Gwen's peacebuilding organization Embrace Dialogue (Rodeemos el Diálogo, ReD)- Selling a product as a holistic story, and utilizing the visceral multi-sensorial nature of a product to relay experiences consumers will find important value in- The future of academia and brands, and exploration into ethical business - How to think and ask about the culture of the region. Who these people are, what values are important to them? Beyond getting a good price for a product - Case study of Lush Cosmetics; why overall the community perceived this commercial relationship as better and more direct than other attempts and partnerships"- Consumers looking more closely about what and how we consume, and if in our food and CPG products we are supporting violence or human rights - Current climate in the Peace Community and surrounding region, as well as a political update

…we could all stand to know better where our food comes from… because it is often the people that are producing our food who are living in the midst of violence, and so we are connected to that violence in a way we are unconscious of. - Gwen Burnyeat

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One of the protagonists of the film Doña Brígida González. Photo credit: Pablo Mejía Trujillo

Related Links: NGO Gwen volunteered with in Urabá; Peace Brigades International (PBI Colombia)ChocoPaz Artisinal chocolate made by the Peace Community Peace Pioneers campaign by Lush featuring the community of San José de Apartadó Where to find Gwen Burnyeat and her work: Buy the book. 'Chocolate, Politics and Peace-Building: An Ethnography of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, Colombia published by Palgrave Macmillan Watch/screen the film, Chocolate of Peace, co-directed with Pablo Mejía Trujillo; Website Chocolate de PazFollow the film on Facebook Chocolate de PazFollow her on Twitter: @GwenBurnyeat Read her posts at the LSE blog What chocolate would Gwen take to the Cosmos? The artisanal ground chocolate produced by the community called Chocopaz (also sold in varios outlets in Bogotá), Colombian breakfast hot chocolate with cinnamon, panela & soy milk prepared by Lolita (from the Peace Breakfasts at Restaurante Lapingachos), & thirdly, ‘ethical, vegan, alternative, & different’ chocolates.

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A member of the Peace Community collects cacao pods for processing into beans for export. Photo credit: Pablo Mejía Trujillo

**Bonus content**At the end of this Well Tempered episode we hear from bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker Geordan Spicer from Kin+Pod Chocolates in Calgary, Canada as she tackles her views on nomenclature in the craft chocolate industry, especially regarding packaging and definitions important to consumers.

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Episode description: From a young age Lawren Askinosie has been a driving force in the branding and everyday running of Askinosie Chocolate; from developing website copy at the dawn of the business to current strategic goals, short/long term sales plans that serve their 1000 retailers, as well community efforts. Alongside her father, Shawn Askinosie, they go beyond traditional bonds, having co-authored the 2017 book ‘Meaningful Work: A Quest To Do Great Business, Find Your Calling And Feed Your Soul’. They continue to innovate and delight the market with well-crafted and mission focused products, holding to their collective vocation of ‘Making the best chocolate possible and doing the most good possible.’

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Lawren with her father and business partner Shawn Askinosie. photo credit: Askinosie Chocolate

“your vocation is the intersection of your passion, your talents, and what the world needs”

Items discussed in this episode: - Lawren’s role in creating and living company ethos- Askinosie’s relationship to culture and marketing visionary Seth Godin - 3 year process of writing ‘Meaningful Work’ - Your personal vocation aligning with your business vocation, and how to face small business challenges with your vocational filter- The ever-changing chocolate and consumer landscape, 2007 to now - How they educate on direct trade & consumers’ newfound knowledge- Transparency and benchmarks, making case for $10-15 chocolate bars - Their new 88% ‘Super Dark Blend’ their first blend on the market, released in January 2019 (super-dark-blend-chocolate-bar.html">link to view) - Non-bar model for craft chocolate and making confections with shelf life in mind- Doing right by farmers & amplifying the voices of women in cocoa

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Cocoa farmer Monica Guaman holding (and featured on) the 72% Zamora, Amazonia dark chocolate bar by Askinosie. Photo credit: Askinosie Chocolate

Links discussed: This is Marketing by Seth GodinAkimbo podcast by Seth Godin balls.html">Malt Balls with Tanzanian craft chocolate bars.html">CollaBARation™ bars from Askinosie in partnership with brands such as Heath Ceramics, Zingerman’s Deli, and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream What chocolate would Lawren take to the Cosmos? A whole slew. A bar from Patric, Dandelion, Soma, French Broad Chocolates, not to miss chocolate donuts, and hazelnut chocolate spread with goat cheese on a baguette!

More from Lawren* and Askinosie: university.html">Chocolate University program a part of Askinosie’s way of doing business since 2009report.html">2017 Transparency Report, including: advance payments to partners without interest, profit sharing, & total pay to farmersEmpowered Girls & Enlightened Boys programs; both teach self esteem, life skills, sex education and non-violence empowering ways to go through life. Read more about these at Shawn Askinosie’s blog. *In coming weeks, Lawren will share news about a feminine hygiene initiative she’s been spearheading.Website: Askinosie Instagram: @askinosieTwitter:  @askinosieFacebook: askinosie.chocolate

Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate (now in Barcelona, Spain): Instagram: @wkndchocolate @welltemperedpodcast Facebook: WKND Chocolate Email: podcast@wkndchocolate.com

Join us at the Mujeres Milagros retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico May 13-16!

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