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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Description: Welcome to the final episode of 2018 featuring Julia Zotter of Zotter Chocolates (Zotter Schokoladen Manufaktur) based in Riegersburg, Austria. Their company story is an incredible one of persistence, creativity, and thinking way outside the chocolate box; over the last almost four decades, they turned their humble pastry shop into a bean-to-bar factory, visitor center, farm-to-lunch operation, and more, with over 400 craft chocolate confection bars actively available on the shelves (but who’s counting?! as you’ll hear from the episode). Not to mention international presence, as Julia created from the ground-up the first interactive and visitable food experience in Shanghai, China, and when she was 25.

This episode closes out our mini-series on cocoa innovation, through which we got to know 5 brands utilizing various stages of cocoa and cacao in production, as well as unique business concepts to push their businesses forward in this craft chocolate renaissance.

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Julia Zotter photo credit: Zotter Chocolates

Themes discussed in this episode of Well Tempered, the podcast about the smart, crafty, and creative women in chocolate: 

• Introducing brand qualities and company ethics to new (craft) chocolate fans

• The Zotter family history; co-founders and husband and wife Josef and Ulrike Zotter, and children Julia, Michael, and Valerie

• The benefit of home court advantage, and value of offering variety & experiences to customers

• Organic + Fairtrade (WFTO) certifications that gave permanency to the brand

• The concept of the ‘Chocolate Theatre’ and chocolate as a destination to understand the world around you

• Scaling up an intensive manual labor-needed product (hand-scooped chocolates)

• Julia’s learnings from launching a chocolate business in China, and more international contemplations

• Research and fun, over R+D

• Machinery in the age of small and medium sized chocolate companies

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CraftAct singular variety and origin chocolate bars by Julia Zotter photo credit: Zotter Chocolate

Related links: theatre-shanghai.html">Information and photos from the Shanghai Zotter factoryMore on the new Zotter ‘Fair’ logo and practicesZotter's pieces of innovation discussed in the podcast:

• €18,000,000 bean-to-bar production facility and chocolate “theme park”

• Over 400 (current) flavor combinations

• Experiential & experimental elements of the company

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The Zotter Family, left to right, Michael, Julia, Josef, & Ulrike photo credit: Zotter Chocolate

Where to find Zotter:Zotter Austria https://www.zotter.at/en // Zotter China www.zotter.cn/en/ // Zotter USA https://www.zotterusa.com/The Zotter company website is meticulously maintained. I encourage you to spend some time reading through various facets of their business and offerings, almost updated daily. Instagram @zotterschokoladenInstagram @zotterjuliaFacebook page https://www.facebook.com/zotterschokolade/

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Description: Sophie Jewett is founder of York Cocoa House (closed in 2019) and York Cocoa Works, both namesake chocolate shops, cafes, and the latter a bean-to-bar chocolate factory in operation since October 2018, and which serves as an homage to how they used to make this beloved confection in York's storied mercantile past. She's led project ideation and management since 2011. After studying the landscape and proposing such an endeavor to investors and local food aficionados, she's managed building renovation, equipment, directly traded suppliers & team curation within the past year. Her researched and pitched plan won a mentorship with British TV personality Deborah Meaden, and near 500 investors put in £411,480 in total to take the concept from blueprint to reality. Her aptitude for economics, sociology, and adoration for York's prestige as an incredibly important hub for cocoa in the world, have molded her view on what the future of chocolate in York will look like, and is actively setting the tone.  

When not making chocolate, acquiring food history knowledge, or managing the day-in and day-out of managerial roles at YCW/H, Sophie is (in her words), not doing a great deal of anything else, “(I’m) incredibly fortunate to have made my interests into my business, so while I might be sewing, designing, crafting, cooking or reading, everything is intensely chocolate focused.”

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Sophie Jewett, founder of York Cocoa House and York Cocoa Works. Photo credit: Sophie Jewett

Themes discussed in this episode: 

• Pub culture as chocolate/coffee shop culture, and vice versa

• York as a medieval capital of the north and hub for the spice trade & other mercantile

• Merchants/ guilds/ apprenticeships, and the modern take on these concepts   

• Confectioners and impact of Quakers values in business: such as Rowntree

• Experiential over standard consumption

• What happens to a brand/company when accountants take over the vision and responsibility

• Finding a balance of offerings when there is no consensus of “the best”

• The Big Mac Index from The Economist 

• Customers feeling a part of the industry; empowering their choices and taking an active role in its future

“…because I really believe if we are to structure the industry in the right way, it needs to have wider stakeholder/shareholder engagement, and it needs to not just be about one person's mission”. - Sophie Jewett 

Related links: Joseph Terry of Terry’s in York "the true ties of an indian drink?"  - h.htm">Chocolate: or, An Indian Drinke, by Antonio Colmenero de Ledesma Hot chocolate as Dr William Salmon would have taken it with wine Betty's of York, Yorkshire TeaYorkshire Blue cheese by Shepherd’s PurseWhere to find Sophie and York Cocoa WorksWebsite: York Cocoa WorksFacebook: York Cocoa WorksTwitter: @YorkCocoaWorksInstagram: @YorkCocoaWrks Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate and Twitter: @wkndchocolateChocolate recipes, interviews, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

** If you’ve enjoyed this or other episodes of Well Tempered, please consider leaving an iTunes review to ensure this project can continue **

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Description: Joanna Brennan is the featured guest of the Well Tempered mini-series focusing on 'Cocoa Innovation.' She is Co-Founder of Pump Street Bakery and Pump Street Chocolate in Orford, Suffolk, England. In my humble opinion, there is hardly a more perfect pairing than bread and chocolate, deeply comforting and nostalgic. Alongside her father Chris Brennan, Joanna and staff have been leading the craft chocolate and artisan bread category since 2010. With their steadfast attention to detail, bread made by hand, and transparent relationships w/ owner-operated estates, farms and co-operatives for their, it made perfect sense for them to intersect both passions and crafts. Listen in as we talk about the charm of the English countryside, local pastries, running an internationally known family business, and fine inimitable 2 or 3 ingredient chocolate as a main ingredient for chefs. 

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Joanna Brennan Co-Founder of Pump Street Bakery & Chocolate (photo credit: Pump Street)

Themes discussed in this episode:

• Launching a slow food business as the bread renaissance was picking up in the UK

• Building the brand and business of a destination artisan bread bakery

• The parallels between bread and chocolate; & how knowing one inside-out helped asking the right questions for sourcing, fermentation, building farmer relationships, etc.

• Single origin vs blends in bread and chocolate - consistency and highlighting farmer partners/terroir

• Crop/harvest year on packaging; what consumers are starting to notice and request

• International distribution, an organic part of Pump Street's growth

• Introducing ice cream into cafe menu. (They serve Eccles & Armagnac, sour dough bread crumb, nutmeg - using nutmeg from Crayfish Bay, single origin Madagascar chocolate, & sorbet.)

• Logical advancement in their business model; if using chocolate in bread, why not adding bread to chocolate?

• An exciting conversation to have...craft chocolate for chefs and pastry professionals (Pump Street serves 15 London restaurants as of Summer 2018) & how to speak to chefs in that :their: craft chocolate differs in temperature when tempering in comparison to the couverture that the industry is used to

“chocolate is one of the final frontiers for chefs”

Sound Bites by Joanna: - In regard to holiday-taking, do it! Set aside time to take a vacation/rest and most importantly, set an auto-response email letting others know you're OOO so that reply expectations are set beforehand- International distribution. Intentionally thinking about the long-game and if your business can afford to offer a distributor price, and still succeed as a business- On packaging development: "I was very conscious that it was going to have to speak for itself on the shelf when I wasn't there standing behind the counter.....(but) the judgment of the chocolate should be in the eating." Pump Street opted for enchanting potential customers with intrigue and quality without being too loud (in packaging colors/design).  

Related links: Eccles cakes, a historically Lancashire currant filled puff pastry Local pastry chef & author Henrietta Inman works with Pump Street Chocolate for her baking recipesBreadCrumbs; a podcast I am absolutely enthralled with as of late, by the Modernist Bread team. Eight part series interviewing artisans, millers, scientists, food historians, and more important players in the world of bread

Directly traded cacao (talked about in the episode):Desmond Jadusingh cocoa farmer & owner of Bachelor's Hall Estate Jamaica (single farm) Kim and Lylette Russell of Crayfish Bay, Grenadaorganic.com/">Bertil Åkesson, owner of the well known cocoa and pepper estate in Madagascar

Pump Street links:Website Facebook Pump Street BakeryTwitter @PumpStBakeryInstagram @PumpStBakery & @PumpStChocolate(my pick) 60% Ecuador Dark Milk 'Rye Crumb, Milk & Sea Salt' *Look out for rare-batch subscription services and further international shipping in the near future!*Visit their cafe & bakery: 1 Pump Street Orford, Suffolk, IP12 2LZ

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

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Description: As part of a mini-series on innovation in cocoa and craft chocolate, I interview Susan Brown artist and creator of Mademoiselle Miel. After ditching processed sugar from her life decades ago, she sought to replicate her favorite recipes with pure honey. When demand outpaced supply, she undertook another challenge; acquire bees and beehives and supply her own honey for her production. Since 2011, Mademoiselle Miel has continued to incorporate beauty, art, and support local ecosystems, as well as educating on the benefits of bees and (ethical) cacao in our lives. Susan and her shop are based in Saint Paul, Minnesota; where she is inspired by upbringing, her natural surroundings, and collaborative community. Off the record Susan told me; "All I know for sure is that we need to take care of each other, and we need to take care of the bees, and that chocolate tastes good." But she had a lot more interesting things to say in the podcast, so have a listen! 

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Susan Brown of Mademoiselle Miel

Themes discussed in this episode of Well Tempered, the podcast about the smart, crafty, and creative women in chocolate: 

• Developing skills and interests at a young age and the quest or roles of parents/adults to push them forward

• A desired diet null of processed sugars & how a honey filled bonbon launched a chocolate (and honey!) company

• Tasting and pairing honey from the hive

• The importance of place for your business; what that means as far as geography, spirit, and mind

• The use of and power of words, e.g. from Susan's 'Garbage Collection,' a set of bonbons utilizing foodstuff that others may consider 'scraps' or 'trash' and how her clients might respond to the name/concept/taste

• What if consumers were considered appreciators?

• Finding a mentor in beekeeping

• Transformation and the act of change

Bees - how cool!- Roughly 60,000 bees per hive working together for one purpose; the eusocial society- Incredibly adaptable, they change roles (foragers, cleaners, nurses, guards, etc.) throughout their six week lifespan- A honeybee will produce 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey during their life

Related links: us-sci-hungry-bees.html">Once a hot spot for honeybees, the Northern Great Plains offers less wildflowers/food via NYT The Walker Art Center / Contemporary Art Museum in MinneapolisMademoiselle Miel's pieces of innovation:

• 100% single origin cacao enrobed bonbons with local honey collected on-site

• Using urban centers as honeybee sanctuaries; they works with 30 hives on 6 various downtown rooftops

• Included in her business plan is a section on 'Artistry' to be continuously reminded that it is a tenet of her daily work

Where to find Mademoiselle Miel: Mademoiselle Miel website & online shop. Find Honey Bonbons and Maple Sweetened Bean to Bar Chocolate at many fine retailers in Minnesota and Sugar Rush Sweet Shoppe in Irvine, Californa. Instagram @mademoisellemielFacebook @mademoisellemiel

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

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Description: From Mrs. Field's cookie-fame dreams to social corporate responsibility and on-the-ground commodity disruption, Kim Wilson has found her place in the innovative space of CPG food products utilizing cocoa beans with the new product Good King Snacking Cacao. Coming off of a 2017 Good Food Award for their 'Harmony' creation, Kim shares with us in this Well Tempered podcast episode her journey towards considering how to turn back the supply & value chain, and trailblaze a new category. She is based in Seattle, Washington and travels often to meet and train her sourcing partners in Indonesia and Honduras. 

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Kim Wilson Co-founder of Good King Snacking Cacao, photo credit: Kim Wilson

Themes discussed in this episode: - Moving from wine sales/marketing to cocoa- Kim's path to understanding where cocoa farming was at the time, and where the gaps were- Good King launched on realization 'we have to move the supply chain back' - How snacking cacao differs from cocoa nibs- Roasting cocoa beans after the shell has been removed- Why it's difficult for many origin regions to compete in chocolate making; lack of infrastructure, burden of weather patterns unfit for production, and missing market related to population or geography (competitive quadrant from her MBA) - Struggles of this new category; FDA processing and licensing, customers thinking cocoa beans are coffee beans- What else can be done with cacao, where will innovation go? - Finding affinity with cheese, the "savory version of milk chocolate" Good King's pieces of innovation: 

• Move supply chain back

• Make use for the smaller beans usually not requested by other chocolate makers

• Targeting certain cacao hybrids

• Let women lead; skills/dexterity of their hands, interest in the work, taking them out of potentially harmful scenarios, planting the seed for other entrepreneurial ventures

• Agricultural processor vs. Food processor and pioneering the groundwork for entry into the US

• Save time, invest locally; keep more of the manufacturing elements in country without decreasing nutrients of the raw bean or using up energy sources for processing

Where to find Kim and Good King: Good King Website Facebook: Good King CacaoInstagram: @GoodKingCacaoYoutube: Good King Snacking Cacao channel Don't miss Kim's acceptance speech for the 2017 Good Food Award in February 2018 in San Francisco on behalf of the Confections Category. Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqm8lrUiYEEWhere to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate and Twitter: @wkndchocolateChocolate recipes, interviews, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: For Rabbi Deborah Prinz, a serendipitous discovery whilst on vacation in France, spawned a new purpose driven career in chocolate. In all her years of studying Judaism, she'd never encountered the link to Jews in chocolate. Her book, On the Chocolate Trail: A Delicious Adventure Connecting Jews, Religions, History, Travel, Rituals and Recipes to the Magic of Cacao. brings to light the stories before overlooked in the history of this prized and beloved ingredient.  She counts almost thirty years in congregational work, almost 20 as Rabbi Emerita of Temple Adat Shalom, in San Diego County, California. She was awarded a Starkoff Fellowship and a Director’s Fellowship from the American Jewish Archives as well as a Gilder Lehrman Fellowship from the Rockefeller Library to do this research and hopes to continue her work on the chocolate trail with an emphasis on women's past and contemporary role in chocolate. She currently lectures about ethical chocolate and religion around the world.

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Photo credit: Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz

Themes discussed in this episode:

• Chocolate as a migrant food, the brief history of how cacao and the craft of chocolate traveled

• Jews as chocolate experts in France's culinary history

• Rebecca Gomez, who may have been the first female manufacturer (chocolate maker) in the American Colonies

• Women in chocolate throughout history, from Mesoamerica to today

• Chocolate in life and death, and rites of passage

• Ceremonial aspect of chocolate; such as Jews in New Spain (chocolate traders) whom welcomed the Sabbath on Friday night with chocolate, and in Curaçao they used chocolate for bris services (brit milah)

• Trade routes, how cacao/chocolate traveled via commerce and human resettlement

• Modern day enjoyment of chocolate on the Jewish table, as Jewish food & how Rabbi Prinz educates her congregations about finding ethical chocolate

• Traditions mimicking one another; appetite for chocolate through a universal set of stories, Passover & Easter similarities

• Easter eggs; were they first introduced by Jews?

• Chocolate in the form of deities, both lauded and controversial

• For makers: Gaining certifications for Kosher chocolate or Passover specific use (2 available, Ashkenazi and Sephardi versions, i.e. one that permits soy lecithin and another without)

Links from the episode: 

• 1662 decree from Pope Alexander VII that permitted drinking chocolate during Lent (see this link from Dr. Carla Martin's 'Chocolate Class' discussing this same topic)

• Chocolat film (2000) directed by Lasse Hallstrom

• Chocolate sculptures as art and controversy; Cosimo Cavallaro's Chocolate Jesus, and a blog post on the subject with videos

• Equal Exchange certified Fairly Traded Kosher for Passover chocolate, via the Jewish Fair Trade Project organized by Fair Trade Judaica & T'ruah: Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

• Barton's Bonbonniere from Vienna to New York; via The Atlantic "Barton's, or Barton's Bonbonniere as it was known under its original owners, is mostly remembered fondly as that chocolate from Passover" and a fun homage to the mid-century retro look at Modern Kiddo

Where to find more from Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz- Visit the website On The Chocolate Trail- Buy On The Chocolate Trail 2nd edition via Amazon - Rabbi Prinz's guide for Passover celebrations; Haggadah-for-a-Chocolate-Seder.pdf">A Haggadah for a Socially Responsible Chocolate Seder- Semi[te] Sweet: On Jews and Chocolate, museum exhibit co-curated by Rabbi Prinz and Warren KleinSocial Media: Facebook Rabbi Deborah PrinzTwitter @chocolatetrailInstagram @deborahrprinzWhere to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate and Twitter: @wkndchocolateChocolate recipes, interviews, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

Other mentions: Alma Chocolate in Portland, ORchocolate-fudge-cake.html">Chocolate Flourless Fudge Cake from Yotam OttolenghiPerfect for Passover Recipe; 'Forgotten Cookies'(posted with permission from the 2nd edition of On The Chocolate Trail)The chocolate bud, or "kiss," that tops each of these cookies created quite a stir among chocolate makers in the late 1800s and early 1900s as unraveled in the chapter. To ensure a good result, as our friend Rabbi Marianne Luijken Gevirtz said when sharing this recipe, "Don't peek while the cookies are in the warm oven!"Ingredients: 2 large egg white2/3 cup sugar1 cup chocolate chip, cocoa nibs, or both1 cup pecans, coarsely choppedPinch of salt (optional) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract30-40 chocolate buds or kissesQuantity: Makes about 35 cookiesInstructions: Pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff. Gently fold in the chocolate chip, and/or cocoa nibs, and nuts. Add the salt and vanilla. Drop teaspoonfuls onto the prepared sheets. Cap each cookie with a chocolate bud or kiss. Place the pans in the oven; after about 1 minute turn off the heat. Leave in the oven several hours or overnight. Carefully peel the cookies off the paper or foil using a spatula.  

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Description: Corinne Joachim-Sanon-Symietz is co-Founder and CEO for Les Chocolateries Askanya. With a degree in industrial engineering from the University of Michigan & a Wharton MBA, as well as drive, determination, and a love for her homeland, she launched Haiti's first specialty cacao bean-to-bar chocolate company, with products 100% grown and made in Haiti. In this Well Tempered chocolate podcast episode we look closer at: the impact her company has had on locals (especially through employing and empowering women), producing in a tropical climate & outside of the standard capital of industry/transportation, Port-au-Prince, as well as becoming an improbable chocolate entrepreneur. 

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Askanya Founder Corinne Joachim-Sanon-Symietz Photo credit: Les Chocolateries Askanya

Topics:- Childhood memories of traditional Haitian drinking chocolate- The devastating January 2010 earthquake* and how it impacted Corinne's family, life, and entrepreneurial direction- Building out a factory and training a team inside a residential house in Ouanaminthe, Haiti (north-eastern portion of the country on the border with the Dominican Republic)- Logistics of making and shipping chocolate in/from a tropical climate- Askanya currently has 10 full-time employees, 9 of their production staff is female- Creating diversified opportunities for farmers, incentivizing them and future generations to maintain the heritage of sustainable agricultural cultivation- The launch of her additional company G&S Cacao, focused on sourcing from 450 subsistence farmers in rural areas and collectively fermenting on-site; this set-up is accelerating producers' income to middle class by paying them ~6x more than bulk cocoa cost*we talk about the loss of life in this episode. If you have children or those sensitive to this material nearby, consider wearing headphones/earbuds. 

Corinne's goals in building the business: 1) Transform a Haitian agricultural crop2) Create blue collar jobs for a population that is ready and willing to work but has historically lacked tangible and fair opportunities3) Decentralize and diversify from logistical hub Port-au-Prince 

(Haiti produces 1% of the world's cocoa, exporting 4,400 tons a year; it was at its peak in the 1960s with 22,000 tons of cacao exported each year. Source: GreenBiz. Projects like Corinne's not only have the chance to increase production, valuing cocoa at a higher price than usual, but will keep more cacao in country for personal consumption.) 

Related links:- Haitian hot chocolate utilizing artisan/rustic cacao with anise and cinnamon. Chocolat pays (of the Haitian terroir), also known as chokola peyi in Haitian Creole (such as this recipe). - Other entrepreneurs changing the artisan landscape in Haiti; MyaBel craft cocktails & condiment sauces, Yve-Car Momperousse CEO and co-founder of Kreyol Essence- Askanya evolved from Aschersleben, Germany, Corinne's husband's hometown & geography of TroyMentors and consultants for Askanya: chocolat.com/">Chloe Doutre RousselMaria Fernanda di Giacobbe & Cacao de Origen, VenezuelaCharley Wheelock, Woodblock Chocolate, Oregon Dan O'Doherty Cacao Services

Follow Askanya & Corinne: Askanya's (multi-language) websiteAskanya on instagramAskanya on Facebook Askanya on TwitterWhere to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate and Twitter: @wkndchocolateChocolate recipes, interviews, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com Bonus: I love podcasts as it might be evident! One of my absolute favorites is 'On Being' with Krista Tippett. Just before launching this episode, a beautiful interview with flutist/musician Nathalie Joachim was released, 'Songs of Haiti's Women'; check it out, as an amazing complement to Corinne's episode. 

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Description: Jael Rattigan Co-CEO & Co-Founder of French Broad Chocolates is humble, smart, and super cool...the kind of cool with leather jackets and bangs, as if a modern (clothed) Bettie Page were making bonbons. Now she co-runs French Broad Chocolates, with 80 employees and growing, and a new chocolate factory expansion around the corner. Alice Medrich's Bittersweet launched her into following her chocolate journey until the day she proclaimed "chocolate is the thing that will make me happy." Local food philosophy has always played an important role in the businesses she co-creates, and even to this day, eleven years after settling in Asheville, North Carolina, FBC continues to take chocolate, food partnerships, and local community seriously. 

Jael's story is also deeply connected to her husband Dan Rattigan, partner in life and business. From rolling truffles to dropping out of grad school together, buying a 40 ft school bus and transforming it into a used-vegetable-oil-running-RV, from Minnesota to the southern coast of Costa Rica and back up towards NC, their love and business savvy blossomed along the way.

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Themes discussed in this episode: 

• Hitting the road with your passions onboard...literally

• The success of 'Bread & Chocolate' the Rattigan's first venture, a breakfast/lunch/dessert cafe with a from-scratch kitchen confirmed their obsession with making and sourcing directly

• Choosing Asheville, NC - great food scene, wonderful outdoor activities, local business support

• Moving from a chocolatier business model to a bean-to-bar 'chocolate lounge'

• Your business foundation outlasting you; long term planning & forecasting several years ahead

• Listening to customers, employees, trends

• Telling the story of chocolate & defining your company's manifesto as your North Star to communicate to employees and customers

• Scaling up to accommodate 12,000 square feet in a repurposed factory building, with a capacity of 70 metric tonnes of craft chocolate

• Certifications on chocolate, consumer learning curve & chocolate packaging

• Why partnerships of value are more import to FBC than exclusivity of an origin

• MBA of life vs an MBA degree

• Finding fulfillment in your ever changing roles as your business grows

• Distribution in Japan, a bean to bar specialty chocolate hotspot

• Bringing on investors & keeping up with quarterly reports

Relevant links from the episode: - B Lab, the non-profit behind certified B Corp businesses- Bien Cuit Brooklyn Bakery in Fast Company 

What chocolate Jael would take to the Cosmos: - her favorite chocolate chip cookie (which FBC will have plenty of in their future creamery space; you heard it here first!)- hazelnut dragees- a robust dark chocolate for "cosmic downtime" 

Jael & FBC's links:Website: French Broad ChocolatesTwitter: @FrenchBroadChocInstagram: @FrenchBroadChocolatesFacebook: French Broad Chocolate Lounge

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

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Episode description: Emily Stone is the new (and needed) kind of intermediary in the cocoa supply chain, a self-proclaimed ‘middlewoman’. She's positioned herself as a leader and innovator in the space by linking the craft / fine chocolate industry with an ever-growing portfolio of smallholder farmer partners in 6 Latin American and Caribbean countries, including indigenous communities in Belize and Guatemala. She's navigated organic certification models, antiquated commodity structures, and built a team of empowered changemakers - many of which women, all of this in favor of direct relationships, sustainable agroforestry landscapes, and centralized fermentation for high-quality fine flavor cacao. 

Eight years after co-founding Maya Mountain Cacao in 2010 (of which Uncommon Cocoa Group is the umbrella), Uncommon Cacao now connects more than 4,000+ direct relationships at origin with 150 chocolate companies across the world who import their certified organic dried cocoa beans to make single origin chocolates and confections. Studying sociology and Arabic at Georgetown University, she speaks Spanish and Q'eqchi Maya, and maintains economic justice, impact and transparency as canons of her work and life. She's appeared in Forbes, Huffington Post, and is a 2017 Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) 'Recognition of Excellence' winner for Outstanding Contribution at Origin in Sustainability of Fine Chocolate. 

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Photo credit: Erik Hammar

Themes discussed in this episode: - Where passion, serendipity, and Google searching collided to bring together Alex Whitmore of Taza and Emily- Creating smallholder farmer forward systems- Recognition of the hard work that farmers undertake daily and the longevity of the existence of their craft (cacao farming is not new)- Things to consider as a chocolate maker requesting samples or considering a new origin for your line-up- What to expect within an intermediary relationship, and what may or may not be consistent in your sourcing practices- Impacts of quality and sustainability improvements on farmers and radical transparency- Commodity market's price fall and how that image is affecting specialty cacao (which is not getting less costly, especially as origin countries continue to develop); the importance of de-commoditization- How your investment - regardless of purchasing power - in premium cacao translates- Meeting consumers where they are; Innovation in fine chocolate; clusters, bark, drinking chocolate, new product developmentLinks related to this episode:TR-2016.pdf">Uncommon Cacao's 2016 Transparency Report

Gualberto and Adriano of Oko Caribe, Dominican Republic and their commitment to reliable harvestsDaniel O'Doherty Founder and lead consultant at Cacao ServicesMutari drinking chocolate in Santa Cruz, California Versions of craft milk chocolates (and many award winning); French Broad's Malted Milk 44%, Chequessett Chocolate's Mass Bay Milk Bar 45%, Sirene Chocolate's Dark Milk bars 

What chocolates Emily would take to the Cosmos: - Cahabon Guatemala 70% by Dandelion Chocolate - Lachua & Asochivite, Guatemala chocolate by Raaka in their January 2018 First Nibs subscription box- 72% Toledo, Belize (Maya Mountain Cacao) by Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate More from Emily & the Uncommon Team: Uncommon Cacao's websiteInstagramTwitterFacebookWhere to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate and Twitter: @wkndchocolateChocolate recipes, interviews, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

Are you a woman in chocolate? Please add yourself and your colleagues and/or employees to the global database of #womeninchocolate via https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WRRCN6jeel-Doxnr-mnbhr4idrBbzIKwszjNBycj0P0/edit?usp=sharing

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Description: From touring rock singer to speech-language pathologist, to ordained minister, and the many lives thereafter, Rev. Dr. RM Peluso has made a career of combining her passions, mindfully. She cut her chops over a decade ago as a fine chocolate reviewer for the C-Spot, and from there went on to incorporate both a chocolate and meditation practice to her congregations hinging on new school tactics (she says after all, "...there's nothing more New World than chocolate..,"). She is most recently the author of the Deep Tasting Guide™ series; she lives in New York City with her husband and pooch (which you will hear a couple of times in the episode). Whiskey has captivated her attention as of late and in the latest book - that we discuss in detail in the show - she follows the grain trail to gloriously complement her tried and true chocolate journey. 

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Photo credit: RM Peluso

Themes discussed in this episode: 

• Combining chocolate and meditation & bringing chocolate to a spiritual community

• Methodology for pairings using flavor profiles; why is it a good pairing?

• Where does whiskey's flavor come from?; material of stills, yeasts, wood, etc. ~70% of flavor is maturation

• How aging reflects final price to consumer

• Hype; what validates a great bottle or wonderful chocolate?

• Deceptive packaging and the other way around

• Pilgrimages to chocolate & whiskey towns

Related links form the episode: 

American Craft Spirits Association

spot.com/">The C-spot founded by Mark Christian

The Pew Research Center

Pappy Van Winkle

Soma Chocolatemaker in Toronto, Canada (founders Cynthia Leung & David Castellan) 

Fresh Coast Chocolate & Mammoth Distilling in Traverse City, Michigan

Dr. Peluso's Links:

Website: Chocolate Tasting Meditation™ / CTM™ (chocolate-tasting-meditation.com/">http://www.ctm-chocolate-tasting-meditation.com/)

Books: Deep Tasting: A Chocolate Lover's Guide to Meditation

Deep Tasting: Chocolate & Whiskey- Special offer from the author; signed limited edition with color pages not available through online retailers. Email revrmpeluso@gmail.com to arrange; same retail price as the commercial edition plus at-cost shipping charges via choice of delivery options.Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate and Twitter: @wkndchocolateChocolate recipes, interviews, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: Emily co-creator of and head photographer of Cacao Review, an e-commerce craft chocolate website, and now home to the first multiple-maker micro-batch chocolate collection, shares on this minisode of Well Tempered her chocolate journey from bean-to-bar-to-club. Starting with the Amano 'Dios Rios' chocolate bar (introduced through Brian Ruggles of the Utah Chocolate Society) to launching her own business around this beloved ingredient and community of makers and tasters, this episode is full of juicy tidbits in under 20 minutes.

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Themes discussed in this minisode:- Expanding your business and greater idea concepts from a social media beginning- How limited edition bars from various makers were created with synergy; 200 bars each maker this time around- The very first roasted Raaka bar in collaboration with brand manager William Mullan- Learnings for a second collection launch in 2018- Not to be missed holiday traditions

Support Cacao Review's Chocolate Collections Kickstarter campaign running through November 30, 2017

Cacao Review's micro-batch limited edition club (Collection #1) is comprised of:Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate (listen to the Well Tempered podcast featuring Deanna)Durci Eat Chic ChocolatesMap Chocolate (Owner and chocolate maker Mackenzie Rivers was a Well Tempered podcast guest) Raaka Solstice Chocolate

Where to find more from Emily and Cacao ReviewCacao Review Instagram @cacaoreviewCacao Review Facebook @cacaoreviewCacao Review Twitter @cacaoreviewsWhere to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate and Twitter: @wkndchocolateChocolate recipes, interviews, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: Arcelia has had a profound impact on the communities around her - always taking into consideration the needs of the people and being infinitely generous with her knowledge, contacts, and resources. For her, the realization that chocolate was born in Mexico, her parent's birthplace, propelled her into learning the history of chocolate and becoming immersed in the world of cacao. She's studied as a chocolatier (under the likes of Shawn Williams of Feve Artisan), opened a successful Latin-foods inspired chocolate shop in Northern California, and trained in 'bean to bar' chocolate making under the direction of Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco, which firmly launched her into a career promoting craft chocolate. Now in her new home of São Paulo, Brazil, she's since initiated the Association of Brazilian Chocolate Makers / Bean to Bar Brasil (Associação do Chocolate do Cacau à Barra), and gathered numerous international figures and chocolate makers to catalyst her adopted country's cacao scene into the future.

Update 2019: she is now president of the Associação Bean to Bar Brasil, Co-Chair of the Good Food Awards (Chocolate) in San Francisco, California, and judge for the NorthWest Chocolate Festival Awards in Seattle, Washington.

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Photo: Felipe Rau // Estadão

Themes discussed in this episode: - How researching the origins of drinking chocolate launched a career in the industry- Getting into bean-to-bar from chocolatier'ing- Accessibility, pros and cons, as well as learnings from making chocolate at origin (cocoa bean sourcing, relationships, equipment, chocolate packaging)- Brazilian Biomes project, homage to seldom known about ingredients that will complement cacao- The organic fast-paced growth of bean to bar interest in Brazil; some 40 new makers in last two years & and their community efforts to consolidate events, awards, and camaraderie of the movement- Her work teaching indigenous women to make chocolate, such as the Zapotec women in Oaxaca, Maya women in Guatemala and Belize, and Ngäbe women in PanamaLinks related to episode:Arcelia will speak at the NW Chocolate Festival 'Game of Biomes: Chocolate with wild fruits and nuts of Brazil' workshop' Saturday November 11th 1-2:00PM Bean to Bar Association of Brazil (in Portuguese: Associação do Chocolate do Cacau à Barra)AMMA Chocolates in Bahia Casa de Chocolates in Berkeley, California -- Arcelia was a founding partner of the shopWhat chocolates Arcelia would take to the Cosmos: - Patric Madagascar 67% Dark Chocolate (available for order via Chocolopolis)- Dark chocolate covered brazil nuts- Her Mission Chocolate Candied Cupuaçu Dark Chocolate Bar Where to find Mission ChocolateIn the US:New York -- sue.com/">Roni-Sue's in LES and The Meadow West Village location (which carries the cupuaca bar) California -- Chocolate Covered San Francisco In Mexico: Mucho Museo del ChocolateIn Brazil: Sweet Shop  

#WomenInChocolate BrazilBaiani Chocolates (listen to Juliana in Well Tempered Episode 16)Chocolat du Jour; by Claudia using Vale do Juliana cocoa beansChocolatras Online; Zelia is the premier cacao/craft chocolate blogger in the countryDona Nena; sells her tree to bar rustic chocolate to D.O.M, Alex Atala's groundbreaking Brazilian ingredient focused restaurantGallette Chocolates Luisa Abram ChocolatesNugali Chocolates (winners of 2017 International Chocolate Awards, Bronze for Dark chocolate (63% cocoa) w/ Cupuaçu Brittle)Raros Fazedores de Chocolate Brasil; utilizes unique Amazonian spices and originsMore from Arcelia: Mission Chocolate websiteArcelia Gallardo // Mission Chocolate InstagramContact her directly regarding bean to bar classes in Brazil, questions surrounding the Association of Bean to Bar Chocolate Makers in Brazil. Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate and Twitter: @wkndchocolateChocolate recipes, interviews, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: Juliana casually told me during our interview that she was a singer. A little YouTube digging led me to videos of her with hundreds of thousands of views. She's a modern day Bossa Nova queen! Native of Bahia, Brazil, in this episode of Well Tempered, the podcast about the smart, creative and crafty women in the chocolate industry, she shares the entrepreneurial journey to launch a fine cacao company on storied family land, as well as zeal for being part of a movement that is just getting started. They keep dreaming, with plans to build-out an eco-tourism piece of their business, and tree-to-bar chocolate company (Baianí) utilizing cocoa beans from their farm (fazenda) Vale Potumuju. 

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Tuta and Juliana of Vale Potumuju (photo credit: Dan O'Doherty, Cacao Services)

Themes discussed in the episode: - How they settled on the idea of renovating formally 'Fazenda Santa Rita' (purchased in 1973) to Vale P.otumuju and the businesses and social projects that emerged from that move; both sides of the families have been in cacao in Brazil since the early 1900s- Balancing 110 hectares of cacao between a standardized commodities market and the flourishing craft chocolate market (some direct trade), of which 40-60 hectares are of fine quality cacao (the rest of their land is a Mata Atlântica rainforest preserve, where they will replant various biodiverse trees to maintain vibrance of rainforest)- Adjustments to climate change - on the farm and via the supplier market; finding new clones and varieties to best succeed- Juliana and Tuta consulted Daniel O'Doherty of Cacao Services to catapult their operation and fermentation/post-harvesting practices to their optimal place- They are interested in creating and maintaining a "direct line farm-to-maker” model, an example of this is their partnership with Manoa Chocolate in Hawaii- Their commitment to preservation, transparency, and a new wave of entrepreneurship in the cacao sector in Latin America

“...the Cabruca system" that has been in place for more than a century at our region is being kept, so all our cacao orchards are under the shade of the local “Mata Atlântica” rainforest. A tree canopy composed of a variety of hardwood and exotic fruit trees, some only found here." - Tuta Aquino, Vale Potumuju

Related Links:- Witches Broom fungus; a documentary in Portuguese 'O no Ato humano deliberado' & also read more in the book Raising the Bar by Pam Williams and Jim Eber - A menor fabrica de chocolate do mundo (Estadao article about young pioneer Luisa Abram that catapulted her to the public eye in Brazil)- Cacao community; Greg D'Alesandre of Dandelion Chocolate motivated them to start their own chocolate line

What craft chocolates Juliana would take to the Cosmos: Marou Chocolate (podcast on Marou), chocolate.myshopify.com/products/honduras-la-masica-70-dark">Letterpress' Honduras, Luisa Abram's Rio Acara

Where to listen to Juliana! Juliana Aquino on Spotify Amazon Music: Disco Bossa & 2xBossaMore from Juliana (and Tuta): Vale Potumuju / Prime Cacao websiteBaiani Chocolates websiteFacebook Vale Potumuju Instagram Vale Potumuju // Instagram Baiani ChocolatesWhere to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate and Twitter: @wkndchocolateChocolate recipes, interviews, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: Katie Gilmer Pon has fallen for both coffee and cocoa; over the past decade she's spilt her professional career between both industries working with companies such as Sustainable Harvest, TCHO Chocolate, and most recently as General Manager of La Minita Coffee.  On this episode of Well Tempered, she leads us through what makes specialty coffee unique and distinctive to cocoa, and also similar as an agricultural crop grown in at times the same regions, drawing from day-to-day learnings and what she's witnessed in the field. Her strong suites include: sensory analysis, green coffee buying, and community projects. We thank her for sharing her passion and knowledge. 

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Photo credit: Katie Gilmer Pon

Themes discussed in this episode: (in a nutshell: Raw Ingredient Evaluation, Farmer Equity, Machines, Community, Product Innovation, Millennials)- Her work with the 'TCHO Source Program' - and how her coffee knowledge then and now prepared her sensory skills for both worlds- Means of evaluating samples of cocoa and coffee- Direct trade: & how generally the blanket term doesn't encompass the nuances of operating a commodity in logistic based societies- Landscape is changing; 15-20 years ahead of cocoa, coffee is going through a resurgence of small roasters after some major acquisitions in recent years- Trends in the industries: cacao.com/">ceremonial cacao (Jonas of Firefly Cacao), bullet proof coffee/cocoa, cold brew, 100% cacao bars (sugar free confections)

Other links: TR-2016.pdf">Uncommon Cacao 2016 Transparency Report  Taza Chocolate 2016 Transparency Report Kokoa Kamili (cacao) social enterprise in Tanzania, distributed by Meridian Cacao- celebrates-women-coffee-roasters-112558.html">#shestheroaster recognizing female roasters in coffee

Various key takeaways:

In coffee, elevation has an enormous impact on maturation and acidityIn cocoa,  while terroir impacts flavor, genetics, fermentation (and other post-harvesting processes) have an even greater influence on final taste (later comes the maker's touch, which will also play a role)

The fruit is the coffee cherry (shape of a small grape) & like cocoa the 'beans' are covered in a mucilage- Washed, Natural, and Honey-processed (outer fruit is removed, but mucilage is left on when dried) coffees are the most commonly sold variations of 'green coffee- both mechanical and sun-dried means are employed in various climates to dry the coffee (same as cocoa with a preference falling on sun-dried for most chocolate makers)

Tasting & Evaluating CoffeeCounter Culture flavor wheel

Coffee upping protocols by the SCAA 

Q Grader system by the Coffee Qualtiy Institute  

CocoaFCCI 'Cacao Grader Intensive' with Dr. Carla Martin; upcoming course is January 17-19, 2018 in San Francisco, CA- read about Greg D'Alesandre of Dandelion Chocolate using the FCCI Protocol at origin

International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting: courses in tasting and sensory analysisTCHO Chocolate's sensory methods profiled by Megan Giller of Chocolate NoiseSpider graphs in relation to roasting profiles of cocoa from Chocolate Alchemy

 

Where can one learn more about cacao genetics? 

Juan Carlos (JC) Motamayor- Geographic and Genetic Population Differentiation of the Amazonian Chocolate Tree - The Genome of Theobroma Cacao

The cacao Criollo genome v2.0

spot.com/atlas/chocolate-strains/">The C-Spot: Chocolate Strains

The Genetic Diversity of Cacao and its Utilization by B G D Bartley

The New Taste of Chocolate Revised by Maricel Presilla 

 

Fine chocolates Katie would take to the Comos: a classic Ecuador, Fruition Chocolate's 100% bar, TCHO 53% MilkFind more from Katie:- writings at MediumWhere to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate and Twitter: @wkndchocolateChocolate recipes, interviews, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: Food writer, journalist, and now author of the latest book revealing the cast of characters and intricacies of the burgeoning artisan chocolate scene, Megan Giller shares her story on this Well Tempered women-in-chocolate podcast.  A Texan native, she now resides in Brooklyn, NY and loves all of the chocolate...she hosts tastings and meet-ups known as  'Underground Chocolate Salons', and her work has appeared in the New York Times, Eater, Food & Wine, and Forbes to name a few. In 2016 - just a year after launch - her website ChocolateNoise.com was a finalist for the Saveur Blog Awards. October 2021 update: Megan has been leading virtual and in-person tastings in NYC and SF, learn more here.

July 2019 update: Her book, Bean-to-Bar: America’s Craft Chocolate Revolution has become a reference for chocolate educators around the globe. Since this podcast release, Megan interviewed me on her website, read my WKND Chocolate interview here.

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Photo credit: Sascha Reinking

Megan's book 'Bean-to-Bar Chocolate: America's Craft Chocolate Revolution: The Origins, the Makers, and the Mind-Blowing Flavors' is available now! 

Themes discussed in this episode: 

• Her start as a food writer

• Writing a book that she wished existed when she entered the scene

• How the Madagascar single origin swept her off her feet and launched a category

• Literally dreaming of craft chocolate -- the obsession and the curse

• Having to define terms within a maturing sector, with few solid references to work with

• Balancing social media into your life and profession

• Finding and writing for your tribe

Other links: 

- Dr. Kristy Leissle writing on the word 'artisan'; "...demonstrates that “artisan” has shifted away from denoting a labor class. Instead, it now suggests a community of producers and consumers who perceive shared priorities for this value chain."- Her article about 'women in chocolate' that acknowledges many (and counting) female makers, owners, and crafters

Three craft chocolates Megan would take to the Cosmos:1) Fruition Chocolate's Marañón Canyon Dark Milk 68% 2) chocolate-crunchy-sugar-crystals-vanilla-bean-collabaration-bar.html">Askinosie Dark Chocolate, Crunchy Sugar Crystals & Vanilla Bean (CollaBARation wih Zingerman's Deli) 3) Dandelion Chocolate 70% Mantuano, Venezuela 

Books/articles Megan is reading or recommends (other than hers!): 

• The Faraway Nearby (a non-chocolate-y memoir) by Rebecca Solnit

• Refined Tastes by Wendy A. Woloson

• The True History of Chocolate by Sophie D. and Michael D. Coe

• The New Taste of Chocolate (Revised) by Maricel Presilla

• Chocolate by Mort Rosenblum

• Chocolate, Women, Empire by Emma Robertson

 

Upcoming chocolate books being released the latter part of 2017 and into 2018- Dandelion Chocolate's 'Making Chocolate: From Bean to Bar to S'more' - Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul by Shawn & Lawren Askinosie- 1509513175.html">Cocoa by Kristy Leissle - A forthcoming chocolate and whiskey book by R.M Peluso, author of Deep Tasting: A Chocolate Lover's Guide to Meditation - Chocolate Alchemy: A Bean to Bar Primer by Kristen Hard (of Cacao Atlanta) 

Where to find more from Megan: Chocolate Noise websiteInstagram: @chocolatenoiseFacebook: @chocolatenoiseTwitter: @megangiller Email: megan@chocolatenoise.comBook a virtual chocolate tasting with Megan Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram & Twitter: @wkndchocolate New podcasts, chocolate recipes, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: Erin Andrews has been making chocolate since taking her family to Belize in 2008 to learn where chocolate came from. Recently, her brand indi chocolate, has launched a visible and working chocolate factory and cafe space in 'Marketfront' an offshoot of Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. Formerly a senior manager and CPA at PwC (Price Waterhouse Cooper), she's developed alongside her business, a passion for chocolate-making machines, and is one of the foremost distributors of chocolate refiners in the United States, leading thousands to take up bean to bar chocolate making. 

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Themes discussed in this episode:

• Starting a chocolate business and hiring at origin (impact of dollars on local economy) via her experience with Cottontree in Belize

• How she became a "machine geek" on the cusp of a boom of small-batch bean to bar movement

• Her coffee partnership with La Colombe

• Why certifications are not top priority when sourcing for indi chocolate & collaborative trade

• The power of people; your dream tenfold when you're hiring the right people

• Getting your customers to appreciate origin, and breaking the 'dark chocolate' myth

• Initiating a chocolate company in an unlikely way...with body care

• Group of 'no's'

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Photo credit: indi chocolate

Links from the episode:- Glenn Petriello (formerly of Glennmade Chocolate and now of Chocotastery) was hired by Erin to take the Head Chocolate Maker position at indi chocolate the summer of July '17- The story of how Marketfront was created around existing Pike Place Market, one of the world's premiere public markets- Montana Ironworks, designer of her railroad and transportation inspired table piece in the current space- Repurposed Pod, (since closed) cacao* juice in bottled format (*I can't confirm the varietal/genetics)  - Current indi single origins at the cafe (subject to change!); us.html">Matagalpa, Nicaragua from Gifford Laube, Hacienda Limon, Ecuador managed by Samuel von Rutte, Amazonas, Peru, & Marañón Chocolate (also Peru) managed and exported by Dan Pearson and Brian Horsley 

What Erin will take to the Cosmos: 1) cacao mucilage (also known as baba), commonly consumed as a drink (fresh cocoa beans straight from the pod are hung in a cheesecloth type fabric and rung dry)2) a 72% indi chocolate bar3) the yet to be discovered bean

More from indi indi chocolate WebsiteChocolate Making Machines & Replacement Parts

Social Media: indi chocolate on facebookindi chocolate on instagramindi chocolate on twitterWhere to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram & Twitter: @wkndchocolate New podcasts, chocolate recipes, and Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

An absolute joy to bring to Well Tempered the incredibly food-geeky and fun Vanessa Chang. A writer, consultant, and Certified Cheese Professional® she's energetic and serious about her craft with slice of snark, and it's near impossible not to fall in love with both cheese and chocolate with her informative and novice-to-experienced-friendly approach to enjoying and teaching about food. She leads many classes in food education surrounding the trilogy of her favorite things: specialty cheese, craft chocolate, and charcuterie, and writes on these subjects for national publications when she's not off hiking or getting outside. 

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photo credit: Vanessa Chang

Themes discussed in this episode:

• Vanessa recommends a suggested order for cheese and chocolate pairings

• How do you taste each cheese and chocolate pairing? Understanding texture, melt speeds, and temperature

• How does one pair dairy with dairy? (i.e. white or dark milk chocolates with cheese)

• Culinary approaches to fine chocolate & specialty cheese pairings

• Where to find high quality products for a successful pairing; boutique artisans

• Digital applications for cataloging tastings

Related links from this chocolate podcast episode: 

On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee  (recipe for Harold's goat cheese truffles also found in Maricel Presilla's formidable cacao & chocolate book 'New Taste of Chocolate' )

Dave Selden 33 Books Co. (tasting journals)

Hazel Lee's 'Taste with Colour' map

“In pairings...don’t be afraid of residual sugar when you have a stronger cheese...” (example: oloroso sherry with a washed-rind cheese) - Vanessa Chang”

Vanessa mentions local specialty food retailers* in various cities: 

Bay Area: Bi-rite Market, The Cheese School of San Francisco (where Vanessa teaches some classes)SLC: Caputo's Market & Deli (multiple locations)Austin: Antonelli'sPhilly: Di Bruno Bros.* not only are these retail outlets, but ::insider tip:: is this is where you can geek out with other cheese and ::some:: chocolate nerds

Cheese and chocolate pairings: 

::You don't have to follow our lead from this episode: the senses can become quickly saturated, we recommend no more than 4-5 pairings for your chocolate tasting event.::

Chocolate: Solstice Camino Verde 70% (notes: nutty, chocolate-y) Cheese: Italian Toma cheese or a US version from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, Trillium from VermontLook for: soft ripened cheeses (brie or triple cream), alpine cheeses, cheese with brown butter notesChocolate: Beau Cacao, Serian 72% Malaysian estate cacao, made in London (notes: molasses, dark dessert wine, charred barrel) Cheese: aged goat cheese such as a Valencay (or domestically found Vermont Creamery's Bonne Bouche) Look for: ash rinds, Loire Valley stylesChocolate: 80% Mashpi 'tree to bar' single farm chocolate from Ecuador (notes: wet earth, pour over coffee grounds)Cheese: Comté or a double aged gouda (think cheese-crystals.html">crystals), US gruyereLook for: think adding milk to coffee, a Spring Brook Farms Tarentaise type cheeseChocolate:  Perla Organic Chocolate, Olives & Sea Salt (notes: balanced sweet and savory tastes, buttery Nocellara olives), made in Quito, EcuadorCheese: sheep's milk, pecorino Toscano (various ages; 30 day is the most mild and might be great with inclusion chocolate bars), the Basque variety of Ossau-Iraty, or sheep's milk ricotta is also an interesting choiceLook for: nutty, butterscotch-y semi-hard cow's or sheep's milk (Manchego will also do)Chocolate: Fruition 43% Brown Butter Milk Chocolate (notes: toffee, roasted hazelnuts, caramel)Cheese: pungent washed-rind cheeses & blue cheeses like Caveman Blue by Rogue Creamery, as well as mixed milk Valdeon (Spanish blue cheese)Look for: saltiness and bite to cut/balance the brown butter sweetness, a Taleggio (known since Roman times) is OK tooChocolate: Willie's Cacao 'El Blanco' (notes: sweet cream, sugar cookies)Cheese: chèvreLook for: fresh cheeses, or cultured dairy such as crème fraîche Easy recipe: Melt white chocolate over a double boiler, mix with mascarpone or chèvre (to create a mock pudding)

More Links: local-chocolate-expert-Matt-Caputo-changed-the-face-of-Utahs-artisan-chocolate-scene.html">Matt Caputo heralds Vanessa as the impetus for his decision to start learning more about and stocking great craft chocolate at his markets and delis

More from Vanessa: Website: www.vanessachang.comInstagram: @vanessajchangTwitter: @VNessVanessa's Facebook PageMore from Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram / Twitter: @wkndchocolate New podcasts, Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

 

Chloe is the Research & Development Manager for Marou Chocolate based out of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Above all, she's currently responsible for monitoring the quality of Marou's chocolate, as well as cocoa bean quality, i.e. if the flavors or characteristics of the beans are changing month to month or week over week from the various regions in Vietnam that Marou has farmer partners with. She works closely with the production and development of new Marou chocolate bars as well as with the chefs at Maison Marou to create and perfect successful recipes for the public and cafe space(s). With this comes lots of testing at the Marou factory, through her own ingredient experimentation, or the staff's ideas and influence of local terroir. She even works on special events, for example most recently she made a few hundred s’mores for the US Consulate & Embassy. Marou is growing rapidly, thus Chloe's role could also be shifting in the coming months/years, but for now she's finding joy in being in the thick of it right at the source. 

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Photo credit: Chloe Stemler

Related themes links from the episode:- Chloe attended pastry school at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris - Orlando Lozada in Panama; farm is called Finca La Magnita, mentioned here- Masters program* through Erasmus Mundus entitled Agris Mundus, one year at the University of Copenhagen, and one year at Montpellier SupAgro, with an internship through the CIRAD (Francois Ruf as supervisor).- Marou works diligently to source local products so that their chocolate is "...a product that comes from Vietnam, made in Vietnam, with Vietnamese cacao"; their coffee comes from a specialty coffee roaster based in the highlands of Da Lat, and the coconut milk for their chocolate bars is made from fresh coconuts from the Ben Tre province. - Pomelo, durian, and dragonfruit are popular agricultural crops that diversify the land and selling power of some of the farms that Marou works with- Sourcing manager is Thuy Nguyen. She is in contact with all the farmers and selects the beans bag by bag on all of her sourcing trips.

*Chloe's research topic for her Masters was analyzing the results of fertilizer field trials conducted over 3 years on over 100 farmer plots across the cacao growing regions of Ivory Coast. Looking at how the different areas, agricultural practices, & soil characteristics affected the response to the fertilizer, as well as farmers' reactions to applying fertilizer.

More links: Marou Chocolate's websiteInstagram: @marouchocolateTwitter: @marouchocolateFacebook: Marou, Faiseurs de Chocolat   Vimeo: Marou - Faiseurs de Chocolat  

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Now open: Maison Marou 'the house that chocolate built' in HCM CityHanoi.html">Maison Marou Hanoi has since opened since this podcast airingMore from Lauren Heineck host and creator of Well Tempered & chocolate maker/founder at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate @welltemperedpodcast Facebook: WKND Chocolate Pinterest: WKND ChocolateEmail: podcast at wkndchocolate.com

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Maker, International Chocolate Judge, Educator, Creative & Social Media Connoisseur; Hazel is always discovering a new fascination or interacting in a distinct way within the world of cacao. She currently is a food product development specialist and dabbles in a whole slew of other awesome chocolate jobs, including having been a social media manger for the NW Chocolate Festival (November 11-12, 2017) and current industry consultant. Have a listen and catch the 'cacao love' bug! 

Update September 2019: When this podcast was recorded, Taste With Colour® was just coming into being. Two years since that date, the flavour map has been translated into various languages and Hazel continues to give lectures and workshops utilizing her method.

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Photo credit: Hazel Lee

“There was chocolate in the air...that’s when I truly fell in love with cacao.” - Hazel Lee”

Themes discussed in this episode:

• How Hazel lives a chocolate lifestyle

• Travel, volunteering, immersing oneself in and at cacao origins

• The importance of craft chocolate education for consumers --> bridging the gap between Lindt and fine chocolate

• Utilizing social media to build your tribe and make lasting connections

• Making bean to bar chocolate at home

• Hazel speaks for the first time on record about her Taste With Colour®: The Chocolate Tasting Flavour Map

Links from this podcast: Hazel's first taste of fine chocolate via Hotel Chocolat La Iguana Chocolate in Jaco, Costa Rica  Chocolate Alchemy; comprehensive resource for chocolate making and suppliesDuffy's Nicaliso Nicaraguan cacao chocolate bar Damson Chocolate by Dom Ramsey (now closed) a chocolate peer of Hazel's and book author, blogger, chocolate maker Willie's Cacao; persuaded Hazel to get the ubiquitous tabletop grinders that many chocolate makers use todayHB Ingredients; in the UK for cocoa bean supplyTanzanian cocoa from Kokoa Kamili Soklet Chocolate in India by Karthi & HarishThe Slow Melt podcast, 'Episode 7: The Craft of Chocolate'Hazel's recipe for Kuna Indian hot chocolate ---> Raaka Chocolate also wrote a post about this custom and the Kuna people

What 3 "chocolates" Hazel would take to the Cosmos: (A maker) Yoon Kim, The Smooth Chocolator(a filled chocolate) Triple Truffle by Jamie of JK Fine Chocolates(a thing) Fresh cacao! 

Where to find more from Hazel: Her personal website & shop for 'Taste with Colour'Instagram @hazel_chocTwitter: @hazel_choc

Also find Well Tempered on iTunes. If you appreciate this show and craft chocolate, please leave a review to help others find episodes and inspiration as well. Thank you so much! Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram/ Twitter: @wkndchocolate New podcasts, Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: On this episode of Well Tempered - the first podcast focused on chocolate & covering the smart, crafty, and creative women in the industry -  Pam Williams is the featured guest. Most famously known for founding Ecole Chocolat, where she and her team have helped many many people enter the world of chocolate making and becoming/succeeding as a chocolatier through their online courses and in-person events. With over 35 years of experience in the fine chocolate industry, we talk about it myriad topics as well as Pam's innumerable projects centered around fine chocolate and cacao. Thank you for listening! 

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Themes discussed in this episode:

• Difference between chocolate makers and chocolatiers

• How chocolatiers at Ecole Chocolat are instructed to research cacao origins & chocolate makers (all) for their future/present work

• Wider range of available 'good chocolate' against when she started as a chocolatier in the 1980s

• The importance of blends over single origin for chocolatiers recipes; stable/static vs fluid/changing harvest to harvest

• Paying farmers more - especially starting at the quality level (post-harvest, fermentation, cacao genetics)

• Pragmatism of running a business; money has to change hands

• Goal of the book 'Raising the Bar' -- no one knows what the future holds, but Pam hopes that it serves as a guide, and gives her students and readers a pause "to think about what they're doing in relation to what's happening out there, in our segment, the fine chocolate segment"

 

Related links from episode: - Dancing Lion Chocolate sources from scratch couverture from various boutique & small batch makers- Heirloom Cacao Preservation; They are hoping that with this organization they can make a difference for the farmers who are growing great tasting cacao, that the initiative brings better livelihoods to them, that they may continue to provide fine flavored cacao to the market, and most importantly that those trees' seeds are stored and cataloged in a collection (preferably in country) 

What chocolate Pam would take to the Cosmos:Madre Chocolate's 70% Kona bar; Gini Choobua grows and ferments cacao at Likao Kula - located near Kona on the Big Island of HawaiiFruition Chocolate 68% Maranon Canyon Dark MilkA sipping chocolate such as chocolate.com/valrhona-manjari-64.html">Valrhona Manjari

“...chocolate flavor is very very specific to the individual - the love of that flavor. - Pam Williams”

Extras: How to donate to HCP (Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund; tax deductible) cacao.html">March 2018 farm stay initiative in Hawaii from Ecole ChocolatRaising the Bar: The Future of Fine Chocolate on Amazon FCIA's recognition of excellence awards, including Pam Williams' 2011 'Outstanding Service to the Industry' awardraExtra Extra!: Find Pam & Ecole Chocolat on Twitter @EcoleChocolatInstagram @EcoleChocolat Facebook @EcoleChocolatEcole Chocolat' YouTube ChannelWhere to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate Twitter @wkndchocolateNew podcasts, Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.comFact Checking (examples of craft chocolate makers also making confections or providing couverture for others): 

• French Broad Chocolates in Asheville, NC produces all of their chocolate from the bean (including bars, ice cream, bonbons, and pastries)

• Soma Chocolatemaker in Toronto, Ontario, Canada creates a wide range of award winning single origin chocolate bars, truffles, bonbons, and ice cream (for their multiple locations and online purchase); their goal is to have everything be their own made-in-house chocolate from the bean. Mostly they use professional couverture for enrobing certain truffles.

• Map Chocolate (from Episode 7) is an example of a small batch chocolate maker that also makes custom couverture for pastry chefs, chocolatiers & restaurants

• Lillie Belle Farms in Oregon is an example of an artisan chocolatier and chocolate maker that is interested in one day moving to 100% production from the bean; they've recently invested in a 250kg melangeur (grinder) to assist that transition

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Carol Morse of Acalli Chocolate in New Orleans, Louisiana discovered craft chocolate due to her love of people and interest in anthropology, as well as her husband's work in archeology that introduced her to Latin and South American cacao producers. She currently sources from Norandino (the same cooperative that Well Tempered & Marañón Chocolate collaborated on for a GoFundMe campaign to send relief efforts to Peru). In her first year in business, her El Platanal bar received a 2015 Good Food Award. 

In this, the first minisode interview of the Well Tempered Chocolate Podcast, Carol & Lauren talk about mini-bars -- smaller chocolate bars (about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of standard large bars), that are becoming a more popular way to introduce consumers to.craft chocolate, and that are popping up in many coffee and retail shops around the country. Update: Acalli Chocolate closed their doors in winter of 2021.

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Themes discussed in the podcast: - advantages and disadvantages of mini-bars - consumer and retailer reaction- recipe development for varying chocolate products/sizes- highlighting geographical regions with your chocolate product line - packaging thought process & lessons learned 

Various retailers stocking Acalli Chocolate (aside from their online store of course!) World Foods in Portland Oregon Gryphon Coffee in Wayne, PAFrench Broad Chocolate Lounge in Asheville, NCThe Meadow in New York, NY & Portland, ORHoneycreeper Chocolate -- fine chocolate retailer in Alabama Find Carol & Acalli on Social Media: Instagram: @acallichocolateTwitter: @acallichocolate Where to find Lauren, founder and host of Well Tempered Media and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate New podcasts, Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: Pashmina Lalchandani is a craft chocolate advocate, internet marketer, CEO and co-founder of Bar & Cocoa (formerly Choco Rush), a fine chocolate subscription service mailed monthly to homes across the United States and international destinations. The Bar & Cocoa online site is home to numerous fine chocolate brands from around the world.  

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Themes discussed in this episode: - Why she set out to create this e-commerce chocolate business model- Her outlook on the state of the craft chocolate scene now, and what manufacturing inventions will grow the industry- Cacao varieties for package labeling and chocolate transparency - Appellations rather than the concept of terroir

Pashmina's 'To the Cosmos' Picks:Potomac Chocolate - 85% Upala, Costa Rica from Finca La AmistadRitual Chocolate Balao, Ecuador Map Chocolate, 'Chop Wood, Carry Water'; 73% Madagascar with cardamom & honeycomb

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Pashmina (on the left) in Costa Rica

Fact checking:- Pizzaiolos & Naples' 'Vera Pizza' guild/program that authenticates pizza makers processes and product- Rogue Chocolatier regarding starting his business after Scharffen Berger's acquisition - Dandelion Chocolate's reference to Scharffen Berger's move East- On on the topic of cacao strains; the most recent efforts and varieties from Camino Verde in Duran, Ecuador are listed via Meridian Cacao website   

Where to find Pashmina and Bar & Cocoa (formerly Choco Rush when this interview took place) : Website: Bar & Cocoa Twitter: Bar & CocoaFacebook: Bar & Cocoa Instagram: Bar & Cocoa

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

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Pleased to bring to you an interview and chat with Jasmine Lukuku, brand strategist, food blogger, and boutique design firm co-founder, based in Vancouver, Canada, who readily admits her healthy obsession with craft chocolate, especially through her work to help small food companies thrive aesthetically and strategically in a crowded marketplace. Update: Jasmine is acting! She started The Black Food Bloggers Club, a facebook group where black food bloggers can connect and work on improving their blogs. Fine out more: https://weloveblackfoodbloggers.com/

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Themes discussed: - Creating a system for chocolate tasting utilizing visual design cues intertwined w/ organoleptic principles- An elusive synthetic raspberry flavor note  - Finding your voice through more than simply writing- Repel clients/customers you don't want- Learn to create systems over content mills- Importance and intention of Pinterest for small food brands; a visual search engine- Ideology as a flavor; what appeals to a client from your brand values, while being both ethical & relatable- Packaging -- where to gather inspiration outside of your own industry

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Jasmine Lukuku via JasmineLukuku.com

Canadian Chocolate Makers mentioned in this Well Tempered Chocolate Podcast episode:East Van RoastersPalette de BineSireneSoma Chocolate MakersAdditional links from the episode:Blavity - "a tech company for forward thinking Black millennials pushing the boundaries of culture and the status quo."Rozsavolgyi - Hungarian bean to bar craft chocolate Chocolate to the Cosmos - Jasmine would take with her:Fortunato No. 4 from Marañón Chocolate (converted into chocolate via multiple makers)Soma Old School Dark BarSnickers Bar

Where to find Jasmine:Personal website JasmineLukuku.com Design/Branding Agency RXVPBlog TheBlenderist.comon Instagram @JasmineLukukuon Twitter @JasmineLukuku More from host Lauren: Writings, new chocolate podcasts and conversations at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Episode description: Sarah Hartman is Chief Chocolate Maker and co-owner at Harper Macaw in Washington, DC. Alongside her husband Colin, she co-founded this ambitious company on the premise of utilizing Brazilian cacao (from her homeland), whilst increasing awareness of and supporting on-the-ground efforts to conserve Atlantic rainforests. With nearly a decade of experience in the specialty chocolate industry - working at Dandelion Chocolate and studying under Ecole Chocolat programs - she has thrown herself into crafting deliciously accessible for the palate chocolates, employing and running a chocolate factory, as well as growing her own family.  Update: Sarah and her partner sold the business. Harper Macaw is still available in the DC region and beyond for purchase by their new owners and production specialists.

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Sarah hard at work at the Harper Macaw chocolate factory. Photo credit: Harper Macaw

Topics and where to find:14:56 her thoughts on CCN-51, cacao hybrid17:40 the Sarah Hartman 'Cork Board Method'20:01 being relevant year after year23:19 "going big or going home"26:29 working with your spouse or partner28:45 what traits are imperative for chocolate makers/chocolatiers33:47 use vehicles of communication (social, packaging, storytelling)38:18 mom chat - having a business & a baby

Links & facts from this Well Tempered episode: M. Libânio  -- cacao & agriculture sourcing in BrazilBahia & Amazon: Agroforestry and cabruca - two different systems/types of farming implemented within their farms. Sarah mentions that "agroforestry is 3x more affective in aiding biodiversity" -- here is an article highlighting that potential. Witches Broom fungus in Brazil, and how the country has rebounded, as well as how projects like Harper Macaw can reward local economies to continuing in the cacao trade More:Choosing certifications for chocolate: As with much in the third wave chocolate world, there is no protocol for brand or product development. For example USDA organic certification against Rain Forest Alliance; she suggests talking to everyone else in the industry who is using some form of certification to learn more.  "...Take a step back. What's your mission, what's your strategy, what are your plans to achieve them?"  - Sarah Hartman

Sarah's 'what would you take to the Cosmos' chocolates:Original beans Piura Porcelana52% Harper Macaw Milk BlendDick Taylor Limited Release 78% Vietnam Tien Giang 

Learn more about Harper Macaw: https://harpermacaw.com/our-story/Instagram: @HarperMacaw @VoteChocolateTwitter: @HarperMacawFacebook: @HaperMacawMore from Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolateFacebook: WKND Chocolate Email: (sans the spaces) podcast @ wkndchocolate.com

Find new episodes, chocolate recipes, and writings at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: On this 7th episode of Well Tempered, a chocolate-covered podcast, featuring the smart, crafty, and creative women in the industry, Lauren interviews Mackenzie Rivers, solo-preneur, head chocolate maker/recipe developer, wholesale account manager - you name it - of Map Chocolate in Oregon. From working on a personal project with David Packard (of Hewlett-Packard) to Grand Canyon tour guide, she is a tour de force and inspiration for the craft chocolate industry and women everywhere. Update Summer 2019: Mackenzie is opening a chocolatory and craft chocolate classroom workshop at 349 Main St Springfield, Oregon.

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 Themes discussed in this episode:

• Mackenzie's interest and body of work within writing, making, & the natural world

• How more makers in the industry will drive a more robust sector

• The importance of listening to your (maker's) intuition and your customers

• The 70% Craft Chocolate Playbook

• Her vision for the future of Map Chocolate (social projects, growth)

• How cacao holds the world together

Related links from episode: - :Elkhorn Slough, CA native grass restoration propagation project - Common Ground Farm, now called Create Common Ground; Mackenzie was a founding team member as Head Farmer- Life's Kitchen, Boise, ID (she coordinated a school lunch program for Riverstone International School with them)- Wampusirpi Honduran cocoa beans at Chocolate Alchemy- Flavors of Cacao; chocolate industry content and reviews- Rottar Chocolate Machines made by Sam Ratto, Videri Chocolate in Raleigh, North Carolina

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My reason for making chocolate has never been about yield...it's about reach..." - Mackenzie Rivers, Map Chocolate Founder

Women in Chocolate mentioned in this episode (whom also have International Chocolate Awards)Denise Castronovo - Castronovo Chocolate in Stuart, FLChristine Blais - Palette de Bine in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, CanadaYoon Kim - Smooth Chocolator in Geelong, Australia 

Enthusiastic Craft Chocolate Cheerleaders (mentioned in this show)37Chocolates Estelle Tracy (she's featured on Well Tempered Episode 2)Sophia Rea of Projet Chocolat (from the Well Tempered podcast Episode 5!)

Mackenzie's 'to the Cosmos' picks: Cacao Fiji cocoa beans*Love Shack - 74% Vietnam Tien Giang with sugared lemon and pink shortbreadJohn Nanci (and Sandy) Founder of Chocolate Alchemy, Chocolate Maker, Coffee Roaster, Inventor, Chemist, Chocolate Making Consultant/Expert

*Addendum 'Beans to take to the Cosmos': The other night the beans filled my dreams. Fiji, dancing on a beautiful beach, Honduras pleading its case, humbly and quietly. A Peru from Tumbes waving a tiny flag as a reminder: that Dear Mr. Finley bar! the first bean I truly listened to. Belize hovering always on the periphery, and a congo line (what was in that bedtime tea??) of beans I've yet to know. I kept saying which? which?  And when I awoke my answer came through loud and clear: I'd take the beans that are calling my name.

Where to find Mackenzie/Map: Website http://mapchocolate.comInstagram @MapChocolateTwitter @MapChocolateConnect with the podcast host, Lauren of WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate Facebook: WKND Chocolate Email: podcast @ wkndchocolate.com

Find new episodes, chocolate recipes, and writings at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: Episode 6 of the Well Tempered chocolate podcast - a show about the crafty, smart, and creative women in the chocolate industry hosted by Lauren of WKND Chocolate features UC Davis PhD student and craft chocolate judge Madeline Weeks. She shares with us on this podcast her extensive work & research within the specialty coffee and fine chocolate world, as well as her personal definitions of 'terroir.'  Her focus is on bridging the quantitative and qualitative arenas of cocoa and chocolate research and education. 

Themes discussed in this episode:

• Madeline's passion for chocolate via humanity, geography, and anthropology to name a few

• Linking industry with research/academia and making relevant information accessible to all

• Impact of quality of crop on farmers' quality of life

• Terroir as interconnectedness; a broader definition than soil, place, or biophysical traits

• Writing as both prerogative for work and an outlet of creativity

Related links from episode: - Dr. Carla Martin & her work at the FCCI (Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute) - Ryan Galt - Madeline's advisor at UC Davis- Thomas S. Kuhn The Structure of Scientific Revolutions - Madeline's article on terroir found at Dandelion Chocolate's blog- Theo Chocolate factory/chocolate tours in Seattle & the Blommer Chocolate factory in Chicago- Two examples of how projects utilizing research & partnerships at various levels of the supply, production and value chains are identifying and enabling quality of cacao and life at origin----> CocoaCompassion (mentioned as Cocoa Collective on podcast) partnered with Raaka Chocolate of Brooklyn, NY to create a bar in which 20% of sales aid program development and put more profits directly back to their sourcing cooperative Maya Mountain Cacao -----> Yellow Seed (seed.org">yellow-seed.org update 2019, the business has since pivoted): A conscious trade network where cacao farmers, buyers and other members work together to support equality, ecological conservation and community resilience. (update 2019: Yellow Seed pushed forward their platform and beta project for 3 years, they are no focusing on the Global Farmer Voices Project.)

What chocolate Madeline would take to the Cosmos: Her answer is any chocolate that would take her to the Cosmos including Tabal Chocolate out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Madeline's links:Academic profile for Madeline Weeks, UC Davis PhD studentPersonal website: cacaoycafe.orgTwitter: MadelineCacaoInstagram: MadelineCacao

Madeline's Bullet-proof Cacao Beverage Recipe: - BREW  a standard portion of mate tea- ADD coconut milk, cacao powder, coconut oil, cinnamon, chili powder (kind of like a spicy aztec warrior chocolate)- BLEND together in a blender or with a frappe mixing wand so it's frothy, and enjoy!   

Where to find Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate @welltemperedpodcast Facebook: WKND Chocolate 

Find new episodes, chocolate recipes, and writings at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: Episode 5 of the Well Tempered podcast - a show about the crafty, smart, and creative women in the chocolate industry - hosted by Lauren of WKND Chocolate features Sophia Rea of Projet Chocolat. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, she is a chocolate sommelier, business owner, chocolate history buff & antiquities collector.  The aim of her company Projet Chocolat is to 'educate and elevate the culture and history of chocolate' through their line of services and fine chocolate accoutrements. 

Themes discussed in this episode:

• Sophia's culinary and musical background that led her to represent chocolate as art

• The essentialness of esthetics within the fine chocolate market

• Europe's reference to chocolate throughout their cultural history

• Finding your strengths and building your team around them

• Historial drinking chocolate recipes

• Utilizing sensorial memories as gateways to further comprehension within chocolate tasting

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Photo credit: Projet Chocolat

Related links from episode: Mandy Aftelier PerfumesKakawa Chocolate House in Santa Fe, New MexicoBrian Beyke of 'I Brew My Own Coffee' Podcast (along with Bryan Schiele)Bill DeMain songwriter and journalist   Sophia's team: Heather Baker - designer/artistAngela Cay Hall - photographerSarah Mallory - seamstressErin Fraser - aromatics developer/perfumerBryce McCloud - box maker/print-meister

I feel like I am representing artists; I just want to remind people that there is beauty in this life. -Sophia Rea of Projet Chocolat on the Well Tempered chocolate podcast

Where to find more from Sophia: - Projet Chocolat website and online shop- She holds public craft chocolate tastings and is available for hire Instagram: @projet_chocolatFacebook: @projetchocolatTwitter: @projetchocolatPinterest: Projet ChocolatMore from Lauren, host of Well Tempered and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate @welltemperedpodcast Facebook: WKND Chocolate Email: (sans the spaces) podcast @ wkndchocolate.com

Find new episodes, chocolate recipes, and writings at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Update January 2019: After release of this episode, Karine’s online shop Miss Choco closed. She now combines her academic roots and passion for chocolate as an Individualized (INDI) PhD candidate at Concordia, with an aim to dig deeper into the complex world of critical consumer education and food pedagogy, mostly surrounding small-batch craft chocolate. She continues to host tasting-workshops, corporate events and conferences. Contact her at info@misschoco.ca for more information.

Description:  Episode 4 of the Well Tempered podcast features entrepreneur, business owner, and chocolate educator Karine Guillemette of Miss Choco, a bilingual craft chocolate website and distributor in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In this podcast we'll discuss origin trips to Madagascar and Peru, the reasons for shifting a retail storefront to an online business, as well as how the future of fine chocolate may feed off of the ritual and educational training of specialty coffee professionals.

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Themes discussed in this episode:

• How Miss Choco transitioned from a retail storefront to an online chocolate marketplace

• Stories from origin: Madagascar (Chocolat Madagascar) & Peru (La Ruta del Cacao)

• Differentiation between the US and Canadian chocolate market; customer preferences, trends

• The process of collaborating with local specialty coffee professionals

• A background of research and teaching has launched Karine to include education as an integral piece of her business and connection to chocolate lovers

Related links from episode: 

• Carla D. Martin PhD and the FCCI (Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute)

• Gaston Acurio; prolific Peruvian chef celebrating local foods - like cacao - and gastronomy

• Mercedes clone most commonly found in Africa

• Dandelion Chocolate's 70% Ambanja (Madagascar) bar

• East Coast Coffee Madness (October 2016 edition in which Karine took part)

• Montreal Academy of Coffee // Academie de Cafe de Montreal

• FCIA (Fine Chocolate Industry Association) January 21, 2017 event in San Francisco, California

Some chocolate makers from origin mentioned on Well Tempered: Peru: Cacaosuyo, Maraná, Q'umaBrazil: AmmaEcuador: PacariColombia: Cacao Hunters

Quebecois from-the-bean artisans/chocolate makers: Palette de Bine, Chocolats Monarque (Monarch Chocolate), La Chocolaterie Eau de Rose, Chaleur B

What craft chocolate Karine would eat in the Cosmos: - Heart of Darkness 85% by Marou Faiseurs De Chocolat, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam- Chocolat Madagascar 100% bar (by Chocolaterie Robert) - Palette de Bine, Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada

Where to find more from Karine: Bean to bar chocolate store & distribution: http://misschoco.ca Facebook: http://facebook.com/MissChocoMontrealInstagram: @Karine_ChocoTwitter: @Karine_ChocoYelp: Miss ChocoYouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/karine5001

Connect with the podcast host Lauren of WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate Facebook: WKND Chocolate Email: podcast @ wkndchocolate.com

Find new episodes, chocolate recipes, and writings at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: In this episode of Well Tempered, Lauren Heineck speaks with Elaine Read (Xocolatl Small Batch Chocolate, Atlanta, Georgia) and Amy Burns, two of the principle women from the upcoming documentary 'Setting the Bar: A Craft Chocolate Origin Story.' In their work and throughout the film, the protagonists follow the journey from seed to chocolate bar, and how to foster preservation of fine chocolate for now and the future.

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Themes discussed in this episode:

• How the documentary 'Setting the Bar: A Craft Chocolate Origin Story' came to be

• Women in cacao & chocolate at origin, as filmmakers, and chocolate makers

• The importance of preserving heirloom & native cacao at origin for biodiversity, future generations, and taste

• Relationship building within supply/value chain; farmers, preservationists (like Steve Bergin), and chocolate makers

• Running a small batch chocolate company in a major metropolitan U.S. city like Atlanta

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Photos: Elaine Read & Tim Shephard / Amy Burns

 Related links from episode: 

The Film:-  Setting the Bar Kickstarter Campaign; running now through November 25, 2016- Film trailer available on Vimeo- NW Chocolate Festival in Seattle, Washington 'Rescuing Cacao Diversity + Presentation of 'Setting the Bar' Saturday November 12th at 2PMUpdate 2019: The film ‘Setting The Bar; A Craft Chocolate Origin Story’ was officially released March 12, 2019. Fact Checking: From Emily Stone of Uncommon Cacao; although none of the cooperatives they source from are made up of 100% women, there are examples of female leadership in all of their partner suppliers. For example, Alto Beni Cacao (Bolivia), PISA (Haiti), and Maya Mountain (Belize) operations are all run and managed by women.

Others mentioned in the show: 

• Ryan & Cassi Berk - a la minute ice cream shop & Parliament Chocolate in Redlands, CA

• Carmen Rosa Chavez, Director of Agricultural Business at the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture

• Dan & Jael of French Broad Chocolates in Asheville, North Carolina and Greg D'Alesandre of Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco, California

What artisan chocolate Elaine would eat in the Cosmos: - Rogue Chocolatier, Three Rivers, Massachusetts  (closed as of July 2019)- Her own Nicaragua 72%; "I know & miss that flavor like I know & miss my kids when they're away!"- Dick Taylor, Eureka, CaliforniaWhat cacao means to her: To me, cacao represents a chance to rebrand chocolate.  The world knows what cocoa is--a powder with which you make really sweet drinks and bake cakes and that is also somehow an ingredient in your chocolate candy.  But "cacao" is a tree, a fruit, a seed and ultimately a superfood that has so many intriguing and elegant nuances when made artfully.  By working in partnership with cacao farmers to get the best from their harvests and then roasting and grinding that cacao, makers can create real chocolate that tastes more of an exotic and satisfying food than of a simple candy.

What artisan chocolate Amy would eat in the Cosmos: (a no-brainer for her because they're all now friends and in the film!)- Raaka Chocolate, Brooklyn, New York- Xocolatl Small Batch Chocolate, Atlanta, Georgia- Parliament Chocolate, Redlands, CaliforniaWhat cacao means to her:  I am a storyteller. Cacao offers me the ability to tell a story around something that is tangible. It gives us the foundation to try to tell people of how we can preserve rainforest, support indigenous cultures, and connect the growers with the consumers. Cacao has such a huge history and culture around it that it becomes a vehicle to enact change, and that is why I truly love cacao.More from Elaine: - Xocolatl Small Batch Chocolate website- Visit their production space and shop at Krog St Market, Atlanta, Georgia - Social media; Instagram @xocolatlchocolate Twitter @xoatlchocolate Facebook @xocolatlsmallbatchchocolate

More from Amy: - Watch Tim Shephard and Amy's documentary shorts via local.com/">Boca Local- Social media; Facebook @settingthebarfilm Instagram @settingthebarfilm

More from Well Tempered, chocolate podcast host and chocolate maker Lauren Heineck: - Social media; Instagram @wkndchocolate Facebook @wkndchocolate Twitter @wkndchocolate 

Find new episodes, chocolate recipes, and writings at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

 

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Description:  Podcast interview with Estelle Tracy of 37 Chocolates. She is an author, bilingual blogger, community builder, YouTuber, and chocolate educator based out of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA.  With her iconic French accent, Estelle specializes in offering her guests experiential tasting sessions - often paired with and in collaboration with local wineries, and/or specialty coffee shops.

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Themes discussed in this episode:

• Estelle's foray into craft & fine chocolate; how her 37th birthday sparked food discovery

• Consumer hurdles and hesitation (regarding price, ingredient knowledge)

• How a chocolate maker's confidence/story can better be told via packaging

• Utilizing various social media outlets for your personal brand

• The importance of people throughout the supply and production chain

Related links from episode: Other chocolate bloggers: Amber of Chocolate Disorder  & Lori at Time to Eat ChocolateCharm School Chocolate in Baltimore, MD (closed as of Winter 2022) Bar & Cocoa - craft chocolate subscription box and e-commerce platformChuao; fun bars (made from couverture) with the likes of potato chips, 'firecrackers', etc. 

What artisan craft chocolate Estelle would eat in the Cosmos: - Chocolate bars from Mackenzie at Map Chocolate, OR- Drinking chocolate from Chocolate Alchemist, Philadelphia, PA - Truffles from Violet Sky Chocolate

Side note: Cacao Altanta was the first craft chocolate bar that stopped Estelle in her tracks

We tend to forget that behind everything there are people. - Estelle Tracy, 37 Chocolates on the Well Tempered Chocolate Podcast 

Where to find Estelle & 37 Chocolates: Chocolate blog & Website: http://37chocolates.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/37chocolatesInstagram: @37chocolatesYouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/mrscroissant

Launched in Spring 2019, Estelle has an online tutorial for ‘How to Design a Chocolate Tasting Lecture & Workshop’

In French: Her food survival guide for French expats in the US: https://gumroad.com/l/ZiAk (only available in French at this time).

Connect with the podcast host Lauren of WKND Chocolate: Instagram: @wkndchocolate @welltemperedpodcast Facebook: WKND Chocolate Email: (sans spaces) podcast @ wkndchocolate.com

Find new episodes, chocolate recipes, and writings at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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Description: On this first episode of the Well Tempered chocolate podcast, my guest is Tamara LaValla. She is the owner and chocolate maker at Batch Craft, an artisan chocolate company in South Carolina, as well as a multimedia artist, and  formerly co-owner of a design studio. 

Update Summer 2019: Batch Craft has relocated to North Carolina.

We make the chocolate we want to eat. - Tamara LaValla

 Themes discussed in this episode:

• Being a chocolate maker & artist

• Balancing a full-time venture whilst running a small-batch chocolate startup

• Finding the confidence to label yourself as a maker

• Expanding your chocolate business creatively; tastings with local craft businesses, aesthetics, packaging

• How travel expands your potential as a food business

Related links from episode: 

Andrew Simonet, Artists U Founder and Director - Tamara did facilitation work with him, helping with others to build creative sustainable lives

Simran Sethi (https://simransethi.com/)

• Author of "Bread, Wine, Chocolate"; paperback is available for preorder

• Book mentions cacao from Camino Verde (Ecuador) used in Batch 5 and forthcoming Batch 6

• More of this origin; Letter from the Camino Verde manager, Vicente Norero (4th generation working in the world of chocolate) about his approach.

Batch Craft has previously partnered with Free Range Brewing, Charlotte, NC

What artisan chocolate Tamara would eat in the Cosmos: - Fruition Chocolate, Shokan, New York - Map Chocolate,  Oregon- Dick Taylor, Eureka, California 

Where to find Tamara & Batch: Web (Preorder available!): http://batchcraft.com Instagram: @batch_craft Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/batchcraftTamara’s former company: Social Design House 

Connect with the podcast host Lauren: Instagram: @wkndchocolate @welltemperedpodcast Facebook: WKND Chocolate Email: (sans the spaces) podcast @ wkndchocolate.com 

Find new episodes, chocolate recipes, and writings at laurenonthewknd.substack.com

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