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The Fine Chocolate Experience Infographic

THE FINE CHOCOLATE EXPERIEJCE Rare Fine Chocolate vs INDUSTRIAL CHOCOLATE Relies on fine beans for flavor Relies on sugar & vanilla for flavor Trinitario or Criollo Beans Low quality Forastero beans Made by a skilled chocolate maker in smaller batches Made by a machine on an industrial/mass production scale 5 or less ingredients for dark chocolate bars Multiple ingredients Cocoa mass/solids Cocoa mass/solids Extra cocoa butter fillers Sugar food coloring Vanilla preservatives Soy lecithin vanillin Sometimes add extra cocoa butter Replace with vegetable shortening depending on the desired flavor & texture of the bar Extract the cocoa butter to re-sell on the commodities market Sometimes use vanilla Use Artificial Vanillin = VANILLIN artificial vanilla flavoring derived from wood pulp from Madagascar and Tahiti Smells like: Smells like: Roasted almonds Coffee a marshmallow Citrus fruit Flowers Can smell like anything, Just as varied as wine! Anatomy of a Bar INGREDIENTS A 70% BAR IS: 70% COcoa masS Beans by weight Most of the world's cacao is not cultivated for quality, but rather quantity. There are three general types of beans (within each there are many of varietals). (mashed up beans and any extra cocoa butter) TYPES OF BEANS • Criollo • Trinitario (hybrid of criollo and forastero) • Forastero FLAVOR Excellent Poor Cocoa Butter The only fat in nature that melts at our body temperature - 98.7 degrees. High in healthy monounsaturated fats and 98.7° has a neutral effect on LDL cholesterol. GROWTH TOLERANCE Easy Hard Sometimes Vanilla Proper use of vanilla results in a fuller, rounder mouthfeel. Some chocolate /trinitario GROWTH ENVIRONMENT makers such as Patric and Domori forastero Natural Conditions Forced Monoculture don't use vanilla at all. Sometimes Soy Lecithin Used as an emulsifier. Anyone with a soy allergy can generally consume lecithin as it contains no proteins that are usually the allergens. Not all chocolate makers use it. 30% pure cane sugar Pure Cane Sugar Humans can't really taste the full spectrum of chocolate without the presence of sugar. It opens up the cocoa and makes it blossom in a way that allows our palates to taste all the flavors. Too much results in a candy-like experience, but just enough (usually 30% of the weight of the chocolate bar) results in a balanced bar. Chocolate Nyths MYTH 1 ΜΥTΗ 2 The darker the better Higher percentage points do not equal higher quality. There are higher percentage bars from 85% all the way to 100%, but some sugar is needed to bring out all the flavor of the beans and experienced connoisseurs generally prefer an average of 65-75%. Also, recent studies show that some sugar helps our bodies to absorb these antioxidants into our bloodstream. The more bitter the better Chocolate lovers often equate bitterness with quality. In actuality, the finer the cacao bean, the less bitterness there should be. Finer beans from criollo and trinitario strains have less polyphenolic compounds that induce that astringent bitter quality. Some bitterness in desirable in some Why is a 64% fine chocolate bar going to be just as good for you, if not better than 75% industrial bar? The bean cultivation was probably more sustainable with less reliance on herbicides and pesticides and was probably cultivated from healthier soil. chocolates, but it shouldn't be the only flavor. Often, the bitterness comes from over-roasting the beans which is a result of poor methodology as well as an intentional strategy to mask the poor quality of beans. 215 31 Finer beans don't tend to be over roasted and you preserve more of the volatile compounds that provide the flavor and the antioxidants. the fine chocolate bar presents a less processed and more whole-food approach to chocolate/health consumption rather than an industrial bar with lots of fillers. How to Taste Chocolate USE YOUR SENSES... See it • Is the bar thick or thin? 1. • How does the chocolate look? • What hue of brown is it? • Are there bubbles or cracks in the texture of the chocolate? • Is it shiny? Is it dull? Smell it Most of our tasting happens in our noses, not our tongues. 2. • Does it smell like a marshmallow? (too much vanilla) Taste it • Roasted almonds? • Citrus fruit? • Coffee • How does it melt? • Flowers? • How does it "snap" between the teeth? • Is it creamy, fatty, unctuous sort of melt? Or more light and silky? 10 After tasting fine chocolate, and then tasting an industrial chocolate • How does it taste after it's gone? Fine chocolate always provides what's called a "finish" - even N. TEST bar, tasters can after having a little bite, you still taste a lot of flavor. immediately tell the difference. The taster becomes a chocolate connoisseur, able to identify burned beans, too much sugar, and too much vanilla versus the true personality of the cacao bean and plant including the kaleidoscope of flavors in various fine chocolate bars. Reputable Brands All critically acclaimed among Academy of Chocolate, pastry chefs, and other chocolate experts Europe Francois Pralus France Bonnat France Valrhona France United States Cacao Sampaka Barcelona, Spain Amano Chocolate Patric Chocolate Columbia, Missouri Amedei Orem, Utah Pisa, Italy Considered the world's Ritual Chocolate Boulder, Colorado Potomac Chocolate Domori Turin, Italy Top Brand Virginia Chocolate Expert Matt Caputo of Caputo's Market is considered one of the top authorities on chocolate and a key supporter to nascent fine chocolate operations. He regularly teaches chocolate tasting courses and has made media appearances to discuss the subject. The chocolate selection at Caputo's is also considered among chocolate industry heavyweights such as Martin Christy (Academy of Chocolate, London) to be one of the most extensive fine chocolate collections in the world. "Caputo's has one of the best collections of fine and origin chocolate bars for retail sale anywhere in the world. They are great supporters of fine chocolate and directly sourced cacao with a great range available online." - Martin Christy, Founder/Editor, seventypercent.com TONY CAPUTO'S MARKETO DELI criollo THE FINE CHOCOLATE EXPERIEJCE Rare Fine Chocolate vs INDUSTRIAL CHOCOLATE Relies on fine beans for flavor Relies on sugar & vanilla for flavor Trinitario or Criollo Beans Low quality Forastero beans Made by a skilled chocolate maker in smaller batches Made by a machine on an industrial/mass production scale 5 or less ingredients for dark chocolate bars Multiple ingredients Cocoa mass/solids Cocoa mass/solids Extra cocoa butter fillers Sugar food coloring Vanilla preservatives Soy lecithin vanillin Sometimes add extra cocoa butter Replace with vegetable shortening depending on the desired flavor & texture of the bar Extract the cocoa butter to re-sell on the commodities market Sometimes use vanilla Use Artificial Vanillin = VANILLIN artificial vanilla flavoring derived from wood pulp from Madagascar and Tahiti Smells like: Smells like: Roasted almonds Coffee a marshmallow Citrus fruit Flowers Can smell like anything, Just as varied as wine! Anatomy of a Bar INGREDIENTS A 70% BAR IS: 70% COcoa masS Beans by weight Most of the world's cacao is not cultivated for quality, but rather quantity. There are three general types of beans (within each there are many of varietals). (mashed up beans and any extra cocoa butter) TYPES OF BEANS • Criollo • Trinitario (hybrid of criollo and forastero) • Forastero FLAVOR Excellent Poor Cocoa Butter The only fat in nature that melts at our body temperature - 98.7 degrees. High in healthy monounsaturated fats and 98.7° has a neutral effect on LDL cholesterol. GROWTH TOLERANCE Easy Hard Sometimes Vanilla Proper use of vanilla results in a fuller, rounder mouthfeel. Some chocolate /trinitario GROWTH ENVIRONMENT makers such as Patric and Domori forastero Natural Conditions Forced Monoculture don't use vanilla at all. Sometimes Soy Lecithin Used as an emulsifier. Anyone with a soy allergy can generally consume lecithin as it contains no proteins that are usually the allergens. Not all chocolate makers use it. 30% pure cane sugar Pure Cane Sugar Humans can't really taste the full spectrum of chocolate without the presence of sugar. It opens up the cocoa and makes it blossom in a way that allows our palates to taste all the flavors. Too much results in a candy-like experience, but just enough (usually 30% of the weight of the chocolate bar) results in a balanced bar. Chocolate Nyths ΜΥTΗ Ο ΜΥTΗ 2 The darker the better Higher percentage points do not equal higher quality. There are higher percentage bars from 85% all the way to 100%, but some sugar is needed to bring out all the flavor of the beans and experienced connoisseurs generally prefer an average of 65-75%. Also, recent studies show that some sugar helps our bodies to absorb these antioxidants into our bloodstream. The more bitter the better Chocolate lovers often equate bitterness with quality. In actuality, the finer the cacao bean, the less bitterness there should be. Finer beans from criollo and trinitario strains have less polyphenolic compounds that induce that astringent bitter quality. Some bitterness in desirable in some Why is a 64% fine chocolate bar going to be just as good for you, if not better than 75% industrial bar? The bean cultivation was probably more sustainable with less reliance on herbicides and pesticides and was probably cultivated from healthier soil. chocolates, but it shouldn't be the Finer beans don't tend to be over roasted and you preserve more of the volatile compounds that provide the flavor and the antioxidants. only flavor. Often, the bitterness comes from over-roasting the beans which is a result of poor methodology as well as an intentional strategy to mask the poor quality of beans. 31 the fine chocolate bar presents a less processed and more whole-food approach to chocolate/health consumption rather than an industrial bar with lots of fillers. How to Taste Chocolate USE YOUR SENSES... See it • Is the bar thick or thin? 1. • How does the chocolate look? • What hue of brown is it? • Are there bubbles or cracks in the texture of the chocolate? • Is it shiny? Is it dull? Smell it Most of our tasting happens in our noses, not our tongues. 2. • Does it smell like a marshmallow? (too much vanilla) Taste it • Roasted almonds? • Citrus fruit? • Coffee • How does it melt? • Flowers? • How does it "snap" between the teeth? • Is it creamy, fatty, unctuous sort of melt? Or more light and silky? 10 After tasting fine chocolate, and then tasting an industrial chocolate • How does it taste after it's gone? Fine chocolate always provides what's called a "finish" - even N. TEST bar, tasters can after having a little bite, you still taste a lot of flavor. immediately tell the difference. The taster becomes a chocolate connoisseur, able to identify burned beans, too much sugar, and too much vanilla versus the true personality of the cacao bean and plant including the kaleidoscope of flavors in various fine chocolate bars. Reputable Brands All critically acclaimed among Academy of Chocolate, pastry chefs, and other chocolate experts Europe Francois Pralus France Bonnat France Valrhona France United States Cacao Sampaka Barcelona, Spain Amano Chocolate Patric Chocolate Columbia, Missouri Amedei Orem, Utah Pisa, Italy Considered the world's Ritual Chocolate Boulder, Colorado Potomac Chocolate Domori Turin, Italy Top Brand Virginia Chocolate Expert Matt Caputo of Caputo's Market is considered one of the top authorities on chocolate and a key supporter to nascent fine chocolate operations. He regularly teaches chocolate tasting courses and has made media appearances to discuss the subject. The chocolate selection at Caputo's is also considered among chocolate industry heavyweights such as Martin Christy (Academy of Chocolate, London) to be one of the most extensive fine chocolate collections in the world. "Caputo's has one of the best collections of fine and origin chocolate bars for retail sale anywhere in the world. They are great supporters of fine chocolate and directly sourced cacao with a great range available online." - Martin Christy, Founder/Editor, seventypercent.com TONY CAPUTO'S MARKETO DELI criollo THE FINE CHOCOLATE EXPERIEJCE Rare Fine Chocolate vs INDUSTRIAL CHOCOLATE Relies on fine beans for flavor Relies on sugar & vanilla for flavor Trinitario or Criollo Beans Low quality Forastero beans Made by a skilled chocolate maker in smaller batches Made by a machine on an industrial/mass production scale 5 or less ingredients for dark chocolate bars Multiple ingredients Cocoa mass/solids Cocoa mass/solids Extra cocoa butter fillers Sugar food coloring Vanilla preservatives Soy lecithin vanillin Sometimes add extra cocoa butter Replace with vegetable shortening depending on the desired flavor & texture of the bar Extract the cocoa butter to re-sell on the commodities market Sometimes use vanilla Use Artificial Vanillin = VANILLIN artificial vanilla flavoring derived from wood pulp from Madagascar and Tahiti Smells like: Smells like: Roasted almonds Coffee a marshmallow Citrus fruit Flowers Can smell like anything, Just as varied as wine! Anatomy of a Bar INGREDIENTS A 70% BAR IS: 70% COcoa masS Beans by weight Most of the world's cacao is not cultivated for quality, but rather quantity. There are three general types of beans (within each there are many of varietals). (mashed up beans and any extra cocoa butter) TYPES OF BEANS • Criollo • Trinitario (hybrid of criollo and forastero) • Forastero FLAVOR Excellent Poor Cocoa Butter The only fat in nature that melts at our body temperature - 98.7 degrees. High in healthy monounsaturated fats and 98.7° has a neutral effect on LDL cholesterol. GROWTH TOLERANCE Easy Hard Sometimes Vanilla Proper use of vanilla results in a fuller, rounder mouthfeel. Some chocolate /trinitario GROWTH ENVIRONMENT makers such as Patric and Domori forastero Natural Conditions Forced Monoculture don't use vanilla at all. Sometimes Soy Lecithin Used as an emulsifier. Anyone with a soy allergy can generally consume lecithin as it contains no proteins that are usually the allergens. Not all chocolate makers use it. 30% pure cane sugar Pure Cane Sugar Humans can't really taste the full spectrum of chocolate without the presence of sugar. It opens up the cocoa and makes it blossom in a way that allows our palates to taste all the flavors. Too much results in a candy-like experience, but just enough (usually 30% of the weight of the chocolate bar) results in a balanced bar. Chocolate Nyths ΜΥTΗ Ο ΜΥTΗ 2 The darker the better Higher percentage points do not equal higher quality. There are higher percentage bars from 85% all the way to 100%, but some sugar is needed to bring out all the flavor of the beans and experienced connoisseurs generally prefer an average of 65-75%. Also, recent studies show that some sugar helps our bodies to absorb these antioxidants into our bloodstream. The more bitter the better Chocolate lovers often equate bitterness with quality. In actuality, the finer the cacao bean, the less bitterness there should be. Finer beans from criollo and trinitario strains have less polyphenolic compounds that induce that astringent bitter quality. Some bitterness in desirable in some Why is a 64% fine chocolate bar going to be just as good for you, if not better than 75% industrial bar? The bean cultivation was probably more sustainable with less reliance on herbicides and pesticides and was probably cultivated from healthier soil. chocolates, but it shouldn't be the Finer beans don't tend to be over roasted and you preserve more of the volatile compounds that provide the flavor and the antioxidants. only flavor. Often, the bitterness comes from over-roasting the beans which is a result of poor methodology as well as an intentional strategy to mask the poor quality of beans. 31 the fine chocolate bar presents a less processed and more whole-food approach to chocolate/health consumption rather than an industrial bar with lots of fillers. How to Taste Chocolate USE YOUR SENSES... See it • Is the bar thick or thin? 1. • How does the chocolate look? • What hue of brown is it? • Are there bubbles or cracks in the texture of the chocolate? • Is it shiny? Is it dull? Smell it Most of our tasting happens in our noses, not our tongues. 2. • Does it smell like a marshmallow? (too much vanilla) Taste it • Roasted almonds? • Citrus fruit? • Coffee • How does it melt? • Flowers? • How does it "snap" between the teeth? • Is it creamy, fatty, unctuous sort of melt? Or more light and silky? 10 After tasting fine chocolate, and then tasting an industrial chocolate • How does it taste after it's gone? Fine chocolate always provides what's called a "finish" - even N. TEST bar, tasters can after having a little bite, you still taste a lot of flavor. immediately tell the difference. The taster becomes a chocolate connoisseur, able to identify burned beans, too much sugar, and too much vanilla versus the true personality of the cacao bean and plant including the kaleidoscope of flavors in various fine chocolate bars. Reputable Brands All critically acclaimed among Academy of Chocolate, pastry chefs, and other chocolate experts Europe Francois Pralus France Bonnat France Valrhona France United States Cacao Sampaka Barcelona, Spain Amano Chocolate Patric Chocolate Columbia, Missouri Amedei Orem, Utah Pisa, Italy Considered the world's Ritual Chocolate Boulder, Colorado Potomac Chocolate Domori Turin, Italy Top Brand Virginia Chocolate Expert Matt Caputo of Caputo's Market is considered one of the top authorities on chocolate and a key supporter to nascent fine chocolate operations. He regularly teaches chocolate tasting courses and has made media appearances to discuss the subject. The chocolate selection at Caputo's is also considered among chocolate industry heavyweights such as Martin Christy (Academy of Chocolate, London) to be one of the most extensive fine chocolate collections in the world. "Caputo's has one of the best collections of fine and origin chocolate bars for retail sale anywhere in the world. They are great supporters of fine chocolate and directly sourced cacao with a great range available online." - Martin Christy, Founder/Editor, seventypercent.com TONY CAPUTO'S MARKETO DELI criollo THE FINE CHOCOLATE EXPERIEJCE Rare Fine Chocolate vs INDUSTRIAL CHOCOLATE Relies on fine beans for flavor Relies on sugar & vanilla for flavor Trinitario or Criollo Beans Low quality Forastero beans Made by a skilled chocolate maker in smaller batches Made by a machine on an industrial/mass production scale 5 or less ingredients for dark chocolate bars Multiple ingredients Cocoa mass/solids Cocoa mass/solids Extra cocoa butter fillers Sugar food coloring Vanilla preservatives Soy lecithin vanillin Sometimes add extra cocoa butter Replace with vegetable shortening depending on the desired flavor & texture of the bar Extract the cocoa butter to re-sell on the commodities market Sometimes use vanilla Use Artificial Vanillin = VANILLIN artificial vanilla flavoring derived from wood pulp from Madagascar and Tahiti Smells like: Smells like: Roasted almonds Coffee a marshmallow Citrus fruit Flowers Can smell like anything, Just as varied as wine! Anatomy of a Bar INGREDIENTS A 70% BAR IS: 70% COcoa masS Beans by weight Most of the world's cacao is not cultivated for quality, but rather quantity. There are three general types of beans (within each there are many of varietals). (mashed up beans and any extra cocoa butter) TYPES OF BEANS • Criollo • Trinitario (hybrid of criollo and forastero) • Forastero FLAVOR Excellent Poor Cocoa Butter The only fat in nature that melts at our body temperature - 98.7 degrees. High in healthy monounsaturated fats and 98.7° has a neutral effect on LDL cholesterol. GROWTH TOLERANCE Easy Hard Sometimes Vanilla Proper use of vanilla results in a fuller, rounder mouthfeel. Some chocolate /trinitario GROWTH ENVIRONMENT makers such as Patric and Domori forastero Natural Conditions Forced Monoculture don't use vanilla at all. Sometimes Soy Lecithin Used as an emulsifier. Anyone with a soy allergy can generally consume lecithin as it contains no proteins that are usually the allergens. Not all chocolate makers use it. 30% pure cane sugar Pure Cane Sugar Humans can't really taste the full spectrum of chocolate without the presence of sugar. It opens up the cocoa and makes it blossom in a way that allows our palates to taste all the flavors. Too much results in a candy-like experience, but just enough (usually 30% of the weight of the chocolate bar) results in a balanced bar. Chocolate Nyths ΜΥTΗ Ο ΜΥTΗ 2 The darker the better Higher percentage points do not equal higher quality. There are higher percentage bars from 85% all the way to 100%, but some sugar is needed to bring out all the flavor of the beans and experienced connoisseurs generally prefer an average of 65-75%. Also, recent studies show that some sugar helps our bodies to absorb these antioxidants into our bloodstream. The more bitter the better Chocolate lovers often equate bitterness with quality. In actuality, the finer the cacao bean, the less bitterness there should be. Finer beans from criollo and trinitario strains have less polyphenolic compounds that induce that astringent bitter quality. Some bitterness in desirable in some Why is a 64% fine chocolate bar going to be just as good for you, if not better than 75% industrial bar? The bean cultivation was probably more sustainable with less reliance on herbicides and pesticides and was probably cultivated from healthier soil. chocolates, but it shouldn't be the Finer beans don't tend to be over roasted and you preserve more of the volatile compounds that provide the flavor and the antioxidants. only flavor. Often, the bitterness comes from over-roasting the beans which is a result of poor methodology as well as an intentional strategy to mask the poor quality of beans. 31 the fine chocolate bar presents a less processed and more whole-food approach to chocolate/health consumption rather than an industrial bar with lots of fillers. How to Taste Chocolate USE YOUR SENSES... See it • Is the bar thick or thin? 1. • How does the chocolate look? • What hue of brown is it? • Are there bubbles or cracks in the texture of the chocolate? • Is it shiny? Is it dull? Smell it Most of our tasting happens in our noses, not our tongues. 2. • Does it smell like a marshmallow? (too much vanilla) Taste it • Roasted almonds? • Citrus fruit? • Coffee • How does it melt? • Flowers? • How does it "snap" between the teeth? • Is it creamy, fatty, unctuous sort of melt? Or more light and silky? 10 After tasting fine chocolate, and then tasting an industrial chocolate • How does it taste after it's gone? Fine chocolate always provides what's called a "finish" - even N. TEST bar, tasters can after having a little bite, you still taste a lot of flavor. immediately tell the difference. The taster becomes a chocolate connoisseur, able to identify burned beans, too much sugar, and too much vanilla versus the true personality of the cacao bean and plant including the kaleidoscope of flavors in various fine chocolate bars. Reputable Brands All critically acclaimed among Academy of Chocolate, pastry chefs, and other chocolate experts Europe Francois Pralus France Bonnat France Valrhona France United States Cacao Sampaka Barcelona, Spain Amano Chocolate Patric Chocolate Columbia, Missouri Amedei Orem, Utah Pisa, Italy Considered the world's Ritual Chocolate Boulder, Colorado Potomac Chocolate Domori Turin, Italy Top Brand Virginia Chocolate Expert Matt Caputo of Caputo's Market is considered one of the top authorities on chocolate and a key supporter to nascent fine chocolate operations. He regularly teaches chocolate tasting courses and has made media appearances to discuss the subject. The chocolate selection at Caputo's is also considered among chocolate industry heavyweights such as Martin Christy (Academy of Chocolate, London) to be one of the most extensive fine chocolate collections in the world. "Caputo's has one of the best collections of fine and origin chocolate bars for retail sale anywhere in the world. They are great supporters of fine chocolate and directly sourced cacao with a great range available online." - Martin Christy, Founder/Editor, seventypercent.com TONY CAPUTO'S MARKETO DELI criollo THE FINE CHOCOLATE EXPERIEJCE Rare Fine Chocolate vs INDUSTRIAL CHOCOLATE Relies on fine beans for flavor Relies on sugar & vanilla for flavor Trinitario or Criollo Beans Low quality Forastero beans Made by a skilled chocolate maker in smaller batches Made by a machine on an industrial/mass production scale 5 or less ingredients for dark chocolate bars Multiple ingredients Cocoa mass/solids Cocoa mass/solids Extra cocoa butter fillers Sugar food coloring Vanilla preservatives Soy lecithin vanillin Sometimes add extra cocoa butter Replace with vegetable shortening depending on the desired flavor & texture of the bar Extract the cocoa butter to re-sell on the commodities market Sometimes use vanilla Use Artificial Vanillin = VANILLIN artificial vanilla flavoring derived from wood pulp from Madagascar and Tahiti Smells like: Smells like: Roasted almonds Coffee a marshmallow Citrus fruit Flowers Can smell like anything, Just as varied as wine! Anatomy of a Bar INGREDIENTS A 70% BAR IS: 70% COcoa masS Beans by weight Most of the world's cacao is not cultivated for quality, but rather quantity. There are three general types of beans (within each there are many of varietals). (mashed up beans and any extra cocoa butter) TYPES OF BEANS • Criollo • Trinitario (hybrid of criollo and forastero) • Forastero FLAVOR Excellent Poor Cocoa Butter The only fat in nature that melts at our body temperature - 98.7 degrees. High in healthy monounsaturated fats and 98.7° has a neutral effect on LDL cholesterol. GROWTH TOLERANCE Easy Hard Sometimes Vanilla Proper use of vanilla results in a fuller, rounder mouthfeel. Some chocolate /trinitario GROWTH ENVIRONMENT makers such as Patric and Domori forastero Natural Conditions Forced Monoculture don't use vanilla at all. Sometimes Soy Lecithin Used as an emulsifier. Anyone with a soy allergy can generally consume lecithin as it contains no proteins that are usually the allergens. Not all chocolate makers use it. 30% pure cane sugar Pure Cane Sugar Humans can't really taste the full spectrum of chocolate without the presence of sugar. It opens up the cocoa and makes it blossom in a way that allows our palates to taste all the flavors. Too much results in a candy-like experience, but just enough (usually 30% of the weight of the chocolate bar) results in a balanced bar. Chocolate Nyths ΜΥTΗ Ο ΜΥTΗ 2 The darker the better Higher percentage points do not equal higher quality. There are higher percentage bars from 85% all the way to 100%, but some sugar is needed to bring out all the flavor of the beans and experienced connoisseurs generally prefer an average of 65-75%. Also, recent studies show that some sugar helps our bodies to absorb these antioxidants into our bloodstream. The more bitter the better Chocolate lovers often equate bitterness with quality. In actuality, the finer the cacao bean, the less bitterness there should be. Finer beans from criollo and trinitario strains have less polyphenolic compounds that induce that astringent bitter quality. Some bitterness in desirable in some Why is a 64% fine chocolate bar going to be just as good for you, if not better than 75% industrial bar? The bean cultivation was probably more sustainable with less reliance on herbicides and pesticides and was probably cultivated from healthier soil. chocolates, but it shouldn't be the Finer beans don't tend to be over roasted and you preserve more of the volatile compounds that provide the flavor and the antioxidants. only flavor. Often, the bitterness comes from over-roasting the beans which is a result of poor methodology as well as an intentional strategy to mask the poor quality of beans. 31 the fine chocolate bar presents a less processed and more whole-food approach to chocolate/health consumption rather than an industrial bar with lots of fillers. How to Taste Chocolate USE YOUR SENSES... See it • Is the bar thick or thin? 1. • How does the chocolate look? • What hue of brown is it? • Are there bubbles or cracks in the texture of the chocolate? • Is it shiny? Is it dull? Smell it Most of our tasting happens in our noses, not our tongues. 2. • Does it smell like a marshmallow? (too much vanilla) Taste it • Roasted almonds? • Citrus fruit? • Coffee • How does it melt? • Flowers? • How does it "snap" between the teeth? • Is it creamy, fatty, unctuous sort of melt? Or more light and silky? 10 After tasting fine chocolate, and then tasting an industrial chocolate • How does it taste after it's gone? Fine chocolate always provides what's called a "finish" - even N. TEST bar, tasters can after having a little bite, you still taste a lot of flavor. immediately tell the difference. The taster becomes a chocolate connoisseur, able to identify burned beans, too much sugar, and too much vanilla versus the true personality of the cacao bean and plant including the kaleidoscope of flavors in various fine chocolate bars. Reputable Brands All critically acclaimed among Academy of Chocolate, pastry chefs, and other chocolate experts Europe Francois Pralus France Bonnat France Valrhona France United States Cacao Sampaka Barcelona, Spain Amano Chocolate Patric Chocolate Columbia, Missouri Amedei Orem, Utah Pisa, Italy Considered the world's Ritual Chocolate Boulder, Colorado Potomac Chocolate Domori Turin, Italy Top Brand Virginia Chocolate Expert Matt Caputo of Caputo's Market is considered one of the top authorities on chocolate and a key supporter to nascent fine chocolate operations. He regularly teaches chocolate tasting courses and has made media appearances to discuss the subject. The chocolate selection at Caputo's is also considered among chocolate industry heavyweights such as Martin Christy (Academy of Chocolate, London) to be one of the most extensive fine chocolate collections in the world. "Caputo's has one of the best collections of fine and origin chocolate bars for retail sale anywhere in the world. They are great supporters of fine chocolate and directly sourced cacao with a great range available online." - Martin Christy, Founder/Editor, seventypercent.com TONY CAPUTO'S MARKETO DELI criollo THE FINE CHOCOLATE EXPERIEJCE Rare Fine Chocolate vs INDUSTRIAL CHOCOLATE Relies on fine beans for flavor Relies on sugar & vanilla for flavor Trinitario or Criollo Beans Low quality Forastero beans Made by a skilled chocolate maker in smaller batches Made by a machine on an industrial/mass production scale 5 or less ingredients for dark chocolate bars Multiple ingredients Cocoa mass/solids Cocoa mass/solids Extra cocoa butter fillers Sugar food coloring Vanilla preservatives Soy lecithin vanillin Sometimes add extra cocoa butter Replace with vegetable shortening depending on the desired flavor & texture of the bar Extract the cocoa butter to re-sell on the commodities market Sometimes use vanilla Use Artificial Vanillin = VANILLIN artificial vanilla flavoring derived from wood pulp from Madagascar and Tahiti Smells like: Smells like: Roasted almonds Coffee a marshmallow Citrus fruit Flowers Can smell like anything, Just as varied as wine! Anatomy of a Bar INGREDIENTS A 70% BAR IS: 70% COcoa masS Beans by weight Most of the world's cacao is not cultivated for quality, but rather quantity. There are three general types of beans (within each there are many of varietals). (mashed up beans and any extra cocoa butter) TYPES OF BEANS • Criollo • Trinitario (hybrid of criollo and forastero) • Forastero FLAVOR Excellent Poor Cocoa Butter The only fat in nature that melts at our body temperature - 98.7 degrees. High in healthy monounsaturated fats and 98.7° has a neutral effect on LDL cholesterol. GROWTH TOLERANCE Easy Hard Sometimes Vanilla Proper use of vanilla results in a fuller, rounder mouthfeel. Some chocolate /trinitario GROWTH ENVIRONMENT makers such as Patric and Domori forastero Natural Conditions Forced Monoculture don't use vanilla at all. Sometimes Soy Lecithin Used as an emulsifier. Anyone with a soy allergy can generally consume lecithin as it contains no proteins that are usually the allergens. Not all chocolate makers use it. 30% pure cane sugar Pure Cane Sugar Humans can't really taste the full spectrum of chocolate without the presence of sugar. It opens up the cocoa and makes it blossom in a way that allows our palates to taste all the flavors. Too much results in a candy-like experience, but just enough (usually 30% of the weight of the chocolate bar) results in a balanced bar. Chocolate Nyths ΜΥTΗ Ο ΜΥTΗ 2 The darker the better Higher percentage points do not equal higher quality. There are higher percentage bars from 85% all the way to 100%, but some sugar is needed to bring out all the flavor of the beans and experienced connoisseurs generally prefer an average of 65-75%. Also, recent studies show that some sugar helps our bodies to absorb these antioxidants into our bloodstream. The more bitter the better Chocolate lovers often equate bitterness with quality. In actuality, the finer the cacao bean, the less bitterness there should be. Finer beans from criollo and trinitario strains have less polyphenolic compounds that induce that astringent bitter quality. Some bitterness in desirable in some Why is a 64% fine chocolate bar going to be just as good for you, if not better than 75% industrial bar? The bean cultivation was probably more sustainable with less reliance on herbicides and pesticides and was probably cultivated from healthier soil. chocolates, but it shouldn't be the Finer beans don't tend to be over roasted and you preserve more of the volatile compounds that provide the flavor and the antioxidants. only flavor. Often, the bitterness comes from over-roasting the beans which is a result of poor methodology as well as an intentional strategy to mask the poor quality of beans. 31 the fine chocolate bar presents a less processed and more whole-food approach to chocolate/health consumption rather than an industrial bar with lots of fillers. How to Taste Chocolate USE YOUR SENSES... See it • Is the bar thick or thin? 1. • How does the chocolate look? • What hue of brown is it? • Are there bubbles or cracks in the texture of the chocolate? • Is it shiny? Is it dull? Smell it Most of our tasting happens in our noses, not our tongues. 2. • Does it smell like a marshmallow? (too much vanilla) Taste it • Roasted almonds? • Citrus fruit? • Coffee • How does it melt? • Flowers? • How does it "snap" between the teeth? • Is it creamy, fatty, unctuous sort of melt? Or more light and silky? 10 After tasting fine chocolate, and then tasting an industrial chocolate • How does it taste after it's gone? Fine chocolate always provides what's called a "finish" - even N. TEST bar, tasters can after having a little bite, you still taste a lot of flavor. immediately tell the difference. The taster becomes a chocolate connoisseur, able to identify burned beans, too much sugar, and too much vanilla versus the true personality of the cacao bean and plant including the kaleidoscope of flavors in various fine chocolate bars. Reputable Brands All critically acclaimed among Academy of Chocolate, pastry chefs, and other chocolate experts Europe Francois Pralus France Bonnat France Valrhona France United States Cacao Sampaka Barcelona, Spain Amano Chocolate Patric Chocolate Columbia, Missouri Amedei Orem, Utah Pisa, Italy Considered the world's Ritual Chocolate Boulder, Colorado Potomac Chocolate Domori Turin, Italy Top Brand Virginia Chocolate Expert Matt Caputo of Caputo's Market is considered one of the top authorities on chocolate and a key supporter to nascent fine chocolate operations. He regularly teaches chocolate tasting courses and has made media appearances to discuss the subject. The chocolate selection at Caputo's is also considered among chocolate industry heavyweights such as Martin Christy (Academy of Chocolate, London) to be one of the most extensive fine chocolate collections in the world. "Caputo's has one of the best collections of fine and origin chocolate bars for retail sale anywhere in the world. They are great supporters of fine chocolate and directly sourced cacao with a great range available online." - Martin Christy, Founder/Editor, seventypercent.com TONY CAPUTO'S MARKETO DELI criollo

The Fine Chocolate Experience Infographic

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The information found on this piece is unique because in that the data was not found by researching the internet; it comes from Matt Caputo’s constant obsession with chocolate, traveling the world, ...

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Caputos Deli

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Food
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