Happy Valentine’s Day!
It’s all about love, and I love this recent New York Times article:
A snippet:
…bean-to-bar chocolate makers obsess over the character and ethical origins of their beans.
This is in marked contrast to mainstream industrial chocolate, in which the beans are a commodity product, bought in bulk for price, not quality.
…
The best bean-to-bar chocolate makers (also called craft or micro chocolate makers) choose beans the way chefs choose tomatoes — obsessively, often visiting the farms where the beans are grown. They roast and grind the beans themselves before making them into chocolate bars.
The pastry chef and author David Lebovitz, who wrote “The Great Book of Chocolate,” compares bean-to-bar chocolate to natural wine. “It’s exciting and alive in a way that even really great regular chocolate isn’t,” he said. “It can surprise you.”
Journalist Melissa Clark also notes that her favorite craft chocolate bars include Dandelion Chocolate, Dick Taylor Chocolate, Fruition Chocolate, and Taza Chocolate, four of the brands I am honored to represent!
Here’s to brands that meet my 5 S’s:
- slavery-free
- soy-free and lecithin-free
- sustainable
- small-batch and
- scrumptious!
Onward and upward!
Your friend in chocolate,
Valerie
Valerie Beck
Craft Chocolate Brokering, Consulting, Distribution
http://www.chocolateuplift.com
chocolateuplift@gmail.com
Instagram @chocolateuplift
Chocolate Uplift 