So I am not the best at posting - I would like to claim to be a busy dude. Mostly, I merely prefer talking about chocolate with people in person over type-preaching to the intangible blogosphere.
But tonight is different. Last night we had our Venezuela - Round II meeting, and I have some sweet jazz playing (The Bad Plus - check them out if you like acoustic jazz).
I really love chocolate. It has definitely transcended food or snack. Nearly daily, I smirk to myself while telling a new person how IN to chocolate I am while also trying to not sound insane. I don't mind sounding weird - I just don't want large dudes in coats showing up at my door with an I-love-me jacket.
I am absolutely loving the Chocolate Society. We are a group of people who love chocolate a lot. Sometimes, newbies are a little reserved when it comes to sharing their opinions, but they get over it at their own speed. Not everyone is as mouthy as me. But it is exactly what I hoped. We are reaching ever higher levels of understanding, and we are becoming more capable of discovering, isolating, and identifying the flavors on display.
Apparently, I am effective at being the very-much-not-omniscient leader, and people are comfortable disagreeing with me - even when I jokingly attach them to defend their position. That makes us more what I want us to be: a group of individuals loving chocolate separately together.
As we continue to grow in numbers and skill and taste, we are going to have more fun and really develop our passion in our own individual ways while working with each other. Maybe someday the international chocolate world will be curious about our opinions. Maybe they won't be. But we will be tasting chocolate, all right - probably louder than would make sense. And I intend to keep loving it. Feel free to join us.
Brian
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Chocolate to think about
The more you delve into chocolate, the more you realize what sorts of variety can be found. Lately, I have been classifying chocolate into "chocolate to think about" and "easy chocolate." I haven't ranked one above the other, but this classification guides my hand as I reach into my chocolate selection based on my mood.
Perhaps, this division makes some sense to you, but perhaps not. Let me explain - or at least illustrate with some examples. Domori Javablond is the ultimate thinking chocolate, and Amedei's new little candy bars are maybe too easy to eat. I can eat a bar in about a bite.
Thinking chocolate is purely about the trip it takes you on. Domori as a brand tends to produce cerebral chocolates, and I really enjoy the journey. I love experiencing the dry sensation from the lack of extra cocoa butter. The sweetness contrasts so sharply with the synthetic-like flavors brought about by the terroir and the ferment. The texture is the ultimate goal in chocolate-dom - smooth as silk and perfectly even-melting. And then there is that punch in the uvula right as it finishes melting. Quite the trip. That being said, I basically never end on Domori, because I enjoy and easy finish.
Valrhona's Tainori is something of a hybrid. On the one hand, it is technically masterful. But on the other hand, when I am looking to just enjoy some delicious chocolate, I very often reach for my trusty Tainori. The texture is only slightly behind Domori's. The roast is very French (i.e. dark), but not over-done by any stretch. The flavors tend to be on the lower end of the spectrum - dark, roasty, nutty. If its flavor were color, it would be on the warm end of the spectrum in the orange-yellow range with no sharp spikes. It is very round and beautiful. I can eat it with brain turned off and still enjoy it, though it has plenty to savor and contemplate as well. And, oh, that finish!
Clearly, chocolate can span the middle ground between the realms of cerebral-ness and simplistic goodness. I really look forward to getting together with like-minded chocophiles beginning next month to really dive deep in our individual chocolate experiences. Next month!
Perhaps, this division makes some sense to you, but perhaps not. Let me explain - or at least illustrate with some examples. Domori Javablond is the ultimate thinking chocolate, and Amedei's new little candy bars are maybe too easy to eat. I can eat a bar in about a bite.
Thinking chocolate is purely about the trip it takes you on. Domori as a brand tends to produce cerebral chocolates, and I really enjoy the journey. I love experiencing the dry sensation from the lack of extra cocoa butter. The sweetness contrasts so sharply with the synthetic-like flavors brought about by the terroir and the ferment. The texture is the ultimate goal in chocolate-dom - smooth as silk and perfectly even-melting. And then there is that punch in the uvula right as it finishes melting. Quite the trip. That being said, I basically never end on Domori, because I enjoy and easy finish.
Valrhona's Tainori is something of a hybrid. On the one hand, it is technically masterful. But on the other hand, when I am looking to just enjoy some delicious chocolate, I very often reach for my trusty Tainori. The texture is only slightly behind Domori's. The roast is very French (i.e. dark), but not over-done by any stretch. The flavors tend to be on the lower end of the spectrum - dark, roasty, nutty. If its flavor were color, it would be on the warm end of the spectrum in the orange-yellow range with no sharp spikes. It is very round and beautiful. I can eat it with brain turned off and still enjoy it, though it has plenty to savor and contemplate as well. And, oh, that finish!
Clearly, chocolate can span the middle ground between the realms of cerebral-ness and simplistic goodness. I really look forward to getting together with like-minded chocophiles beginning next month to really dive deep in our individual chocolate experiences. Next month!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
What is fine chocolate?
When I discovered fine chocolate, immediately I could pick up on the fact that there was a drastic difference between what I had ever tried up that point, and my first exposure to fine chocolate (and it was a doozy - Amedei's world champion Chuao). Talking with Nick, I quickly gathered that there was a lot to know about a lot of aspects of fine chocolate. And where there are a lot aspects, there are a lot of opportunities to do things right or wrong.
This question often comes up at this point: "What is right, and what is wrong?" or "Who decides what is right or wrong?" The who is basically you, me, and anyone who puts the stuff near his nose or in her mouth. That part is easy - it is fairly subjective. But there are some common threads between what the observant would consider good and bad, and that is what I want to focus on now.
It starts with the plant. Cacao has different varieties the same way apples do. That said, the average layman can tell the difference between a Fuji and a Granny Smith by looks alone. But cacao has its own subtle differences between varieties. But beyond just the variety, the terroir - the special characteristics imparted by the growing conditions - lends even more nuance and flavor notes to the beans. And then every step in the production process affects the flavor profile of the finished product.
Fine chocolate starts with fine beans - grown under fine conditions and treated "finely" in every step of the process. I have a background in manufacturing, so I have caught myself focusing very much on the production of individual bars. I love finding the intrinsic flavors, and I love noticing what notes are accented by a particular chocolatier.
A hallmark of "bad" chocolate is chocolate flavor hidden by cover-ups. Cheap chocolate very often has a strong smell of vanilla if you're lucky - its evil doppelganger vanillin if you are not lucky. The roast speaks volumes about the intentions of a chocolatier, and people using sub-par beans often far over-roast their beans to cover up other flaws. Those producers walk a delicate line between the bitter flavors of cheap forastero beans and too little fermentation - and fancy charcoal briquettes. The strong vanilla hides much of the rest.
So what is "fine" chocolate? Fine chocolate starts with fine beans, and is made by skilled people who care about the subtleties available. What makes the world of great chocolate so great is that those skilled people have different philosophies that come across so differently. The thrill is in the chase of those differences - finding and identifying them and savoring them.
I have some ideas for meetings for the Chocolate Society meetings. One is basically an extension of Caputo's intermediate class. We will taste several chocolates starting from as similar beans as possible. For example, at least 4 of the top chocolate producers use the same plantation for their Madagascar (also "Sambirano") bars, but they come across very differently.
Hopefully, you get a chance to see these attributes for yourself!
--Brian
This question often comes up at this point: "What is right, and what is wrong?" or "Who decides what is right or wrong?" The who is basically you, me, and anyone who puts the stuff near his nose or in her mouth. That part is easy - it is fairly subjective. But there are some common threads between what the observant would consider good and bad, and that is what I want to focus on now.
It starts with the plant. Cacao has different varieties the same way apples do. That said, the average layman can tell the difference between a Fuji and a Granny Smith by looks alone. But cacao has its own subtle differences between varieties. But beyond just the variety, the terroir - the special characteristics imparted by the growing conditions - lends even more nuance and flavor notes to the beans. And then every step in the production process affects the flavor profile of the finished product.
Fine chocolate starts with fine beans - grown under fine conditions and treated "finely" in every step of the process. I have a background in manufacturing, so I have caught myself focusing very much on the production of individual bars. I love finding the intrinsic flavors, and I love noticing what notes are accented by a particular chocolatier.
A hallmark of "bad" chocolate is chocolate flavor hidden by cover-ups. Cheap chocolate very often has a strong smell of vanilla if you're lucky - its evil doppelganger vanillin if you are not lucky. The roast speaks volumes about the intentions of a chocolatier, and people using sub-par beans often far over-roast their beans to cover up other flaws. Those producers walk a delicate line between the bitter flavors of cheap forastero beans and too little fermentation - and fancy charcoal briquettes. The strong vanilla hides much of the rest.
So what is "fine" chocolate? Fine chocolate starts with fine beans, and is made by skilled people who care about the subtleties available. What makes the world of great chocolate so great is that those skilled people have different philosophies that come across so differently. The thrill is in the chase of those differences - finding and identifying them and savoring them.
I have some ideas for meetings for the Chocolate Society meetings. One is basically an extension of Caputo's intermediate class. We will taste several chocolates starting from as similar beans as possible. For example, at least 4 of the top chocolate producers use the same plantation for their Madagascar (also "Sambirano") bars, but they come across very differently.
Hopefully, you get a chance to see these attributes for yourself!
--Brian
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The Genesis of the Society
My name is Brian Ruggles, and I am a chocophile.
I don't pretend that I am particularly special with chocolate, but I am in rarefied company with the extent of my chocophilia. I love chocolate. A lot.
It began again just over a year ago. I always loved chocolate, but in November of 2008 I discovered chocolate anew. My wife bought us tickets to the Utah chocolate expo as a surprise for me. I had been buying darker and darker bars with ever-increasing percentages of cocoa make-up. Little did either of us know what was in store for us.
The first booth I came across was Caputo's - a Mediterranean market in Salt Lake City. They had this wall of chocolate that blew my mind before I even saw exactly what was going on. In talking with my new friend Nick, he was using all these terms and dropping all this knowledge. I had no idea there was so much to even know about chocolate. Long story short is that I became one of their more devoted students, and I attended multiple classes Caputo's held to teach some basics of chocolate origins, manufacture, and tasting.
Chocolate can be complex. It is a full sensory experience. It has a look and a smell that affect the observer before it even reaches the lips. The taste can have an introduction, plot and character development, a climax and a lingering finish to allow the observant to ponder the subtle nuance long after the chocolate has melted and gone from the mouth. There are so many different bars from different countries from different producers using beans from around the tropical world. There is so much to discover in a single bar, let alone in the large selection of fine chocolate bars available. Chocolate is not necessarily just chocolate - there is far more to it than that.
It wasn't long before I started hosting my own chocolate tastings. I met Art Pollard of Amano (google it - they are the best) - the country's best chocolatier EVER, and he even came out to a special tasting highlighting his chocolate bar line. I determined early on I was terminal. I love to share this new passion and excitement with others open to having their paradigms pulverized.
And that brings me to my next point - I am starting up the Chocolate Society with some friends at Caputo's. We are like-minded souls devoted to advancing the understanding and appreciation of fine chocolate. In April, we will be launching the society which will be open to the willing public. We want to increase the exposure of chocolate as a gourmet food and to work to have more people accept chocolate as far more than mere candy.
More details will come as we decide them. Initially, this blog site will be the forum for spreading information and perhaps posting "lessons" and reviews. Later, we are planning a comprehensive website to cover upcoming events, provide a forum for those interested to discuss chocolate, post comprehensive reviews, and more. For the chocolate devotee, we hope to provide a fantastic and broad resource to fuel your devotion. But mainly, we want to provide face-time between people who love chocolate and want to learn more and more. (And more and more!)
Join us - we hope to see you in April!
I don't pretend that I am particularly special with chocolate, but I am in rarefied company with the extent of my chocophilia. I love chocolate. A lot.
It began again just over a year ago. I always loved chocolate, but in November of 2008 I discovered chocolate anew. My wife bought us tickets to the Utah chocolate expo as a surprise for me. I had been buying darker and darker bars with ever-increasing percentages of cocoa make-up. Little did either of us know what was in store for us.
The first booth I came across was Caputo's - a Mediterranean market in Salt Lake City. They had this wall of chocolate that blew my mind before I even saw exactly what was going on. In talking with my new friend Nick, he was using all these terms and dropping all this knowledge. I had no idea there was so much to even know about chocolate. Long story short is that I became one of their more devoted students, and I attended multiple classes Caputo's held to teach some basics of chocolate origins, manufacture, and tasting.
Chocolate can be complex. It is a full sensory experience. It has a look and a smell that affect the observer before it even reaches the lips. The taste can have an introduction, plot and character development, a climax and a lingering finish to allow the observant to ponder the subtle nuance long after the chocolate has melted and gone from the mouth. There are so many different bars from different countries from different producers using beans from around the tropical world. There is so much to discover in a single bar, let alone in the large selection of fine chocolate bars available. Chocolate is not necessarily just chocolate - there is far more to it than that.
It wasn't long before I started hosting my own chocolate tastings. I met Art Pollard of Amano (google it - they are the best) - the country's best chocolatier EVER, and he even came out to a special tasting highlighting his chocolate bar line. I determined early on I was terminal. I love to share this new passion and excitement with others open to having their paradigms pulverized.
And that brings me to my next point - I am starting up the Chocolate Society with some friends at Caputo's. We are like-minded souls devoted to advancing the understanding and appreciation of fine chocolate. In April, we will be launching the society which will be open to the willing public. We want to increase the exposure of chocolate as a gourmet food and to work to have more people accept chocolate as far more than mere candy.
More details will come as we decide them. Initially, this blog site will be the forum for spreading information and perhaps posting "lessons" and reviews. Later, we are planning a comprehensive website to cover upcoming events, provide a forum for those interested to discuss chocolate, post comprehensive reviews, and more. For the chocolate devotee, we hope to provide a fantastic and broad resource to fuel your devotion. But mainly, we want to provide face-time between people who love chocolate and want to learn more and more. (And more and more!)
Join us - we hope to see you in April!
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