2nd Annual San Francisco Chocolate Salon

Now that I’ve finally recovered from being sick and my allergies are under control, I wanted to post about the SF Chocolate Salon.  I’d been excited about the event ever since I heard about it back in  February, and planned to get there as early as possible; plenty of other people had the same idea, judging from the line that had formed by the time we arrived at 10:10. The event was supposed to start at ten, but we didn’t get in until around 10:30. Hopefully next year the ticketing will be sorted out better – the will call line was moving more slowly than the line for purchasing tickets, and people in one line had to cross through the other in order to get inside. We did receive some chocolate almonds from Chuck Siegel of Charles Chocolates and a little girl (his daughter?), so waiting in line wasn’t all that bad.

Though the event was packed the whole time we were there (from 10:30 until around 2:30), we didn’t have much trouble trying almost everything. We probably waited less than a minute at each table before being able to sneak our hands in to grab a sample. The only one we missed was Marti Chocolatt – there was a large crowd around their table, they were out of samples, and it didn’t look like they were going to have more anytime soon.

Last year we attended several presentations, but this year we only made it to one, Sarah Feinbloom’s twenty-minute documentary “In Search of the Heart of Chocolate.” It was very funny, and I identified with many of the (crazed?) chocophiles in the movie. We had to watch it on a laptop instead of from the projector because of a missing adapter, but it wasn’t a huge deal.

Most of the participants were presenting confections. While there were several delicious pieces, many tasted a little too sugary/sweet and not chocolatey enough. There were plenty of raspberry chocolates, but I was disappointed by most of them – they had an overwhelming taste of liquor, rather than fresh fruit. I was, however, pleased by the passion fruit chocolates I tasted, which tasted fruity and fresh. I also enjoyed every piece I tried in another popular combination, chocolate and peanut butter.

Some of my favorites:

Charles Chocolates: Every piece I tried was delicious; the oolong and lychee tea chocolates were subtle but flavorful, and even though I hate butterflies, I love the peanut butterflies – the chocolate is smooth and creamy, and the peanut butter is slightly chunky.

Amano Chocolate: I love Amano. I told them so. They’re probably used to hearing this. Sadly, I had eaten too many sugary chocolates before getting to their table, so I didn’t try very hard to taste each piece (so I’m forced to conduct independent research in the future). They mentioned that I should watch their website for something new – exciting!

E. Guittard: There was no Chucuri to sample (my friend Sneha and I both asked), but they had an interesting 70% prototype out – it was bright, a little acidic, and mild. (It wasn’t as good as Chucuri, though.)

The Tea Room: Their lapsang suchong truffle had a unique, smoky flavor. I enjoyed the other dark chocolate truffles I tried, too.

XOX Truffles: I love the Earl Grey truffle. Simple hand-rolled look, and delicious flavor.

Coco Delice: In addition to their salty peanut butter bonbon, I enjoyed the forais piece, a salted caramel.

Rushburn Toffee: I’m not a huge fan of toffee because I dislike the chewiness and stickiness, but the piece I tried was not too hard or sticky, and and had just the right amount of sweetness.

Poco Dolce: Yay for spicy chocolate! I enjoyed the Aztec chile, which was spicy with a hint of sweetness.

The most photographed piece was probably Cosmic Chocolate’s Obama chocolate. Though they weren’t sampling that piece (they had an Obama-less version of the same chocolate), it might have been a good idea if they had – the most interesting thing I noticed at the event was the number of people who were putting each sample into a baggie or box to enjoy later. While this makes sense, because not everyone wants to eat so much chocolate that they will feel sick later (err…), I didn’t notice anyone trying to label pieces so that they would know where they came from later. How terrible would it be to not be able to figure out where the delicious piece of chocolate you just enjoyed came from? (I brought home a few pieces, separately bagged for identification. Still couldn’t avoid the melt factor.)

I’m already looking forward to next year.

Jade Chocolates Genmai

Genmai bar: 33% milk chocolate, roasted brown rice, roasted green tea, jasmine tea.

Ingredients: [redacted] Cacao (sugar, dry whole milk, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor), [redacted] milk chocolate, roasted brown rice, roasted green tea, jasmine tea. [The "redacted" words are names of chocolate companies and were blacked out with marker - not sure if this had something to do with the bars being sold at the chocolate salon, or if they've changed the ingredients, but probably the former.]

My friend Sneha bought this bar at the SF Chocolate Salon (write up coming tomorrow, seriously) and was kind enough to share. I remember liking the offerings from Jade Chocolates, which included this bar, as well as their other bar, Dragon’s Breath, which also contains tea. The packaging for the bar was really beautiful handmade sustainable paper. The chocolate inside was a single bar, but each piece was different – they varied in height, and the pictures didn’t match up. It’s a unique look, as far as I know.

More importantly, the chocolate tasted pretty good. The milk chocolate was creamy, and not too sweet, and the green tea flavor (though maybe not the jasmine as much) was pretty prominent, without being in the way of the chocolate. I also enjoyed the crunchy bits of rice, which were small enough to be unobtrusive. I plan to try more from Jade Chocolates in the future. (6.5/10)

Chocolate demos: Saratoga Chocolates and Coco Delice

Ack! Being sick two different times within less than a week and half has caused me to neglect my chocolate blog. Since I’m still going through my (disorganized) SF chocolate salon notes, I wanted to post a write-up of two chocolate demonstrations that one of my minions attended at Bloomingdales on the Thursday preceding the chocolate salon. He writes:

I caught the end of the Saratoga Chocolates demonstration, at around 12:45. The founder/chocolatier Mary Loomas was in the process of making molded raspberry chocolates. Here’s what I learned:

- Loomas used the microwave often, to melt chocolate and heat cream. She mentioned that a traditional ganache recipe might involve pouring boiling cream over chopped chocolate pieces, but there are two pitfalls to doing this: the chocolate pieces might not all melt [this has happened to me before, grr! –Monster], or the chocolate might burn if the cream is too hot. That’s why it’s good to melt the chocolate, at least a little, before adding the cream.

- For the outer covering of the molded chocolate, she tempered the chocolate using a slab (was either marble or granite); she heated the chocolate to about 113 degrees, then poured half of it onto the slab and worked it around with a spatula and scraper to cool it. To temper the chocolate, she wanted to bring the temperature down to about 89 degrees by adding the cooled chocolate. She used an infrared thermometer (jealous).

- Saratoga Chocolates is based in Saratoga, California (near San Jose). Loomas uses local chocolate, Scharffen Berger and E. Guittard, in addition to other local products; the raspberry puree in the chocolates she was making came from fresh raspberries she purchased/froze when raspberries were in season, and the raspberry liquor came from Bonny Doon, a local vineyard.

- I tried several finished pieces. I especially enjoyed the black and tan, which had a good, stouty flavor, and the jasmine green tea, which had a strong tea flavor but was still chocolatey. My favorite was actually the fresh raspberry chocolate; even though it hadn’t set yet, the fresh raspberry stood out rather than the raspberry liquor.

The second presentation was by another local chocolatier, Dennis Kearney of Coco Delice, who was making a hand rolled merlot truffle. We got to try the finished product – the flavor of the alcohol was bold, but it was still satisfyingly chocolatey. Here are the highlights from his presentation:

- Kearney also used the microwave to melt chocolate, and did it in 30 second blocks, to make sure it didn’t overheat.

- For the truffles, he used invert sugar, which increases the shelf life of chocolate and keeps the moisture in. A home cook would substitute corn syrup in equal proportions. He also used unsalted dry butter that has a higher fat content.

- Coco Delice doesn’t keep ganache (especially when it contains liquor) in the fridge; Kearney advised keeping plastic wrap or parchment paper on top to prevent condensation.

- Kearney melted chocolate to dip the truffles in, but didn’t temper it, since he’d be rolling them in cocoa powder afterwards. Once he’d rolled the truffles (from the ganache), he put some melted chocolate on his gloved hands and rolled a few truffles at a time in them. After he finished rolling the last group, he re-rolled the first group (if they contain liquor, it’s good to let them sit a little longer). The second coat was really light, and he dropped the truffles in the cocoa powder while they were still shiny and wet so that it would stick. Other suggested coatings were nuts or coconut.

- He uses Scharffen Berger cocoa powder, and also recommends Green and Black. In addition to the flavor, he likes the color of the cocoa powder, too.

- Truffles can be made ahead of time and frozen, then put in the fridge 48 hours ahead of time, and then 24 hours before, kept at room temperature.

- Kearney worked as an environmental consultant and started baking as a creative outlet. He worked on both pastries and chocolate (starting with truffles), but realized he needed to make a choice between the two, and went with chocolate.

- Approximately half of his chocolates have liquor; he likes the dimension it adds.

- Kearney uses Callebaut chocolate; he tried Scharffen Berger when he started out, but the flavors were too strong, so he went with Callebaut, which is milder. They use El Rey a little too, but noticed that they’ve recently changed their recipe a bit – his chocolates have been coming out a little crumbly, not smooth, which probably indicates a decrease in the cocoa butter content. They also try to use organic ingredients and use packaging that’s recyclable.

- We also got to try a molded peanut butter chocolate. It was really good – the filling was smooth and creamy, and there was a nice saltiness to it.

Thanks, minion! Chocolate salon report to come!

(Near) death by chocolate

Even though my allergies tried to keep me away, I made it to the chocolate salon today – details to come. The problem with having so much chocolate in one place is that a person (me) might end up consuming much more then usual (one or two pieces from a chocolate bar), which, combined with being slightly ill, does not end up very well. Late in the afternoon, I almost felt like the people in these SNL “Death by Chocolate” clips posted over at Serious Eats.

(I’m just kidding, chocolate! I know you would never willingly hurt me.)

San Francisco International Chocolate Salon – April 13, 2008

The 2nd Annual San Francisco Chocolate Salon will be taking place on Sunday, April 13, at the Fort Mason Center in SF. I had a wonderful time attending last year, and so did a few other people – an estimated 2000 people attended, when the event took place over a weekend. This year, since the salon is only happening on Sunday (from 10 to 6), over 1000 people are expected to show up, desperate for chocolate. Some of the participants from last year are returning (Amano, Charles Chocolates, Poco Dolce), and others are new (Scharffen Berger, Christopher Elbow, Chuao Chocolatier).

Over 25 chocolate companies in one place, as well as presentations and demos? I’ll definitely be there, probably for most of the day. Be careful, though, the likelihood of going into a chocolate coma is high.

Amano Ocumare 70%

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, whole Tahitian vanilla pods. Amano Artisan Chocolate is a small batch bean-to-bar chocolate maker based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founder Art Pollard first became interested in making chocolate in 1996; Amano chocolate bars became available to the public in 2006. Although Amano isn’t fair trade certified, they cite that many farmers cannot afford to go through the process, and that they pay farmers and co-ops above fair trade price for beans. Amano does not disclose, however, whether or not they employ Oompa Loompas, and how they might be compensated.

According to Amano, the criollo beans from this bar come from the Ocumare Valley in Venezuela, where they have been grown since at least the early 1700s. It’s a flavorful bar, but very subtle, so it seems pretty mild (rather than bold). It begins with a really rich, chocolatey taste, a little woody. Small bits melting on the tongue taste like raspberries. It ends with a light, roasted, coffee bean-ish taste, but it’s not bitter really – it’s very well balanced. Definitely one of my favorite bars so far. (9.5/10)

Seeds of Change Chocolate

I was planning on writing about the Seeds of Change 61% La Dominicana bar I snagged at Green Festival last year, but it looks like the company removed it from their line up. Too bad – it was fudgy and with an orange flavor, like a richer chocolate orange. The ingredients were chocolate*, sugar*, cocoa butter*, milk fat, soy lecithin, and natural flavor* (* meaning organic), so I’m guessing the “natural flavor” was orange. I wonder why they didn’t specify.

Anyway, some of the other bars look interesting, but they all appear to contain bits of fruit or nuts, unlike that rich, chocolatey, orangey bar… I guess there’s the Narrangasett bar, which has chocolate with orange essence, candied pecans, cranberries, and cinnamon – sounds like a good combination.

Seeds of Change has been selling organic food since 1989, with a focus on sustainability – they contribute 1% of net revenues to advance organic farming and biodiversity. Their cacao beans are supplied by the National Confederation of Dominican Cocoa Growers, Inc., the largest confederation of organic cocoa growers in the Dominican Republic (accounting for 15% of growers in the country). Seeds of Change, along with Conservation International, an organization interested in sustainability, is working with farmers in the Dominican Republic and in Brazil to help them increase profits by using sustainable practices and improving product quality, among other goals. More info can be found on the site.

I’ll have to try one of the bars currently offered by Seeds of Change (and avoid slacking off on posting about them, in case they change their offerings again).

E. Guittard Chucuri Bittersweet

Ingredients: Cacao beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla beans.

I was recommended this bar by my co-worker Sneha, and I take a lot of pride in that – when she started work about six months ago, she told me she never craved sweet food, only salty snacks. Now it seems like she wants to eat chocolate every day, which just goes to show one of the risks of knowing a chocolate monster.

The Guittard Chocolate Company opened in 1858 in San Francisco before moving south to Burlingame, and has been family-owned and operated ever since. Guittard’s artisan line, E. Guittard, named for the company’s founder Etienne, was introduced in 2001. According to the wrapper, the Trinitario beans in this 65% bar were grown in the San Vicente de Chucuri Valley in Colombia.

This bar is deeply chocolatey and very addictive. It tastes light and flowery, then a hint of spice and herbs balances it out. In the aftertaste, the chocolate lingers, before the floral hints return. Definitely a favorite. (9.5/10)

Askinosie San Jose Del Tambo 70%

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter At the Askinosie tasting (which I’ll write more about in part 2 of my Askinosie post), I got to taste the Soconusco bar from bean to bar. Afterwards, I decided to purchase the San Jose Del Tambo bar at Bittersweet, to get a better idea of it. The bar starts out very fruity, with hints of raspberries and plums, and then progresses into a darker tone, woody with roasted coffee, with a dry finish. Pretty light – I ate more than a piece to get the flavor. The finish reminds me a little of the chocolate liquor at the tasting in the way it makes the tongue dry. I could imagine eating this bar with a beer, or maybe with some wine.

Askinosie Chocolate – Part 1: The Company

Being a compulsive email checker often proves useful, like last month when I received (and responded to, within a half hour) an email from Bittersweet Café about a tasting and discussion led by Shawn Askinosie of Askinosie Chocolate. I knew a little bit about Askinosie’s profit sharing methods, but I looked forward to learning more (and tasting chocolate, obviously).

The event took place on a Tuesday night, and around twenty people who also responded fast enough to make the cut showed up. We sat down around tables at the back of the first floor of the store; Askinosie stood in front of us, telling us his story and going through a slideshow on his laptop, while his wife Caron prepared and passed around the samples that I’ll talk about in my second post.

Shawn Askinosie was a criminal defense lawyer in Springfield, Missouri for nearly twenty years, defending people charged with murder and other serious crimes. His work started taking a toll on him and his family, and he realized he needed to pursue another line of work. Food was a passion of his; he was into barbecuing and considered going into the cupcake business for a while. But in May 2005, it came to him that he should be making chocolate. (I’ve had this thought before.) So he started making chocolate, first at home, and when that proved too messy for his wife, at his law office.

Askinosie’s beans come from two regions: San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador, and Soconusco, Mexico, a popular cacao-growing region during Aztec times. Interesting, he’s one of the first people outside of Mexico to use those beans in over 100 years. I don’t remember him talking a lot about how he learned about the chocolate making process, but he did say he learned about the growing, drying, and fermenting of beans from the farmers. His lead farmer in Mexico is a trained agronomist, which probably helped a lot with refining the process.

The most interesting thing about Askinosie chocolate to me is the profit sharing mechanism. Askinosie pays farmers an above fair trade wage, and then shares 10% of the profits from chocolate made from beans from their farms. He also shows them his books, so they know how the profit is calculated. Profit sharing encourages the farmers to improve their product, and Askinosie provides development training for them to learn more.

Once he had his factory running, Askinosie went through several months of problems with the tempering process, partly because the bars don’t contain soy lecithin, an emulsifier that helps during tempering. Askinosie is one of only a few small batch bean-to-bar chocolate makers in the US, and apparently they’re a secretive bunch; besides one person from Guittard (which is a larger company), he didn’t have a lot of community support. It wasn’t until summer 2007 that Askinosie’s chocolates appeared on the market.

Other neat tidbits:

- Askinosie mentioned that he likes to pair chocolate with tequila. He also likes to pair chocolate with beer, like Dogfish Head Ale and Rogue Dead Guy (beers with a bite).

- Kids who live at the local homeless shelter and go to the nearby elementary school attend “Chocolate University,” where they learn about chocolate and entrepreneurship; the admission price for factory tours goes toward this program.

- Women from the local women’s shelter get paid to tie the strings, originally from the bags of cacao beans that arrive at the factory, onto the top of the chocolate bars.

- The packaging on the products is really slick, and so is the website; the bars come in brown packages, stamped with info and pictures of farmers, and contain maps of the area where the cacao is grown. According to Askinosie’s wife, he oversaw the package design.

- The Askinosie logo is the orange of UT, which is Askinosie’s wife’s alma mater.

Askinosie seemed like a really nice guy, and I look forward to seeing what he comes out with next.