Chocolate blog

Bean to bar chocolate making

As the bean to bar chocolate movement spreads around the world, people are searching for more provenance and authentic artisanal chocolate instead of mass-produced me too chocolate.

This has led to more people starting to make chocolate at home and realising that when you make bean to bar chocolate, it will taste different from batch to batch, because the flavours in a chocolate are dependent on many factors, ranging from the climate during the crop to the fermentation and then to the way the maker roasts and grinds their beans but thats part of the charm.

The chocolate Islands

Recently I was asked  by a Portuguese hotel and hospitaliy company to lead a chocolate safari to Chocolate Islands: 

São Tomé and Príncipe, as a way of preparing for this event I started some research and I came across this amazing book, with maps photgraphs and charts all about the islands I was about to visit.

Adinkra symbols a brief history

When I worked for Divine chocolate we had a major rebrand and the new packaging and bar moulds featured a collection of adinkras, 

we were all encouraged to pick a adinkra that we felt represented us best to use on our business cards.

I did some research and eventually choose FUNTUNFUNEFU "the Siamese crocodiles" It’s a symbol of democracy and unity.

Here’s some of the background stuff I found in my research.

Why we celebrate halloween with sweets and chocolate?

The ancient tradition of Samhain, originated with the Celts, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts and evil spirits.

In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as a time to honour all saints.

But where did the sweets and chocolate come from?

History of cocoa in Ghana

According to the popular story, cocoa cultivation began in Ghana, around 1895 when Tetteh Quarshie a blacksmith who had been working on the island of Fernando Po (now Bioko) in Equatorial Guinea smuggled back some beans in his pocket.

but like most stories there maybe more to it.

Origins of chocolate mousse

I remember from my days in culinary school that the word Mousse means foam in French so it would be logical to think they started life in kitchens there but NO!

Chocolate and the Quakers

Last week I was working in a Quaker boarding school teaching chocolate history and chocolate making to a class of international students.

So I had to make sure I was including the many links to the quakers who pioneered much of the chocolate brands here in the UK,

Is Port British?

After a trip to the Douro in Portugal I couldnt help but wonder why most of the port houses had Britsh sounding names so I felt the need to check out ports interesting history and here is what i found out.

The lowdown on pastel de nata

I have viisiited Portugual many times and thought I would blog about these little gems so here is the lowdown on Portuguals tastey pastel de nata

Fruit Leathers

The Autumn Bounty That Keeps Giving but theres only so many pies jams and soups you can make what about leathers

not to be confused with Pumpkin spice, which is an North American spice used as an ingredient in pumpkin pies etc. Here we often make up a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice, which works great 

What are bitters and can chefs use them to cook with?

Bitters are amazing, essential, and potent flavouring extracts that can elevate and transform any drink to which they’re added.

I like describe to bitters as “seasoning or salt and pepper” for cocktails. They add a little kick to some drinks but are the real essence in others like the old fashioned and Manhattans.

Bitters are amazing, essential, and potent flavouring extracts that can elevate and transform any drink to which they’re added.

Black pepper or white?

Hundreds of years ago, traders gave black pepper the name 'king of spices'. It was like 'black gold,' it was one of the very first items to traded between India and Europe.

It became such an important trading commodity that many expeditions were speculativly set up and funded in hopes of transporting this black gold back to Europe.

What is the cut test?

Cut tests are one analyses that can be done at on the farm to evaluate fermentation, producers and buyers can examine the quality of the processing, from the fermentation box/pile to the completion of the drying,

using sensory methods smell, sight, sound and touch. (After drying, cacao samples are roasted and a taste profile test using cacao.) Cut tests can be used to evaluate cacao bean health.

How to eat chocolate mindfully

I am often asked What is mindful eating?

Well I think mindful eating is (i.e. paying attention to our food, on purpose, moment by moment, without judgment) is an approach to food that focuses on individuals' sensual awareness of the food, environment and their experience of food.
Being mindful of the food you eat can promote better digestion, keep you full with less food, and influence wiser choices about what and when you eat in the future.

Chocolate on the brain

We all know how special a piece of chocolate can be – from even the unboxing experience, the moment you touch it to the reassuring snap it makes, releasing the amazing aromas and then finally as you take the first bite to the way it coats your taste buds in a rich, velvety layer of pure flavour filling your olfactory with some of the 1500 aromas it connecting you to the rain forest it was grown in. And then when that’s finished,...