A New Chocolate Quest Begins

The healthy vegan side of me hates to admit that I allow this as one of my "chocolate exceptions", but the truth is, I do.  I admit it: chocolate croissants, the epitome of butter, calories, and decadence are my latest chocolate indulgence.

This guilty pleasure began earlier this year while in Florence, Italy.  At Caffe Nuove Poste, I enjoyed a chocolate croissant with a beautiful cup of cioccolata calda.  I never really ordered chocolate croissants before, but this one had chunks of chocolate inside, and the dough was light, flakey, and buttery.  As I began dipping the croissant into the rich, thick, dark drinking chocolate, I was in cioccolata heaven. And for only 1,20 euro which is only $1.60 US, it was a priceless experience.  While I used the last bites of croissant to wipe clean my cioccolata calda, I knew my chocolate croissant quest had just begun.

Over the past few months, I've sampled a variety of chocolate croissants including some while still in Italy after my Florence revelation.  One in Venice, for example, was beautiful on the outside, with unsweetened chocolate on top adding a nice crunch, but inside, the chocolate filling was a bit sparse and the croissant itself was hard.

One of the most humorous croissants was from our hotel in Florence.  It came individually packaged, and though labeled "con farcitura al cacao", it was simply bread (a tasty lightly sweetened bread), with just a dab of chocolate inside.

That has been the story of much of my chocolate croissant quest -- most are too bready with sparse chocolate filling.  Many look very inviting on the outside, but inside, there's nothing there, literally.  All that an empty chocolate croissant is good for is dipping into hot cocoa, or my other new found pleasure, a café mocha. And with my new found love of "hot cacao", the hot cocoas, which are usually featured in coffee houses, just don't cut it. They are too sweet.  I'd rather have a mocha which features a "bite" from the espresso, rounded out by the sweetness in the chocolate, and highlighted with steamed soy milk.  A chocolate croissant with a mocha has become for me a perfect pairing.

With much studying to be done this semester for my doctoral program, I've spent a lot of time in different coffee houses, sampling mochas, croissants, and even hot cocoas.  Most have proved rather unspectacular.  There are two exceptions, however.

The first comes from the coffee house closest to my place in the mountains.  At Pescadero Country Store, the croissants are made onsite daily and feature Guittard Chocolate.  The soy mocha is nice, but the chocolate croissant is spectacular.  Usually there is chocolate overflowing from the ends with a generous layer throughout the center so that chocolate stars in every bite.  Of course, the one time I go to officially review and photograph the chocolate croissant, the amount of chocolate is "average" in that there is a little layer in the center.  I do however love the airiness and flakiness of this croissant which literally melts in your mouth (probably because of all the butter), and the sugary coating that crumbles with each bite.

From the picture on the left, you can see how airy and luscious this croissant is with its multiple flaky layers.  You can also see the thin amount of chocolate on the bottom, which was a major disappointment on this study trip.  Thus, not my top chocolate croissant pick anymore.  In spite the chocolate croissant let down, I did stay at the Country Store for nearly 5 hours and got a lot of work done.

Though I love the chocolate croissant in Pescadero, partly because it is local (local, at least for me), another one of my favorite comes from Gerry's Cakes, a little bakery off the main road in downtown Menlo Park.  I stumbled upon their shop by accident as I was exploring the side streets, trying to find a place to study.  Though their storefront has no ambiance for studying, the chocolate croissant looked amazing, with chocolate oozing from the ends, which is the way I have come to like it.

I had it packed to go, then found a coffee shop where I ordered a mocha and their chocolate croissant. Yes, it was me, my books, a mocha, and 2 chocolate croissants.  (What an afternoon!)  While the one from  Le Boulanger was very good (one of the better ones I've had), the chocolate croissant from Gerry's simply blew it away.  The croissant itself was not very fluffy.  It was almost flat, with a pastry-like texture.  However, from the first bite, it melt in my mouth, with dark chocolate accents all the way to the very bittersweet end.  It was heavenly, and though it only cost $2.00, it was golden.  In my croissant quest, I've spent 2-3 times more on croissants that were not even worth it.   Unfortunately, I do not yet have a picture of this chocolate treasure from Gerry's, but it looks a lot like the chocolate croissant pictured left.

In my chocolate world, all would be perfect if Bean Street (or Almare) had chocolate croissants from Gerry's (or Pescadero Country Store), or if Gerry's served mocha with a better study ambiance, or if Pescadero had more consistency in its croissants.  Unfortunately, that is not the reality.  Thus I continue to explore and find chocolates which delight my passion and coffee houses which invite me the space to study.  We will see where the croissant quest leads.

And so concludes (thanks to the U.K.) another Chocolate Week, and my excuse to share and celebrate my ongoing discoveries in chocolate.  Stay tuned to see what new chocolate indulgences I unwrap next time on the blog.

Chocolate for Grown-ups

Friends who've known me for years find it odd that I now have such a chocolate obsession. The reality is I never liked chocolate until I began losing weight about 7 years ago. One day the chocolate lust hit and it hasn’t yet gone away.  And though I now dabble daily in some form of chocolate, the 40 pounds have not come back.  Really.

Running helps.  As does moderation.  And a vegan diet doesn't hurt either, though chocolate (and chocolate cake in particular) is one of my non-vegan exceptions.

Another thing that helps is my maturing chocolate palate.  The overly sweetened stuff has never tempted me, and I am not big on chocolate confections or candy.  I like my chocolate dark and dense, and thus, a little nibble (okay, a few little nibbles) of a good chocolate cake or a few sips of an excellent drinking chocolate will often satisfy me.

As my preferences in chocolate become more refined, they are beginning to discover "chocolate for grown-ups".  I've always enjoy chocolate and alcohol, reflected in my attempt to bake a chocolate whiskey cake last year.  But beyond that I'm discovering some other chocolate-alcohol pairings.

One of my favorite "chocolate for grown-up" discoveries is what I call, "adult s'mores".  My sweetie celebrated a birthday last weekend up in the redwoods.  After dinner, around the campfire, I introduced my version of this "spiked" childhood favorite. Our friends loved them.

The traditional version of a s'more is Hershey's milk chocolate and a roasted marshmallow, sandwiched between two graham crackers.  (Believe it or not, while growing up and not liking chocolate, I used to eat s'mores without the chocolate - just marshmallows and graham crackers.  How times have changed!)

S'mores may be sticky and messy, but they are a campfire tradition and an addiction as the term, "s'more", is a contraction of "some more".  Kids love s'mores, and adults do, too.  But to be honest, they are simply sweet upon sweet, overly sweet.  The adult version takes the s'more to the next level by cutting the sweet in half, creating a better balance of flavors, and providing a sophisticated twist on this childhood snack.

It begins with the ingredients: (1) A good dark chocolate, which is vegan - we used Guittard 91%;  (2) marshmallows or if you want, Sweet and Sara does offer a vegan version;  (3) graham crackers, which are often vegan if you don't buy a honey-added brand; and the pièce de résistance, (4) Kahlúa, a Mexican coffee-flavored rum-based liqueur, which is also vegan.  (See how easy it is to create yummy, animal-friendly, vegan desserts!)

You begin by first splitting the graham cracker into two, and placing a hunk of chocolate on one side.  You want to have everything ready to go so that when the marshmallow is toasted to your liking, you don't need to wait and have the marshmallow cool down.

Next, place a marshmallow on a stick and then soak it in Kahlúa.  The marshmallow needs to be soft so that the Kahlúa can seep into the center and not just coat the outside.  The longer the soak, the deeper the flavor.  I like to keep it in for a few minutes.

Once the marshmallow has been "Kahlúa-d", toast it over a campfire or coals (or a stove).  Some like their marshmallow blackened and scorched.  I like mine, golden-brown and gushy to the touch all the way around.  This ensures that when sandwiched betwen the graham crackers, the marshmallow  will melt the chocolate as the gooeyness oozes. Ahh... I can just taste it.

The bittersweet notes in the 91% chocolate beautifully cut the sweetness of the marshmallow.  The Kahlúa adds caramel and vanilla undertones, which create a delicious flavor profile that beats out, in my opinion, a traditional s'more any day. You need to give this a try and discover that s'mores aren't just for kids anymore.  Neither are they just for campfires (or non-vegans). 

Another "chocolate for grown-ups" I've found is 360 Double Chocolate, a chocolate flavored vodka, which has won multiple taste awards.  On its website, 360 (the world's first eco-friendly vodka) writes: "Think of everything you love about chocolate. Then double it. Rich. Smooth. Silky. The flavor of temptation. This is chocolate to the intense degree."  And with 360 Double Chocolate, I would agree.

We first sampled this chocolate vodka at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival last year.  What first impressed us was the smell of chocolate which wafted from the vodka.  It smelled heavenly.  But what blew us away was the flavor.  The depth of chocolate is incredible as it seems to enfold the vodka on your palate before the vodka bursts forth and settles smoothly on your tongue.  It is very satisfying, and because vodka is meant to be sipped, a little goes a long way in quenching the desire for chocolate as well as alcohol.  Three sips and I'm done.

But I've found that a teaspoon (or two) of chocolate vodka with a 6 ounce prepared powdered hot chocolate brings a mediocre hot cocoa to the next level.  It makes a kid's drink, an adult obsession.  The smoothness of the vodka adds a silkiness to the flavor, while undercutting the sugar.  When added to a mug of quality hot chocolate, the chocolate vodka makes an excellent drink, even better.  The vodka seems to bring out the best flavor notes in the chocolate.  And on a cold night, hot chocolate with a touch of vodka warms the body and pleases the spirit.

There are many other types of "chocolate for adults" which I am only beginning to discover.  There is a slew of chocolate beers now on the market, while chocolate liqueurs continue to be used in recipes or enjoyed straight.  Chocolate and wine pairing is a big trend, with chocolate wine just beginning to hit the market.  There's  even an Adult Chocolate Milk now, which is a 40-proof alcoholic drink. 

So much adult chocolate, so little time. Yet I'm realizing that I do not enjoy the chocolate and alcohol pairing as much as I enjoy a different chocolate pairing.  To find out what that is, you'll need to check out the blog tomorrow as my celebration of Chocolate Week wraps up with my latest chocolate obsession.

How to Make Hot Cocoa from Cacao Beans

Thanks to Bean Street in San Mateo, I've come to appreciate hot cocoa made from roasted cacao beans.  Next to cioccolata calda, it's my new standard in drinking chocolate.  

Personally, I find hot cocoa brewed fresh from roasted cacao beans to be a wonderfully inviting drink. With the consistency of coffee, it is different than the creamy and thick cioccolata calda, but has those same chocolate undertones which get lost in the over-sweetened, over-processed, pre-packaged hot cocoas on the market.   While I still enjoy hot cocoa (from powder) and hot chocolate (from bars), depending on my mood, I find my taste buds shifting.  My daily chocolate fix is becoming more hot cocoa from the bean, or as I am beginning to say, "hot cacao," to distinguish the difference.  

Brewed hot cacao from the bean is a new trend, and I agree with John Nanci, the Chocolate Alchemist, that it is a different taste experience.  He writes: "Brewed cocoa, regardless of source, is not an intense, thick mouth coating drink like many are accustomed to in hot chocolate or the other various processed chocolate drinks.  It’s more subtle and sublime than that.  It is its own drink.  If you compare it to hot chocolate, you may come away disappointed.  If you evaluate it for it own flavor and merits, I think you will come away impressed."

I know I am totally impressed, as I savor my fresh brew made this morning from my stash of earthy, organic, Fair Trade, Dominican Republic, “Conacado” 2010 cacao beans. As I explore and sample different beans and learn to describe the different flavor points, I know I am becoming even more of a cocoa connoisseur, a cacao enthusiast, and yes, I admit it, a "chocolate snob".  My taste buds are expanding and maturing, but more on the "mature" aspect of chocolate tomorrow.

For today, here's the method the baristas at Bean Street taught me which I've adopted for my home purposes and preferences.

1. Begin boiling water.  Turn off when done.

 

2. Select about 2 tablespoons of your favorite roasted cacao bean (About 20 beans. I find it easier to count than to measure).

3. Grind the beans in a standard coffee grinder for about 45 seconds.  After about 30 seconds you will begin to smell the rich chocolatey aroma of the cacao beans.  As the cocoa butter is released, the ground beans create an oil brown muddy sludge on the bottom and edge of the grinder.  That's how you know you're done.

 

4. Use a spoon to remove the ground beans and place in an espresso frothing pot, or a similar container.  You may also want to use a coffee brush to clean out the cacao grounds from the grinder.

5. Add about 1 cup (8 ounces) of boiling water into the pot with the ground cacao beans and give the brew a stir with a spoon.

6. Brew for about 4 minutes, longer if you want a more intense flavor.

7. Pour the brewed cacao through a fine strainer into a mug which is at least 12 ounces.  

8. Use a spoon to assist the hot cocoa as it strains and as the grounds clog the flow by moving the grounds and pressing the remaining liquid through the strainer into the mug.

9. Add a sweetner.  For simplicity, I use about 3 teaspoons of Torani's French Vanilla, but I've also used about 3 teaspoons of agave nectar with about 3 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.  Both are great.  Other Torani flavors may also be used, but of the ones I've sampled, vanilla is the best.

10. Heat 1/2 cup of milk of your choice to 140-160 degrees using an espresso machine frother or any other method you prefer.  I found the espresso machine to be the easiest.

11. Pour the steamed milk into the mug and top with some froth.

12. Stir as needed, especially if using soy milk, and ENJOY!

If you'd like more insights on brewing cacao, check out Chocolate Alchemy's recent blog on the subject here.  And if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask by leaving a comment below.  Happy Chocolate Week!

Drinking Chocolate - Bean Street Style

I first learned of Bean Street from my co-workers, who raved about their coffee.  With some time to explore downtown San Mateo a few months back, I decided to search out this local hang-out.  When arriving at their storefront on B Street, I found a small but inviting coffee house.  There were only 4 tables, but the place was bright and airy and had a good vibe.  Family-owned and operated, this was my kind of establishment.  Whenever possible, I like to give my business to "the little guy", by choosing neighborhood stores over large chains and multinational corporations. 

As is my custom when visiting a new coffee house, I asked the barista how they make their hot chocolate.  The response usually includes "Ghirardelli" in some form or another, to which I'll order a chai tea.

But at Bean Street, the response to my question was different.  "We have two types of hot chocolate," the barista, who I would learn is named Sita, replied.  "One is made with cocoa powder and the other is made from ground cocoa beans."

Ground cocoa beans?  Always ready to sample new methods of drinking chocolate I felt my excitement grow as I knew what I would order.  My hopes however were quickly dashed when Sita added, "But we're out of beans today.  We should get some tomorrow."

I could feel the disappointment grow as I settled on the powdered hot cocoa and swore I'd be back.  The curiosity in trying a drinking chocolate made of ground cacao beans captured my imagination, and become a bit of an obsession. 

When I returned to Bean Street a few weeks later, Sita was not there, but Crystal was.  My intensity when ordering, and the story of my initial disappointment and now subsequent return from the mountains to sample this new style of drinking chocolate, probably overwhelmed her.  But Crystal was generous and patient.  And because I was the only person in the shop at the time, she took the time to explain and show me how this drinking chocolate, made from a bean, not a bar or a powder, is created.

I ordered the "hot cocoa" (as they call it) with soy milk, but Crystal said she didn't recommend it.  Though it doesn't effect the taste, she explained that the ground up beans don't blend with soy the way they do with cow milk.  (Look closely at the picture on the right.)  Like oil and water, the two don't blend as the cocoa butter in the roasted beans separates from the soy milk.  I said I was okay with the drink not being pretty, and wondered if it was possible for her to make the hot cocoa with both types of milk, and let me try it.  Graciously, she did.  (The staff at Bean Street are THE best!)

Served in clear glasses, the difference between the two were immediate.  There was a cloudy haze with the soy as the chocolate particles swirled in the milk, while there was more of a creamed coffee look in the hot cocoa made with cow milk.  (Unfortunately I don't have a picture of both together so to compare the two.)

When the two drinks arrived, I was so ready to sample.  Neither was very sweet.  Both had a strong bittersweet chocolate edge, which was rounded smooth by vanilla Torani syrup.  The hot cocoa made with cow milk had a creamier texture, and had more of the "fruity," acidic, tannin taste, which I really don't like.  It is a similar "bite" I find and don't care for in Columbian coffee.  Though the hot cocoa made with soy milk was not as creamy and didn't look as blended, it had more of a balanced flavor.  The extra flavoring in the soy milk probably added just a tinge more sweetness to take away the "bite".

After a few sips, I knew I was sold.  Bean Street set a new standard for what hot cocoa needs to be.  And like the chocophile I am, I bought a bag of their Brazilian cacao beans to sample, and later that night, went online and ordered three other types of roasted cacao beans from Chocolate Alchemy.  Similar to coffee and wine, hot cocoa made from roasted cacao beans will vary in its flavor notes, reflecting its origin, the regional setting where the beans are grown.  Soil conditions, weather, drying methods, roasting time are some of the factors that create a cacao bean's flavor profile.    

I discovered that the Bean Street cacao beans from Brazil tend to have a stronger astringent note than the other types I purchased, with the expensive criollo cacao beans from Venezuela having the softest edge.  No milk is even needed after brewing this batch, which I can almost drink straight without a sweetener!  While I like the hearty, earthy taste of the beans from the Dominican Republic, my favorite is the Costa Rican beans which have a wonderful balance of bitter and sweet.  They are, as described, "A simple elegant cocoa with fig and toffee", which I thoroughly enjoy. 

After my purchases, I began experimenting with different brewing methods and sampled different sweeteners, but soon concluded that Bean Street's method is the best, though I use half the amount of milk.  I now regularly brew a cup at home which I sip and savor at work.  Yet I still enjoy heading to Bean Street, and having Crystal or Sita prepare a cup for me.  I've been there so often I even filled up a frequent buyer card and already got my 11th cup free!

So, "how is a cup of hot cocoa from cacao beans made?"  You ask.  Log into the blog tomorrow to find out.

Drinking Chocolate -- UK style

In the spring, during American Chocolate Week, I blogged about a very non-American chocolate topic, cioccolata calda (aka "Italian drinking chocolate").  Though still in pursuit of the "perfect chocolate cake", it is the different types of drinking chocolate that now fascinate me.  I have learned more about the topic in the past few months, and I admit my preferences have changed, which I will blog about today and tomorrow.

I must confess however that more often than not, I will indulge daily in a cup of drinking chocolate.  And more often than not, this daily cup isn't a cioccolata calda, which I've come to save for trips to Berkeley at Almare or for special occasions at home as my Italian supplies are limited.

Instead, my daily chocolate fix will be a soy-milk hot cocoa (made from cocoa powder)

 

or may be a soy-milk hot chocolate (made from chocolate flakes), 

 

prepared on the stove in my chocolate pot with a thermometer,

or more like prepared in my new Cocoa-Latte machine, which mixes and froths the chocolate and milk to just the right temperature;

served in a Max Brenner chocolate "hug mug", which is shaped so that you can hug it in both hands and experience "the ultimate in chocolate coziness, warmth and fragrance."

 I must admit that I do like my Max Brenner mugs, especially since I found a set of 4 on E-Bay for less than a brand new mug at full-price!

Yes, I have developed a bit of a chocolate drinking ritual.  And with a growing collection of drinking chocolates from around the world, I thought it appropriate to celebrate Chocolate Week in the U.K. by review two drinking chocolates my cousins gave me as souvenirs from their trip to London earlier this year: Liquid Chocolate Classic Dark from Hotel Chocolat, a large, luxury chocolatier and cocoa grower with 57 stores in the UK, 6 internationally (including one in Boston), and a highly successful ecommerce website;

 and Chocolate for Drinking: No. 1 from Montezuma's, a small, 5 shop operation, based in West Essex, with a significant range of artisan chocolates which are handmade, organic and vegan.

Both are "drinking chocolates" in that both are made from chocolate flakes, rather than cocoa powder.  This means that these chocolate flakes still have the cocoa butter, which is extracted when creating a cocoa powder.  There is thus a richness in flavor and texture when drinking chocolate because of the cocoa butter.  Very simply, you create chocolate flakes by grating a chocolate bar, and by melting them in milk, you are "drinking chocolate."

I had the privilege of sampling these chocolates with my cousins one evening in our own little drinking chocolate party.  It was fun sampling the chocolates with different milks, using different methods of preparations, and then reviewing them.

We learned that coconut milk does not work.  Almond milk however is not bad.  But soy milk probably worked the best.  (We're all veggie types, thus didn't even any cow milk on hand to try.)  And in terms of methods, both my Cocoa-Latte machine as well as my cousin's espresso steamer produced similar results.

However, even though both companies won the "Great Taste Gold 2010" award from the U.K. Guild of Fine Food for their dark chocolates, none of us were very impressed with the taste of either.  My cousin even said that his "poor man"-way of drinking chocolate, melting Trader Joe's dark chocolate in milk, tasted better than these expensive stuff.  I would agree. 

Though Hotel Chocolat's Classic Dark is made with 72% dark chocolate and claims to be "brimming with deeply authentic flavours of cocoa, for those who like their drinking chocolate not too sweet and packed with a full-on chocolaty taste," this was not our experience.  We followed the measurements exactly -- 6 level teaspoons in 200 ml (or 6.76 oz or just over 3/4 cup).  But there was a bland, diluted chocolate taste.  And even tasting the flakes on their own, it does lack the bittersweet bite that a 72% dark should have.

While Montezuma's drinking chocolate may be only 54% dark chocolate, when sampling the flakes on their own, there was definitely more depth of chocolate flavoring and bite than Hotel Chocolat's.  But when using the same measurements (6 teaspons to 3/4 cups of milk), it too tasted a bit washed out.

Montezuma's instructions for preparation, however, were not as specific as the package suggests 3-4 teaspoons to "your favorite milk" with no amount specified.  Less milk did allow the chocolate taste to come forward and from my taste tests, 4 teaspoons with just under 1/8 cup of milk in an espresso cup is very nice, allowing a malty-carmely taste in the chocolate to come through.  Though nearly half chocolate, half milk, it surprisingly did not have the thick consistency of a cioccolata calda, but that's for another blog.

While I do enjoy drinking these fancy, expensive chocolates, I must admit that I discovered a new way of drinking chocolate that has become my new standard.  It is my new drinking chocolate default and will be revealed on the blog tomorrow.  It is a drinking chocolate that is less processed, less expensive, and doesn't come from a powder or flake but a bean!  Stay tuned.

My Daily Dose of Chocolate

As Chocolate Week gets underway in the U.K., I thought I'd share how I first learned of it.

Earlier this year I stumbled upon Chocablog, a blog / e-newsletter that is dedicated to the world of chocolate.  Each day they send to my email either a review of a chocolate product, a chocolate recipe, or an in-depth chocolate feature from around the world.  Mostly, the blogs have been reviews, and mostly, they are reviews of chocolates in the U.K.  Why the U.K.?  Though there is now a worldwide team that contributes to the online content, the U.K. is where this blog team began.

I was excited when I discovered the Chocablog and have learned a lot by reading the various bloggers' comment on chocolate.  With only one reviewer from the U.S., I decided to throw my hat into the ring and offer my chocolate palate as a contributor.  But unfortunately, no one from Chocablog has contacted me about contributing to the site.  Well, at least, not yet!

Thus, it was through Chocablog that I learned of Chocolate Week in the U.K., and have begun my own week-long celebration of chocolate here in the U.S.  Having introduced you to Chocablog, I thought I'd share with you some other sources from which I get "my daily dose of chocolate".

Chocablog is only one of the online chocolate resources I regularly read.  Another one I frequently turn to is the Chocolate Cult.  The Chocolate Cult is an online blog dedicated to the exploration and ecstasy of chocolate.  Based in Indiana, the "Chocolate Priestess" (aka Tammy Jo) posts nearly everyday, and features reviews, events, news, and contests.  I actually won a bottle of organic chocolate syrup through one of her give-aways a few years back.  She began in 2009, and I joined "the cult" just a few months later.  I even have a Chocolate Cult travel mug (a birthday gift from the godkids) to prove it! 

I comment on the Chocolate Cult blog fairly often, but more so recently as she began an online review of the Bravo TV series, "Top Chef Just Desserts".   In spite not owning a TV, I admit that I continue to be a closet reality TV show junkie thanks to YouTube.  I enjoyed last year's episodes and was stoked when I learned that the Chocolate Priestess wanted to launch online discussion about it.  Though it's been mostly her and me, it's still enjoyable, even though I tend to be a week behind as I wait for the episodes to post on YouTube. 

Earlier this season they featured a Willie Wonka challenge, which was amazing, and this past week, it was entirely on chocolate!  One reason why Katzie was sent home this week was because her chocolate dessert was "too big."  One comment I made on the blog: "for me, when it comes to chocolate, the bigger the better!" to which the Chocolate Priestess replied: "Words to consider well on our Cult."  And I agree.

If blogs and online reality shows weren't enough, there is another media source for a chocolate fix -- Chocolate Television through TasteTV.  This online program, which I subscribe to through Hulu, provides short clips of product reviews and interviews with chocolatiers.  Though the segments are well done and informative, including such artistic endeavors like a chocolate fashion show, I've not spent too much time watching.

As wonderful as it is to read about chocolate and watch chocolate TV online, it simply doesn't beat the eating (or drinking) of chocolate, though there are definitely more calories in that daily habit.  More on that tomorrow.  Happy Chocolate Week!

Celebrating Chocolate UK-style

Today, October 10 begins Chocolate Week 2011 in the U.K.  This 7-day celebration of fine chocolate features talks, tastings, and demonstrations, and culminates in "Chocolate Unwrapped", a 2-day event where chocoholics can immerse themselves in this "food of the gods."  Though little known in the U.S., Chocolate Week began in 2004, and is the UK’s first dedicated chocolate show.  The original intention was to promote exceptional chocolatiers in the UK, highlight the fantastic chocolates they produce, and encourage people to visit their wonderful, indulgent chocolate shops. In other words, a U.K. chocolate marketing blitz, but the event has grown and changed over the years.

If you're curious check out this video featuring the highlights of Chocolate Week 2010.

In some ways, Chocolate Week is similar to the Chocolate Salons which are held annually throughout the U.S. in Seattle, Napa, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.  With the U.K. Chocolate Week now in its its 8th year and the U.S. having its first Chocolate Salon just 5 years ago in 2006, I can't help but wonder if we, Americans, did what what we did with American Idol and Masterchef -- "stole" the British idea, claimed it as our own, and added our own twists.  This of course includes creating the first "International Chocolate Salon" and inviting chocolatiers from around the world to compete for prizes. 

The competition aspect does mark the big difference between Chocolate Week in the U.K. and Chocolate Salons in the U.S.  Chocolate Salons focus on professionally produced confectionery chocolates (aka candies and bars) and awarding the "best" - gold, silver, bronze - in 21 categories, ranging from taste to packaging.  For the 2011 winners at the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon, click here.

With confections not being my favorite form of chocolate and competition not being my modus operandi, I like Chocolate Week in the U.K. because of its balanced focus related to chocolate.  Events are held throughout the country (not just at one venue) and include talks about sustainable chocolate practices as an example, classes on cooking with chocolate, restaurants serving savory and sweet chocolate samples, along with the "Great Chocolate Cake-off", a competition for amateur home bakers with the winner announced at Chocolate Unwrapped.  Clearly the focus is not just awarding professionals, but recognizing the efforts and interests of your everyday chocolate aficionado. 

While I cannot journey "across the pond" to London this week, I decided to spend the next 7 days celebrating chocolate in my own way by blogging about some of my new chocolate discoveries which include much more than simply reviewing chocolate desserts.  I'll be sharing about blogs and books, shows and s'mores, along with some new drinking and eating chocolate favorites.  Join me this week on the blog as I celebrate the U.K.'s Chocolate Week.