Chocolate
About
I'm a big fan of bean-to-bar craft chocolate. If you've never heard of that, don't worry. For a long time, I had no idea what that was either. I just ate my Hershey's Special Dark and as much dark chocolate as I could handle, unaware that there was anything else.
Then I discovered craft chocolate.
In the early 1990s, some people in the US started making their own chocolate. This is harder than it sounds. These people didn't have the resources that many mass-market chocolate manufacturers do. They had to learn how to make chocolate. They had to find out how to source their cacao beans and how to roast it and grind it and refine it and conch it and temper it and package it. A lot can go wrong. But when things go right, the chocolate tastes phenomenal. Far better than the sugar-laden alternatives we've grown up with. I love to introduce people to this kind of great chocolate.
Quick Bites
I'm a big fan of bean-to-bar craft chocolate. If you've never heard of that, don't worry. For a long time, I had no idea what that was either. I just ate my Hershey's Special Dark and as much dark chocolate as I could handle, unaware that there was anything else.
Then I discovered craft chocolate.
In the early 1990s, some people in the US started making their own chocolate. This is harder than it sounds. These people didn't have the resources that many mass-market chocolate manufacturers do. They had to learn how to make chocolate. They had to find out how to source their cacao beans and how to roast it and grind it and refine it and conch it and temper it and package it. A lot can go wrong. But when things go right, the chocolate tastes phenomenal. Far better than the sugar-laden alternatives we've grown up with. I love to introduce people to this kind of great chocolate.
Quick Bites
- Favorite single-origin bars: 70% Ghana by Nathan Miller, 70% Bolivian Palos Blancos by Solstice, 75% Brazil by Pralus
- Favorite inclusion bars: Amaranth Crunch by Letterpress, Rustic Crunch by Fruition (no longer offered), Mint 70% Dark by Letterpress
- Favorite origins: Ghana, Nicaragua, Vietnam
- Favorite makers: Fruition, Letterpress, Askinosie, Patric, Castronovo, Solstice, Marou, Amadei
- Favorite books about chocolate: Cocoa by Kristy Leissle, Bread Wine Chocolate by Simran Sethi
- Strongly-held opinion: All orange-inclusion bars are awful.
Chocolate Tastings
I host chocolate tastings to share the best that the bean-to-bar craft chocolate world has to offer.
In a tasting, you'll taste 5-7 chocolates, each specifically chosen to highlight a unique aspect of the bean-to-bar craft chocolate trade. You'll learn where chocolate comes from, how its made, how to taste it like a professional, and much more. You'll discover your favorite origin, chocolate maker, flavor, or inclusion.
Contact me if you'd like to discuss a tasting. At this time, tastings are limited to the Pittsburgh area.
I host chocolate tastings to share the best that the bean-to-bar craft chocolate world has to offer.
In a tasting, you'll taste 5-7 chocolates, each specifically chosen to highlight a unique aspect of the bean-to-bar craft chocolate trade. You'll learn where chocolate comes from, how its made, how to taste it like a professional, and much more. You'll discover your favorite origin, chocolate maker, flavor, or inclusion.
Contact me if you'd like to discuss a tasting. At this time, tastings are limited to the Pittsburgh area.
Partners and Praise
So glad we did this. Nate did a great job. Made for this. The educational aspect was my favorite aspect of the tasting. I did not know much about chocolate making before and now I feel somewhat knowledgeable.
I learned so much about chocolate. Loved hearing the stories and background of the chocolate. Very knowledgeble and great storyteller.
Very informative and interesting. Great and very well-informed and enthusiastic. So much fun and really interesting!