Tag Archives: Bonnat
Report: The First Choqoa Tasting Event

Report: The First Choqoa Tasting Event

by on November 29, 2009 in Reviews, Tastings & Events

In Belgium, home of the world famous ‘Belgian Chocolates’, I’ve taken up the challenge to share and show people the path to real chocolate, fine origin artisan cacao.
After a long while I decided to do so starting with the now infamous Choqoa Sampler packs, and also by organizing chocolate tasting events to have the means and moments to personally inspire people with “the food of the gods”. My first event took place some days ago and here’s how people responded to chocolate:

We were with a nice group of about 10. After some earlier small informal tryouts I took some learnings with me and started off with a small introduction on the sexy cacao tree, pods and beans, and briefly explained the making process. We had some good questions then on the differences with industrial brands like Callebaut and I showed some pics of the Amano Chocolate factory.
Mosts really appreciated this introduction, because the cacao tree is funny, sexy and full of secrets, and how often do you wonder yourself about the source of your food?

Choqoa Chocolate Tasting Event

Off to the tasting then! I learned from Martin Christy, founder of SeventyPercent.com, to make a program instead of just grabbing for some bars, so I made small plates with chunks from all the bars to hand out. I also distributed some sheets to take notes and a tasting wheel to have some reference to our taste buds. All this helpst to take the clutter of the table and focus on tasting chocolate. The Amedei was a great opener to ‘set the bar’and we then moved on to plenty of other bars, the full list is below this post.

Time after time most were pretty intrigued by the variety of aromas and sensations, though they suggested getting some more guidance in what flavors they should detect. A good point to work on! I would also have put some more variety in the selection, I still had too many options, but off course it also depends on your stock as well.

One of the participants, Johan, is doing a great job in sharing the message for me and he brought me a fresh Amano Ocumare milk from San Fransisco. All of us were really surprised by this very untypical milk sensation; it’s a superb bar that gives a whole new level to milk chocolate. I’m leaving the idea of ‘percentages’ more and more and this bar proves it’s very very possible.

As a special for this evening I also served a double fine whisky and chocolate pairing: but you can read all about this tantalizing pairing experience in my previous blog post.

Those true discoveries were the better moments, and most likely everybody said to have had a very nice tasting experience and gladly returned home with their own chocolate bars.

Check out the next Choqoa tastings en events on my EventBrite page, see you soon!

Read on for details of all the tasted bars!

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It’s finally here: the 2009 Choqoa Sampler selection

It’s finally here: the 2009 Choqoa Sampler selection

by on November 22, 2009 in On Chocolate & Cacao

Chocolate has put me to the test lately: slow distributors, fast selling stocks, last-second changes… I almost had it all! But most important is, all pieces are finally joined together. I think the booklet and detail sheets will make it all in all a nice package and look really nice. And on top of it all, I believe it’s a nice selection of chocolate bars to introduce you to a new level of Cacao appreciation.

Choqoa 2009 Sampler

From the plethora of bars on display at The Salon du Chocolat in Paris, I’ve made a modest selection that takes you on an imaginary tour of the cacao growing belt:

Michel Cluizel takes us to the Sambirano valley in Madagascar and to the Dominican Republic, where we experience an entirely different character from the same brand. Francois Pralus leads the way to Brazil and demonstrates – together with AMMA Chocolates – how similar beans can be mastered in different ways. Finally, Bonnat takes us back to the heart of fine cacao:  his Venezuelan masterpieces from the mythical Chuao cacao beans.

I hope this selection pushes you forth into the exploration of real, original chocolate. Whether you’re in for trying different regions, different percentages or different ways of production – that’s entirely up to you. As long as you’re having fun, you can discover anything you want in a great chocolate bar.

With the sampler I hope your fine origin discoveries will only make you hungry for more!… :)

Video: Childhood Memories with Stéphane Bonnat at Salon du Chocolat

by on November 17, 2009 in Interviews & Video, On Chocolate & Cacao, Trips

Off course I was nervous. Bonnat, the iconic Chocolatiers family who all started this, my passion, decades ago. So close, and yet… He seemed busy running his booth at The Salon du Chocolat, I’ll try later maybe. Five minutes shortly after, he stood next to me outside. I had that “meet-your-hero” feeling bubbling up again and couldn’t resist, sharing my childhood memories with him. He smiled, charmed.
If I could interview him? “Mais oui, bien sur!”

Of all the interviews I did at the Salon, this one felt most special to me, for obvious reasons. It’s interesting to see how all of the chocolate people respond differently to the same questions I’m asking them. It reveals a lot of their particular viewpoints and playgrounds, and makes the rich world of fine cacao all the more interesting!

La Maison Bonnat celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, and Stéphane was passionate in sharing his vision and thoughts, and at the end he definitely touched emotions when he started evoking memories of the childhood stories we all share. It’s the unique place chocolate merits in our youth, that he seeks to translate in gorgeous gourmet bars for grown ups.
Such passion makes you appreciate fine artisan origin chocolate even more!

It took me some time to get this whole video subtitled, but now at least all of you can enjoy Bonnat’s take on Chocolate! Enjoy the interview :)

Visiting the Salon du Chocolat 2009

Visiting the Salon du Chocolat 2009

by on October 20, 2009 in On Chocolate & Cacao, Trips

As you may have noticed, this year I’ve been eagerly looking forward to my 2nd visit to the Salon du Chocolat, and it surely was a long day full of inspiring encounters. And though this celebration of chocolate is primarily a consumer fair, I went much less for touristy reasons than last year…

Before entering the expo, I was impatiently looking forward a meetup with Clay Gordon. Clay is the author of Discover Chocolate, runs the community The Chocolate Life, and is a standing evangelist of fine chocolate. The rather funny thing is that both Clay and I got hooked on luxurious origin chocolate bars about the same time in the early 90’s, by the same brand, being the French chocolate maker Stéphane Bonnat.
We had a long lovely talk about our shared passion, I was certainly impressed with Clay’s dedication to the food of the gods, and to him, chocolate ultimately is “his lens to look at and understand everything in the world”.
Our initial ‘couple of minutes’ was round up only an hour and a half later, and I ended up with me taking my first video interview ever – armed with my Press badge :) . So soon on Choqoa.com, a passionate video talk with Clay, one to watch!

Pralus

Over at Pralus, it was a warm encounter again with Valerie the export manager, who really encouraged me last year to ‘do something’.  This year I also talked with Francois Pralus himself about his passion and vision, and it was wonderful to hear him explaining his angle on the quest for particular cacao beans and developing its characteristics. Also with him, I have a nice video interview to post soon.

Visiting the Salon du Chocolat 2009, Paris

Bonnat

In these competitive times it was heartwarming to learn that Bonnat and Pralus really get along with each other. Both boots were only a few steps from each other. I felt really charmed by the fact that Bonnat’s sales agent remembered me from last year, being “that guy that bought almost all of our bars”.  Stéphane turned out to be a very accompanying man, who proudly boasts a 125 years old family tradition. Watch the coming video interview here too, and enjoy Bonnat sharing chocolate memories from his childhood.

AMMA

One of the last persons I met was no less than Frederick Schilling, former founder of US based Dagoba Chocolates, a famous organic cacao company which he recently sold. With the new AMMA Chocolates brand, Frederick launched another spark from the vibrant US chocolate scene, though his adventure is now based in the Amazon region in Brazil, where his partner Diego owns 3 cacao plantations.
Frederick contributed a good twist on the earlier video interviews, and gave a good point on the differences amongst the more traditional European scene and the fresh initiatives in Northern America.

Visiting the Salon du Chocolat 2009, Paris

The Domori sales rep unfortunately wasn’t there though, and I also missed the French artist Carol Gillot, which I got to know through ParisBreakfasts.
A quick hello at Michel Cluizel returned made the friendly rep offer me bags of unroasted beans from their various single plantation beans, great to discover a taste.

The only real ‘downside’ of my visit was to find out that none of the brands were eventually prepared to meet my Choqoa Sampler orders: they simply were not able to sell me my large amount of orders – even on their stock for this mass fair! Being a little bit a victim of your overwhelming demand, I however settled some well worthy arrangements with them, opening up a lot of exciting future possibilities, and contributing a lot of learnings on distribution particularities.

With love from …

This year’s salon was full of superb moments meeting my chocolate heroes. Interviewing Francois Pralus, Stéphane Bonnat and Frederick Shilling gave thrilling sensations being so close on the chocolate scene. Especially the time spent with Clay Gordon left a lasting impression on me, all synthesized in some great footage to share with you soon!

Your Sampler is on its way and I’m hoping your little bit of extra patience will be rewarded with you finding –and sharing- new pleasures in chocolate sensations…

Visiting the Salon du Chocolat 2009, Paris

Bar Battle: Bonnat Xoconuzco vs. Askinosie Soconusco

Bar Battle: Bonnat Xoconuzco vs. Askinosie Soconusco

by on October 8, 2009 in On Chocolate & Cacao, Reviews

Askinosie is an American brand I knew only through the chocolate community. Lucky me to find a fresh batch of these great gourmet bars in London at Selfridges!

Bar Battle: Bonnat Xoconuzco vs. Askinosie Soconusco

The Mexican variety “Soconusco” is said to be the first cacao bean variety cultivated by man. Though that would make me guess that both bars are rare Criollo beans, the Askinosie wrap says his beans are from the Trinitario family, which doesn’t really seems correct with his statements… confusing.

Let’s get tasting!

The Askinosie has a brown paper wrapper that refers to his artisanship, and the bar has a nice red toned brown color and is well molded.
A good snappy bite starts us up, giving fruity hints, tones of red fruit starting slowly, getting stronger and richer in the same tones, combining and melting down really nice, though tiny bit gritty near the end, leaving a bodied darker tone of tobacco or so. I think there’s really something nice going on at the US artisan chocolate scene, exciting bar!

The Bonnat Xoconuzco bar is a couple of months old but still in well shape, and won his previous battle. This Bonnat signature bar comes with a green wrapper, different from the usual wrappers. Its color is darker than the Askinosie, less red. Taste comes a little faster in this bar, doesn’t evolve as much. Also tastes rather different with more cinnamon, raisins, orange flavors, I’d say, but always sustained with a chocolate carpet. The house Bonnat experiments little, but you may be sure you‘ll get an excellent bar every time, that surely demonstrates his passion and experience.

Bar Battle: Bonnat Xoconuzco vs. Askinosie Soconusco

In the end I’d take home the Askinosie Soconusco bar. I like its vivid style and very nice flavor curve. It melts down really fluidly, and well … this time I simply ended up with more fun putting the Askinosie on the palate :)