Tag Archives: Peru
Report: Choqoa Tasting Event 10.1

Report: Choqoa Tasting Event 10.1

by on February 10, 2010 in Tastings & Events

The first Choqoa Tasting Event this year was again very different from the previous editions, and not only for the reason that people came from across the country to attend our Antwerp session!

Choqoa Chocolate Tastings

Among the attending chocolate explorers we had Gunther, one of the founders of a chocolate brand (Baru, Diepenbeek), eager to learn about making his own chocolate in some future; Geert, a dedicated chocolatier & patissier who passionately cares about his base Valrhona couverture (Patisserie Vercruysse, Kortijk); and Mo, who runs an inspiring lunch bar and is a former winner of the Best Sandwich competition!

I found it pretty intriguing given their background they often did heard of several of the top chocolate brands we tasted, but hadn’t take the effort or had the chance to taste every variety that they could get their hands on? On the other side also some US brands like Taza and TCHO were not unknown and I was happy to have a TCHO ‘Fruity’ bar on the tasting table (thanks to @ActiveLife). And with brands like Zotter and Pacari, I had something new to offer even for these professionals :)

It was utmost pleasant and charming to see how participants discovered variations in freshness, color, melting patterns and lingering aftertastes by themselves. Even to the detail where they felt one bar more coming up in front or gathering in the back of their tongues and palates. All added their views and knowledge on chocolate and food so we got some lenghty talks along the tasting session as well.

Eventually, again this gourmet chocolate tasting event was full of fun, sharing tasting impressions and notes, discovering the immersive world of real fine chocolate, and brainstorming on future possibilities!

Continue reading for details on the tasted bars…

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Chocolat Bonnat: Marfil de Blanco & Apotequil

Chocolat Bonnat: Marfil de Blanco & Apotequil

by on July 5, 2009 in On Chocolate & Cacao, Reviews

Chocolatier Bonnat launched a new series of origin bars a while ago, which I discovered on the Salon Du Chocolat in Paris a couple of months ago. From the color of the packaging you could tell it’s gotta be something special. Where to date Bonnat’s single origin collections came wrapped in white (with the exception of the Red 100%), the new series is launched in different mainly orange-beige tones.
Chocolat Bonnat. Marfil de Blanco

The Marfil de Blanco is an extremely snappy bar that sounds when you break a chunk. Its color is rather light, which has all to do with the Porcelana cacaobean variety. The name ‘Porcelana’ is derived from the white color of these spcific cacao beans, and delivers cacao bars that have a much more clear color. Both the Marfil de Blanco and the Apotequil bar have a near-perfect texture, no bubbles at all, a marbleish inner texture and after the first snappy bite, swiftly they evolve into a smoot silky sensation.

While both bars are Porcelana based, the Apotequil is harvested from Peru and offers more sweet and floral flavours. Making the bitterness wonderfully obsolete, it remains smooth with buttery notes of caramel, slight hints of wood and vanilla, and end up with a hazelnut finish.
On the other hand the Marfil de Blanco has its roots on plantations in Mexico, more specifically in the Tabasco region, and it’s good to know the Marfil de Blanco bean is a transplant of the rare Porcelana cocoa bean itself. The Marfil bar comes in with a rich, tasty aroma and slightly more acid flavours.

Bonnat is the brand that made me discover the wonderfull universe of true cacao, and I think the team makes a good move in updating the origin series after so many years. Its recognizable signature texture goes very well with the tastes in these Porcelana series, and once again, I can only warmhartedly recommend these bars to you!