The ‘bean to bar’ movement shakes the foundations of the chocolate world. Literally ‘from bean to tablet’, there is a revolution that goes beyond gastronomy and that puts on the table small artisan producers who are giving the model a twist.
It’s a David versus Goliath example, but David has reasons for us to be on his side and they are not just tasty. There is also sustainability, social awareness, quality and concern for knowing what is beyond that ounce that you put in your mouth.
For three days, WOW, the cultural district of Porto, has hosted for the second time the International Forum of Chocolate and Cacaua sector fair attended by many small producers from all over the world and which, in addition to its stalls, is also dotted with presentations, workshops and showcookings.
With Pedro Martins Araujo, business manager of Vinte Vinte – Wow’s own chocolate parade – as master of ceremonies, the forum has welcomed some of the stars of this sector such as the Venezuelan businesswoman and chocolate maker Maria Fernanda Di Giacobbe or the french Chloe Doutre-Roussela cocoa consultant and linked to this industry for more than three decades.
What is certain is that it is a growing sector, enthusiastic and oblivious to the realities of the industry and, above all, its quality. At the event, several Spanish bean to bar references such as Kankel, Kaitxo, Chocolates Moro or Leyenda, as well as the association have gathered, sharing ‘carpet’ with Belgian, Italian, Portuguese, Malagasy, Swiss, English, Hawaiian, Norwegians and, above all, Brazilians, the country of origin of this forum.
Although we will explain the conclusions of the forum to you later, today we are going to stay with a review of the most particular rarities and chocolates that we have seen in this forum, a prelude to the Paris Chocolate Show, which takes place on October 28 and which, this time, also involves industrialists and everything that surrounds the world of cocoa and chocolate.
Karuna Gin Infused Chocolate
This small chocolate shop that just It produces 50,000 tablets in Bolzano, a city in the Italian Tyrol, and this gin-infused tablet is one of the most curious we have tried. It has no alcoholic content and what they do is ‘infuse’ the cocoa nibs – with which they will make their paste – in gin, which leaves the aromas of the botanicals in a very surprising chocolate.
Chocolate with Moro acorn liqueur
We jump to Spain, specifically to the town of Llerena, in the southeast of Badajoz where Chocolates Moro makes, among others, this uniqueness in which they add Extremaduran acorn liquor in an 80% tablet. In the process, in the same way, the alcohol of the liquor is lost, but the aftertaste remains in an intense chocolate and a very interesting nutty profile. Among its treasures, apart from this creation, are other delicacies such as chocolate with spicy paprika and chocolate-stuffed figs.
Goat milk chocolate Cacao Heart
In this case we return to the Alps, but to the Swiss, in the canton of Appenzell, famous for its cheese. However, we are going to find the Corazón de Cacao brand that, despite its name, has nothing to do with anything directly Hispanic, although its owner and producer lived for several years in Colombia where he fell in love with chocolate. Among his jewels, he creates a reference with panela and a unique pink chocolate—which is not Ruby– and this goat’s milk chocolate that has more intense, caramel profiles than the milk chocolate we all know.
Qantú: white chocolate with sea buckthorn
It is very likely that you are not familiar with sea buckthorn, since it is a berry, similar to the blueberry, that grows in cold climates and that we have seen in several examples within the festival, such as Qantú, a Canadian brand that includes it in a white chocolate bar in which Hawthorn provides fruity and citrus notesvery vibrant, and for lovers of fresh chocolates it is perfect.
Chocolate with cream cake flavor Feitoria do Cacao
There are several ‘bean to bar’ chocolate shops in Portugal that have gathered at this festival and one of the most particular is Feitoria do Cacao, which makes – among others – a milk chocolate flavored with the classic Portuguese pastel de nata. Not because they mix both in the tabletbut because they add the classic spices of pastel de nata in this unique creation that will delight those with a sweet tooth.
Tosier Vegan Milk Chocolate
Around ‘bean to bar’ chocolate there is a speech in favor of plant alternatives to milk. Not so much because of a political position – which, in part, there is – but also to reach more people and, above all, because of a reality: the milk that is normally used for milk chocolate is of terrible quality. If you still think that someone is adding fresh milk to your supermarket tablet, forget it. What you do is add powdered milk.
For this reason, one of Tosier’s creations, a chocolate maker bean to bar in Suffolk, southeast England, Adds toasted buckwheat to its mixture, which provides creaminess and a very surprising dairy profile.
Fjak chocolate with mulled wine
This Norwegian brand has been one of the most surprising of what we have seen, especially with its alcohol infused ones. They have a chocolate with gin, but also two specialties like this chocolate infused with mulled wine. To make it, they boil their chocolate nibs in wine and then let it dry, preserving the profile of the chocolate and the nuances of ripe grapes and spices. An original chocolate that is very worth it. PS: They also have other crazy things like cinnamon roll flavored chocolate, porridge flavored chocolate, and cider-infused chocolate that are great.
Sparkling chocolate Legend
It’s not champagnebut it is a sparkling wine and it is the culmination of gastronomic eroticism because it is a sparkling wine that has the traditional color of sparkling wines made with grapes. chardonnay, but it tastes and smells like chocolate due to cocoa filters that are put in the wine before bottling. It has half the alcohol – six degrees – than a conventional sparkling wine and is made by the Malaga company Leyenda, which also has a very interesting range of chocolates with tropical fruits such as mango or avocado.
Images | Jaime de las Heras
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