Selamat pagi!

I’ve just finished going through the third pass of the manuscript! It is exciting to see it come along. As soon as I know more about the launch date, cover etc, I’ll let you know!

This week, we are doing one last little trip through Malaysia before we move onto another country. Enjoy!

Only a couple of hours by train from Penang, Ipoh makes an easy and rewarding stop. In the 19th century, the city boomed thanks to the tin mining industry and earned the nickname City of Millionaires. It isn’t quite as opulent today, but still shinning in its own way.

In the morning, that shine is found in its kopitiams, traditional Malaysian coffee shops. Ceiling fans spin slowly, spoons click against thick ceramic cups, the radio up on the wall broadcasts out the latest news and regulars greet one another over seeming mugs of coffee.

Subscribe now

1. Start with breakfast. Choose from dozens of kopitiams around town, many clustered along Jalan Bandar Timah, especially towards Kinta River. Two famous ones, conveniently located right across the street from each other, are Kedai Makanan Nam Heong and Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong. We tried, and loved, both.

2. Find a seat if there’s one free, or join the line outside; it moves quickly. Locals treat these kopitiams like their dining room at home: a quick breakfast, a chat with a neighbour or two, and then off to work, school, or shopping.

3. Order your drinks. A server will come by to take your drink order. You basically have three choices. The must-try drink in Ipoh is white coffee, or kopi, the Malay word for coffee. According to local lore, Hainanese migrants arriving during the late Qing dynasty were introduced to bitter Western coffee during business meetings with colonial traders. To make it more palatable, they began roasting the beans in palm-oil margarine and serving the brew with condensed milk, creating Ipoh’s famous white coffee.

Your other options is teh, or tea, also served with condensed milk.

Chocolate isn’t the drink of choice here. While cacao grows around Ipoh, it is not sipped. The best you will find to satisfy a chocolate craving is a mug of Milo, a sweet cocoa powder-based drink from Australia that is hugely popular here.

4. Start with the typical Malaysian breakfast: kaya toast. Two slices of white bread are lightly toasted and spread with butter and kaya, a rich jam made with coconut milk, eggs, sugar and pandan leaves, which give it a greenish colour. This is served alongside two soft boiled eggs, cracked into a bowl, seasoned with a bit of pepper and a splash of soy sauce. Dip the toast into the egg, or the teh, and enjoy.

5. Order more food. Many kopitiams share space with one or two small food stalls, each run by a different vendor specialising in a particular dish. You can buy foods directly from them which you can enjoy at your seat (or take away). Each has a different selection. Kedai makanan Nam Heong has incredible dumplings for example, while Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong had curry buns and delicious noodles. Order at the stall and pay when the dish arrives at your table.

6. Take it all in. Kopitiams are modest, but full of small details: historic photos on the walls, regulars greeting one another, and the ritual of toast being dipped into eggs. It’s hard to eavesdrop on the latest neighbourhood gossip if you don’t understand the language, but you can imagine.

7. Come back later. Kopitiams aren’t just for breakfast. They are open all day. Come back for lunch, a mid afternoon snack. Try something different each time. Several kopitiams sell jars of homemade kaya or sambal, to take home.

Explore Ipoh

Ipoh is a beautiful city to walk around. A few things to include in your to do list.

• Buy a pomelo. If they are in season, they are everywhere, sold in various sizes and colours. Think of them as a giant grapefruit, but sweeter. They’re a bit tricky to peel, but once opened can be eaten like an orange.

• Visit Cameron Highlands. Only a few hours away, the cool highlands are very popular with Malaysian tourists. While there are plenty of tourist traps, some more interesting than others, the area is also famous for growing strawberries and tea.

• Explore the cave temples. They are truly impressive, even if you aren’t one to visit temples. There are many around the city, easily accessible by taxi (use the GRAB app). For example, Perak Tong and Ken Lok Tong.

• Eat a lot. Ipoh is one of Malaysia’s food capitals and good food is everywhere. We especially loved Cowan Street Chicken by Ann Xin and the terraces around Jalan Yau Tea Shin and Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar.

Between the kopitiams, the cave temples, and the endless food stalls, Ipoh rewards anyone willing to slow down and wander. Start with breakfast, and see where the day takes you.

And what about chocolate?

Cacao grows around Ipoh in some of the Indigenous communities. In Kuala Lumpur, you will find this turned into chocolate by Chocolate Concierge. Around Ipoh itself, you are more likely to see cacao pods sold at the local market. If you do, grab a few. They have generous amounts of really fragrant pulp, very lively citrus and lychee notes.

We had a pretty tasty chocolate icecream at Four Beans Soy Desserts which was served in a small ceramic toilet, with a shovel shaped spoon. Questionable presentation, excellent ice cream.

For more hot chocolates from this trip visit A Chocolate Tour of Kuala Lumpur, A Chocolate Tour of Penang, read this interview about Chocolate Concierge or learn more about Malaysian cocoa stamps. There is also the hot chocolate page over at Ultimate Hot Chocolate.

Thanks for reading!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper

at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com and on insta @ultimatehotchoc

Kuala Lumpur (or KL) is a fantastic city, especially if you like to eat. It is easy to get around, very walkable, and packed with interesting things to see and do. There is a beautiful mix of ultra-modern and deeply traditional and the Malay, Chinese, and Indian influences across the city make it fascinating…and tasty. They have plenty of impressive independent bookstores (high on my list of requirements for a great city), and, of course, chocolate made using Malaysian beans!

Despite this, there weren’t as many great hot chocolate options as I had hoped. I’ll admit I ended up drinking far more teh tarik than hot chocolate, a black tea with condensed milk that’s mixed by pouring it back and forth between two vessels (a bit like how chocolate drinks were once made…funny that.) It did make me wonder why none of the local chocolate makers offered a chocolate version: a teh with white chocolate instead of condensed milk, or even a milk chocolate variation. I’m experimenting with this at home at the moment, and will share with you whatever I land on.

Subscribe now

The Land of Milo

Milo is the chocolate drink of choice in Kuala Lumpur (and Malaysia more broadly). It’s a chocolate-flavoured malted powder product considered the country’s unofficial drink, even though it’s originally Australian. Made with malted barley, milk powder, sugar, cocoa and a range of vitamins and minerals, it sounds healthy but really isn’t. It is incredibly sweet…healthier than just eating sugar, I guess.

Still, when in Rome…

We (the kids, mostly) drank a lot of Milo, though I didn’t write up full blog posts on each one. After a few dozen, we did learn that not all Milos are created (or prepared) equally. Our favourites (with write ups) were:

- Kafei Dian paired with a fantastic traditional Malaysian breakfast (Click here to read review)

- Jiak Kopi, alongside the best Nasi Lemak we had on the trip (Click here to read review).

The Hot Chocolates..

Chocolate Concierge is a must visit in KL if you love chocolate (and even if you don’t). They have a few cafes, all a bit of a trek away from the tourist areas, but well worth it if you have the time. Beautiful chocolates with origins from around Malaysia and transformed into either single origin bars or a range of stunning and tasty bonbons featuring Malaysian flavours such as pandan and durian. A few others we visited ...

- Gioia - great gelato, with lots of local flavours, plus a decadent hot chocolate made with Valrhona. (Click here to read review).

- Kakao Origin - a bean to bar chocolate maker with a stall in Central Market, Chinatown. (Click here to read review).

- Boom - a trendy bakery where we had pain au chocolate with an iced chocolate. (Click here to read review).

- Kedai Coklat - not our favourite hot chocolate, but some interesting chocolate desserts (Click here to read more).

-Cacao Mixology & Chocolate - a stunning, chocolate themed bar on the 75th floor of the Park Hyatt (Click here to read more).

What To Do in Kuala Lumpur

· Climb the 272 colourful steps to reach the Temple Cave at Batu Caves, one of Malaysia’s most important Hindu pilgrimage sites (about a 30 km metro ride from downtown)

· Explore Central Market, an art deco building that was once the city’s wet market. Located in Chinatown, it now houses a food court and many small shops

· Visit the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world (375 m). Behind them is a beautiful park with a lake that hosts a nightly sound and light show. The shopping mall inside is, unsurprisingly, full of food—and an excellent bookstore

· Walk… in any direction, stopping frequently to eat. For example, take an evening stroll through Bukit Bintang and stop at Restoran Mon Chinese Beef Roti for a beef roti

The main thing to do in KL is to eat.

There is so much good food in KL. Visit one of the main food streets, the most popular with visitors being Jalan Alor Food Street in Bukit Bintang. Another is the food street in Kampung Baru. Don’t miss (but this is really the tip of the Malaysian iceberg)

- Nasi Lemak, coconut rice served with sambal chili, fried anchovies, peanuts, egg and chicken.

- Beef rendang, a slow cooked braised beef

- A traditional breakfast of kaya toast, soft boiled eggs and teh

- Roti…with anything….

- Evergreen Tea House for teas

For more chocolate from my 2 week trip to Malaysia, see

- A Chocolate (and food) Lovers Guide to Penang

- A few of my favourite things…Malaysian Cacao Stamps

- A Hot Chocolate with….Ning from Chocolate Concierge

Thanks for reading!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper

“I’ll have a hot chocolate, please.”

You repeated back my order with a warm smile. “Yes, a hot chocolate”.

I was waiting in line at Coventry Bookstore in South Melbourne, ready to buy a different book, when another book caught my eye, or rather, called my name. Hot Chocolate on Thursday by Michiko Aoyama. I wouldn’t usually spend $35 on books placed near the cash register. I normally consider all my book purchases carefully (there are so many I want, I need to restrain myself). But it was Thursday, and cold, and hot chocolate suddenly sounded like a great idea. Before I knew it, the book had leapt into my hand, then onto the counter, and was mine within a minute of meeting me. Cheeky bugger.

Back at our borrowed apartment, I made myself a hot chocolate and sat on the balcony overlooking the hustle and bustle of South Melbourne Market. Taking advantage of a rare quiet moment, I opened to the first page. I expected nothing, and, at first, I wasn’t overly impressed. Lukewarm. But as I kept reading, and it’s a quick read, it warmed up to a nice drinking temperature. It felt like a friendly chat with a stranger, an embrace from a friend, or a sip of a hot chocolate.

The main character, if there is one, drinks hot chocolate, apparently a very good one. Mine was made from chocolate from Atypic, sold just across the street at the market. I finished the book that afternoon and soon after felt a small sadness that the gentle embrace was over. Nothing revolutionary or life changing, but a lovely moment I’ll fondly remember.

So, here is a list of the 9 Easter treats I either bought, or wish I’d bought, or tried to buy but they wouldn’t ship because it was too hot in Perth.

1

When Sue Lewis Chocolatier starts selling her Bunny Pots in Perth, Western Australia, I know it’s Easter again. Each pot is filled with mini eggs and mini bunnies and they are available in a mix white/dulcey/milk/raspberry or dark/yuzu/raspberry/passionfruit. All her chocolates are made using Valrhona chocolate.

2

Mork’s Golden Emu Egg is but one of Mork’s products that make them the clear winner in the Australian Easter chocolate takeover. Made with caramelised chocolate, smoked sea salt and a dash of 23K gold. Inside is macademia cream, Tasmanian honey ganache, pepper berry, lemon myrtle and a crunch of whole honey-roasted macadamia to finish.

3

It should be a crime to sell hot cross buns at any other time of the year except for Easter. What is great about these delicious little buns, best enjoyed cut open, toasted and then slathered with butter and a sprinkle of salt, is that they are only available for a short amount of time. There are so many incredible hot cross buns across Australia, but my go to are these chocolate ones from Wild Bakery in Fremantle, Western Australia

4

If you need the hot cross bun in chocolate bar form, Hunted + Gathered in Melbourne, Victoria has a Hot Cross Bun bar made with spices, candied orange, roasted almond and dried fruit folded through 60% Dominican Republic chocolate. If you want to go really crazy, take a hot cross bun, toast it and place some of this chocolate on top, wait for it to melt ever so slightly, and enjoy a double chocolate hot cross bun. You are very welcome.

5

Steven ter Horst Chocolatier in Adelaide, South Australia’s winning combination of Ardbeg whiskey ganache and salted caramel in a chocolate Easter egg using Valrhona chocolate is out of this world. Move over kids, Easter is for the adults.

6

I feel like these bite sized, 100% dark chocolate eggs made from cocoa from Anamalai estate in South India are the perfect size, like a daily vitamin for good health. I hope that Foundry Chocolate in Silverdale, New Zealand will considering keeping them in stock all year around.

7

In France, they have competitions to identify the best marshmallow filled chocolate teddy bear. This is serious stuff. But Ratio Cocoa Roasters’ raspberry marshmallow filled chocolate bunny made from their own blend of chocolate made in house (from the bean, of course), would give the French teddy bears a run for their money.

8

You need to be fast to get one of Messina’s limited edition Gelato Easter Eggs, like buying Taylor Swift tickets online as soon as ticket sales start fast. The dark chocolate shell is filled with layers of chocolate cheesecake gelato, baked cheesecake chunks, chocolate cream cheese with chocolate crumb mousse, salted caramel chocolate cookie mousse, and a salted caramel centre. They are pretty big, but you don’t need to share if you don’t want.

9

If you really want to share your Easter treats, then pick up Baron Hasselhoff’s Legend of the Double Yolker Easter Egg. Apparently, according to the Baron (and the company’s website), he discovered, deep in the Black Forest (in New Zealand?), a breed of bunny that lays double yolk Easter Eggs. This inspired this chocolate version made with their own bean to bar chocolate and filled with marshmallow, one raspberry and pomegranate and the other with spiced hazelnut praline. One for me and one for you. Or two for me.

Happy Easter!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper

This weekend I’m taking you all back to Malaysia with me, this time to Kuala Lumpur where we will meet Ning-Geng One from Chocolate Concierge. Ning’s is the first in a series of interviews I’ll be sharing leading up to the launch of the book, introducing you to some of the fantastic people who have helped me along the way. I’m calling this series “A Hot Chocolate with…”.

Subscribe now

What are we sipping today?

Ning: 100% Malaysian cocoa, whisked with hot water, with a touch of salt and freshly grated cinnamon.

So, why chocolate?

Ning: I didn’t start with chocolate, I found my calling in it. I spent about 10 years abroad studying physics and computer science, then working in tech, but I was always drawn to fermentation. There’s something magical about it, the scents, the transformation, the way it feels alive yet almost programmable. It sits between controlled chaos and rhythm.

When I returned to Malaysia, I started brewing, aging cheeses, and tasting coffee and chocolate. Then I realized I could experience single-origin chocolate from all over the world, but not from Malaysia. I kept asking myself, “Why?” That question has guided me ever since.

And that question led to Chocolate Concierge—how did it begin?

Ning: It began with a simple desire: to taste Malaysian cacao. I started seeking out local beans, and more than a decade later, I’m still on that same path.

We focus entirely on Malaysian cacao, not because other origins aren’t beautiful, but because Malaysia’s story is rarely told. With our single-origin bars, we take a very light-touch approach so the cacao can express itself fully. Each region has its own personality; some are bright and fruity, others nutty or floral. We don’t want to blend that away.

We also work closely with farmers and indigenous communities. When we name a bar after a community, it’s not marketing, it’s recognition. And sustainability is core to what we do: agroforestry, biodiversity, fair pricing, long-term relationships. Chocolate, to us, begins with the land.

What do you wish more people understood about Malaysian cacao?

Ning: How diverse it is. Malaysia’s tropical landscape, its soils, elevations, and microclimates, creates a wide range of flavour profiles. It’s not one identity, but many voices.

I also wish people understood the level of craft involved. From growing and harvesting to fermentation, small decisions can have a huge impact on flavour. We’ve even conducted research into fermentation methods to improve both taste and nutritional qualities.

Most of all, Malaysian cacao doesn’t need to imitate other origins. It stands on its own. When someone tastes it for the first time and pauses, surprised. That moment means everything.

Your packaging is beautiful—what’s the idea behind it?

Ning: Each bar features a cacao pod from its origin. It’s a reminder that chocolate is grown, not just made.

Many people never get to see cacao pods in their natural variety of shapes and colours, so I wanted to use the bar itself as a canvas to show that. It’s not always a conventional choice, but it’s intentional. We’re celebrating the diversity of Malaysian cacao.

If someone could try just one thing from Chocolate Concierge, what would you recommend?

Ning: I would start with drinking chocolate, or even cacao tea. Before chocolate became bars or confections, it was a drink. There’s something deeply grounding about holding a warm cup and experiencing cacao in its purest form.

Our drinking chocolate is just cacao and hot water, no sugar or dairy, so nothing masks the flavour. It’s thick, silky, and meant to be sipped slowly. Cacao tea, made from the husk, is lighter but surprisingly complex, with notes like honey and toasted grains.

Starting with a beverage changes the experience. It moves chocolate from being just a treat into something more, a ritual, a moment to slow down and connect.

To read my blog post on the fantastic hot chocolate at Chocolate Concierge, visit the ultimatehotchocolate.com.

Read more...

Have a great weekend,

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper

Share

I’ve collected a lot of interesting, cacao and chocolate themed items on my travels. In this new series, I’ll share some of my favourite things. Since last week we travelled to Penang, here is a little something I picked up in Malaysia.

The central post office in Kuala Lumpur is a maze of rooms. I started in the basement in my search for this stamp. They sent me to Level 1, then to Level 2. By this point, I was starting to lose faith. Maybe this Malaysian stamp featuring cacao that I had seen on the internet was fake news.

The stamp I was looking for is a 5 sen stamp first issued on October 25, 1986 that features a cacao tree with golden yellow cacao pods. It is part of a series of agro based products grown in Malaysia which includes coffee, coconuts, black pepper, rubber, oil pam and paddy. These are all crops that were important for the country’s economic development, especially after it gained independence in 1957.

Cacao was first introduced to Malaysia in the late 19th century and became a significant crop in the 20th century. In the 1960s the country was one of the world’s top producers. But in the 1990s, the country shifted towards palm oil and other crops, and cacao was largely pushed aside.

I showed the man at Level 2 the photo of the stamp. “How many would you like?” he replied. A sheet? “That’s 100 stamps”. Ok? At 5 Malaysian cents each, this came out to only a few dollars. Sold. Now, what to do with all these fantastic stamps!

Salam!

SIPS by Ultimate Hot Chocolate is back! I know I’ve been quiet for a bit. I’m still sipping, and working on some exciting things, but for personal reasons needed to take a break. The good news is that I have a lot of fantastic things to share with you! Many trips, interviews, products and a surprise or two. I also have a book coming out this year! So, I hope you’ll come along for the ride (and bring a few friends along too). Let’s start with something familiar, a good old trip report. Thanks for following, and happy sipping.

In January, we made a very last minute decisions (just three days before hand) to spend two weeks in Malaysia. We knew that Penang Island had to be one of our stops, and it did not disappoint. As a family that travels for both chocolate and food, we chose Penang because it is known as the food capital of the country. The historic central area of George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, since 2008. Founded in 1786 as a port to serve British interests, the city become a hub for global trade where Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultures met and coexisted. This rich cultural blend shaped its unique food and lifestyle. The multicoloured shophouses throughout the central area are long and narrow since land taxes were once based on street footage. Most host local artists and artisans, cafes and restaurants, as there is a rule against large corporations from setting up shop so that it doesn’t risk losing its cultural charm.

Penang is also known for its beaches, but since I live in the city with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, we chose to focus solely on the food.

Cacao grows in Penang

I’ll share more about cacao in Malaysia in future posts, but the short answer is yes, cacao grows across Malaysia, including in Penang. However, it is clear that many farmers prefer palm oil, which is everywhere. We came across many houses in the countryside that had a tree or two growing in the backyard. You can also see cacao growing at the Penang Tropical Fruit Farm.

Where to sip

Penang has some pretty amazing coffee shops sourcing beans from around the world and roasting them on site. A few, thankfully, had pretty great drinking chocolates too.

• Osso Roastery & Brew serves two options of single origin, Malaysian cacaos for their hot chocolate. One, Kelantan, has notes of apple, red bean and sweet potato and the other, Kota Marudu, has notes of sea hawthorn and red fruits (apparently, I didn’t taste any of this, but loved them both).

• OME by SpaceBar Coffee If you are looking to pick up some chocolate made with Malaysian cacao, here you can buy Malaysian craft chocolate maker Chocolate Concierge’s chocolate. They also use this chocolate in their drinks.

• Norm Micro Roastery, housed in a stunning repurposed warehouse, offers drinks made with Australia’s own Mork chocolate, each served with a freshly roasted, house made marshmallow.

Click here for more hot chocolates in Penang.

What to eat in between sips

The food in Penang is outstanding. If you’re planning a trip, consider adding days just so you can eat more!. For a full selection of dishes we tried and recommend, visit @Lucaloveslunch. Here are a few highlights.

• Samosas from Penang’s Famous Samosas, a small food stall in Little India.

• Order a selection of small dishes from Nyonya lah by Javu, including blue rice, eggplant and long bean with soy sauce, Kopitan curry chicken and a local favourite, stinking bean (which tastes infinitely better than it sounds).

• Penang Asam Laksa, a tangy, spicy, fish based noodle soup. Every vendor has their own approach, so try a few from the road stalls, especially the night market, and pick your favourite.

• Curry at Hameediyah Restaurant. Forget the fork and instead enjoy them with your hands (right hand only, of course).

• Pani puri at Tea Kadai. The original savoury version has a nice little kick to it, but they also have a slightly less traditional chocolate version that is a must! Best paired with a glass of teh tarik.

• Cendol from Penang Road Nyonya Cendol (or any other cendol stand). Shaved ice with coconut milk, palm sugar, red beans, and green jelly noodles (if this doesn’t sound particularly good to you, trust me, it’s amazing)

• Nutmeg juice made with Penang grown nutmeg and available on roadside stalls or at Chowrasta Market.

• Don’t miss Kimberley Street Food Night Market.

What to do

If you are visiting for the first time, find a place to stay in the UNESCO Heritage Precinct and spend your days wondering up and down the streets in this area.

• The street art! George Town is one large open air gallery, with murals and sculptures everywhere. Many are on main streets but they are also down little laneways, higher up on walls.

• Visit the Hin Bus Depot, a fantastic space that has been transformed into a makers market but also has a number of great stores for those that love unique fits. My favourite: Kazimi Paper where you can make your own personalised notebook made.

• Beryl’s Chocolate Story is a Malaysian favourite. They have a museum in the central area which is free to visit. Georgetown Herittage Chocolate (yes, with two ts) also has a small museum. Both offer a range of very sweet, flavoured confections which don’t use local cacao, but do use local palm oil and infused flavours.

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com. and on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc

P.S. If you enjoyed this, please share it!

1. The chocolate dessert at Nordic inspired restaurant Freyja on Collins Street in Melbourne CBD. Chocolate mousse with rhubarb, Campari, Sichuan pepper and sour cream.

2. Mörk Chocolate’s new store at 13 Centre place in Melbourne CBD! Watch out for events they sometimes hold on the second floor (think cheese and chocolate pairings).

3. S’mores made with crackers, chocolate and caramelised burrata cheese at Ugo Burrata Bar in South Melbourne Market.

4. Hojicha chocolate ice cream wrapped in mochi at Hareruya Pantry in Melbourne CBD.

5. A French style hot chocolate from JC Patisserie in Melbourne (Abbotsford).

   Read more...

6. The Mexican hot chocolate with chilli, Himalayan salt and orange bark from Güras Cacao in Prahran Market in Melbourne.

   Read more...

7. The 72% dark chocolate hot chocolate with fior di latte and marshmallow gelato and hazelnut croccante from Pidapipo in Fitzroy.

   Read more...

8. The Nama Chocolates from Hareruya Pantry in Melbourne CBD, available in several flavours, all good.

   

9. The pain au chocolate at Publique in Melbourne CBD. Everything a pain au chocolate should be!

   

10. Sake and chocolate pairings at Sakedokoro Namara in Melbourne CBD. They sold the sake, we snuck in the chocolate.

Have a great week!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com. Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc

Hola!

If you follow me on Instagram (@ultimatehotchoc), you will know that I have been travelling quite a bit lately. Before I get to sharing bits from those fantastic trips, I need to finish telling you about Spain! So here are a few hot chocolates in Valencia. Honestly, I fell in love with Valencia. If you are thinking of visiting Spain, I strongly recommend that you make sure you spend time there. Rent an apartment if you can, shop at the local market and make sure to pack good walking shoes. Ok, here we go….

Xoco & Vero

This family run business has been making chocolate since 1823 and continue to make chocolate using the formulas and techniques of their ancestors. Their specialty is to make bollos, unrefined cylindrical chocolates wrapped in paper. For 2 euros you can get a small cup of their chocolate a la taza artisan either plain or flavoured, with a whip cream or liquor, or all the above!

Santa Catalina

I love Valencia. There is just something so warm and inviting about this city. It is easy; easy to get around, easy to talk to people, easy to eat good food, easy to find good chocolate. I don't know what it would actually be like to live there but I'm willing to give it a try. I’d set up near Horchateria de Santa Catalina, the place to have horchata, a typical drink made with tiger nut and served cold along with a sweet sponge cake called a farton. They also serve chocolate and churros. Everything I had here was fantastic and the location is stunning. Come at least twice, once to sit in the downstairs area and once to sit upstairs and admire the colourful ceramics depicting the history of the city.

Read more...

Also, make sure you visit Utopick, a craft chocolate company where Juana Rojas and Paco Llopis make beautiful chocolate. You also need to buy their small chocolate bombs called Peim that have anise liquour hidden inside.

What to do in Valencia

• Visit Mercy Central, the largest market with fresh produce in Europe. While there, try to grab a seat at Central Bar for some really good tapas.

• UNESCO World Heritage Site La Lonja

• Walk to the City of Arts and Sciences Monument. We just walked around the outside, which is impressive, but you can also plan to spend quite a bit of time inside. There is Europe’s biggest aquarium, a huge 3D cinema, Science Museum, Arts Palace, open access garden and conference space.

• Plan your trip to coincide with March 19 to experience the Fallas. Every year two Fallas are saved from being burnt and these are all exposed at the Fallas Museum.

• Paella originally comes from Valencia and there are many good places to try it. Try La Peptic, Levante and Casa Roberto, but there are many more. Good paella is made to order and takes time, so don’t rush it.

Good morning!

If you are following me on Instagram you know I am actually in Melbourne, not in Spain. I’m slowly getting through all of the hot chocolates I had on my trip to Spain.

Chocolateria San Gines

What you need right now is a warm mug of thick, dark chocolate with 3 or 4 crispy, golden, still warm churros to dip into the chocolate. At least this is what I need right now. You can find these all around Spain, but Madrid had my favourites. But it seems that I am not the only one that feels this way judging by the long lines outside Chocolateria San Gines. Luckily, they are open 24 hours a day and have been since 1894. They are still making their churros using a traditional technique called “a hombre” where the churros are mixed by hand and pressed into a long circular string before being fried. If you are to believe their website, they have made 929 million of these and 73 million cups of chocolate. I believe…

Read more…

BomBom

Bombon is my local in Madrid. I don't actually live in Madrid, so I don't have a local bar/cafe either, but if I did live in Madrid, I'd probably start my apartment searches around this area because of Bombon. They sell (or used to) not only an impressive range of craft chocolate from around the world, but many hot chocolates, both plain and flavoured with any number of spices and even nut butters, most made in house. Add in great music (the owners are musicians) and you have a winner! Unfortunately, Bombon felt the COVID restrictions hard and had to close. I'm not sure whether the current Bombon is still run by the original owners, or even if there is still a focus on chocolate. Therefore, this post is more of an ode to what Bombon was when I visited and what I hope it will still be when I visit again.

Read more…

More Spanish Chocolate…

The Association for the Promotion of Artisan Roast Bean to Bar Chocolate in Spain is a good place to start if you are organising a chocolate themed tour of Spain.  

I spent a bit of time looking (drooling) through their websites. I’m intrigued by the 100x100 bar which includes cacao from the Philippines and cacao mucilage from @cacaokankel in La Rioja. @kaitxo2017 in Balmaseda has a milk chocolate with liquorice and violets. I really want to try @somospuchero ‘s chocolate with churros in bar form in Valladolid.

A Few Travel Tips and Links

• If you are staying in Madrid for more than a few days, consider switching accomodation half way through so you can experience two different neighbourhoods.

• Spend time at San Miguel Market just off Plaza Mayor

• For more good food, sign up for one of Devours Food Tours early on in the trip to learn about all the best spots to eat.

• Chocolatier Oriol Balaguer sells what he calls “high tech chocolates” with lyophilised although he doesn’t explain what that is (seems to be a fancy word for freeze drying…).

• Taste heart shaped Palmeras de chocolate pastries at El Riojano on Calle Mayor, 10. They have been making them for over 160 years.

• Cacao Sampka on Calle de Orlellano 4 has beautiful chocolates. Buy one of each.

• Museo National del Prado has several chocolate themed historic paintings

• For a very long list of amazing churros to taste, click here.

Have a great week!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com. Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc

I just realised this morning that I hadn't finished sharing posts from my trip exploring the history of chocolate through Spain. I left you high in the mountains in Sotres, siping hot chocolate and eating Cabrales cheese. I know that isn't a terrible place to be left, but it has been far too long and it is about time I finish telling you about this chocolate fuelled trip that dates back to pre COVID years (remember those?).

First stop, Astorga

It is a beautiful drive from Sotres to Astorga, one of the first European cities that tasted chocolate when shipments started arriving into Spain (which was the first European country to enjoy chocolate). The chocolate industry quickly grew here and the first chocolate factory in Astorga opened in 1580. It eventually became one of the main producers of chocolate in Spain. Today there are still several historic companies including Lenin Chocolatier, Chocolates Santocildes and La Cepedana. La Cepedana is a chocolate shop/museum and I could have spent all day sipping my hot chocolate while admiring old chocolate making machines and sipping cups.

Read more...

Salamanca

The Cathedral, Casa de las Conchas, Casa Lis, Salamanca is filled with architectural marvels and food, lots of good food. Sit and enjoy a drink at Plaza Mayor, one of the largest squares in Spain. If you do stay the night, which you should, Parador de Salamanca offers stunning views across the city and historic rooms. When you are ready for your hot chocolate visit Chocolate Valor for chocolate with churros.

Read more...

Toledo

Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site also considered to be one of the most beautiful places in Spain, rises up in layers. At the bottom there are narrow medieval streets and further up renaissance spires and bell towers. If you don't know Toledo as the first capital of Spain (until Madrid took over in 1561), you know it because of the famous novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. Here is the land where his knight explored and you will see evidence of this connection throughout the historic centre including all sorts of statues in honour of this knight (including one made completely out of marzipan). The region is known for its marzipan which is sold throughout town. We had an ice cream at Chocolate Experience and a hot chocolate at Cafe de las Monjas.

Read more...

Cuenca

Mid way between Madrid and Valencia is the historic walled city of Cuenca. The UNESCO World Heritage city is famous for its "casas coladas" or handing houses with wooden balconies that hang straight out over high cliffs. If you walk over Puente de San Pablo footbridge you get excellent views of these. We only partially come here to see the city; we also visited for the chance to stay in the Parador de Cuenca. Paradores are state run hotels that are set in restored castles, monasteries, convents and fortresses. This one is located in a 16th century convent just opposite the hanging houses. The Parador also has several common spaces where you can sit down and enjoy a traditional thick Spanish hot chocolate, and pretend this is your castle.

Read more...

If you have more time in Spain, also consider visiting Monasterio De Piedra, considered to be the first spot in Europe where chocolate was made. Today it has a chocolate museum and you can still visit the rooms where chocolate was made.

Chocolate News

What is the definition of handmade in chocolate? The kiwis have been rocked by a chocolate scandal that impacts us all; products using the term handmade that aren’t. Basically a local company “handcrafted” pineapple pieces dipped in milk chocolate, neither product made by the company itself. @lukeowensmith comments on this further on instagram. What is handmade in chocolate and can chocolate even be called handmade? Let me know what you think and I’ll share thoughts in a future issue.

Here is a list of different mushroom hot chocolates which seems to be the next big thing (I have Raaka Magic Mushroom hot chocolate on my shopping list).

Toblerone bars will no longer have the image of the Matterhorn mountain on packaging because the bars are no longer made in Switzerland (they can still be melted down into a hot chocolate…).

The 5 best milk frothers according to chefs (what about according to chocolatiers? Any recommendations?)

Leaving you with a bit of science. I recently learnt that there is a thing called the Hot Chocolate Effect which you can recreate at home.

Have a great week!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com. Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc

Happy Monday to you all.

I thought I’d help you start off your week right by taking you on a very quick, 5 minute tour around the world to meet some of the superstars of Craft Chocolate. We start and end in Seattle where I met all of these fantastic makers. You can read more about the US based makers in last week’s post.

Passport (and wallet with large saving account dedicated to chocolate spending) ready? Ok! Here we go…

VENEZUELA!! 20/20 Chocolates

Some amazing cacao is grown in Venezuela, usually bought up by makers in other countries to make their chocolate. 20/20 is Venezuelan, making Venezuelan chocolate from Venezuelan beans from both their own farms and local producers. Not only do they grow some varieties of cacao that make for beautiful chocolate, but they are also doing it in an agroforestry system. Founded by the Esteves family in Carabobo in 2017, the name makes references to the area of the world where cocoa can be grown (the cacao belt) which is 20 degrees north and south of the equator. Their Green mango and salt dark chocolate and their 70% Yaracuy are both on my shopping list.

VIETNAM!! Marou

Vincent, an advertising exec from San Francisco and Samuel, a recovering banker living in Saigon, met in Vietnam and visited a cacao plantation on a whim. Today they have been one of the drivers of craft chocolate, in particular this idea of terroir, that crops taste different based on where they are grown, the soil, the environment etc. They make chocolate from cacao grown in different regions of Vietnam which showcase the diversity of flavours in the country. You can travel to the Bén Tre Province, the jungle hills of Dong Mai Province just by eating a piece of chocolate. https://marouchocolate.com/

Thailand!! Thailand Craft Chocolate Festival

Visiting Thailand is never a bad idea really. But if you are going to visit, visit in February so that you can visit the Thailand Craft Chocolate Festival and Tony! Thailand has a long history with cacao and doesn’t only grow it, but has a growing number of chocolate makers locally turning it into very nice bars. I really enjoyed the box that showcases cacaos from 10 different farms around the country.

TAIWAN!! Fu Wan Chocolates

Fu Wan Chocolates has been making fine chocolates, using cacao sources from around Taiwan, since 2014. But Fu Wan is so much more than that. One of the many very interesting things that Warren does with his chocolate is to play around with different approaches to the fermentation of the cocoa beans by adding in different fruits, yeasts and flavours. I bought a lot of chocolate here, a few bars where beer yeasts were added to the ferment. Fu Wan Chocolates also has accomodation, farm tours and chocolate making classes available.

JAPAN!! Green Bean to Bar

I love Green Bean to Bar (I’ve reviewed their hot chocolate on my site here). They have a beautiful cafe in Nakameguro. We even chose a hotel just a few blocks away so that we could linger here most of the day. You can watch the chocolate making process, buy products and sip their hojicha hot chocolate. They make chocolates, and bonbons, using cacao sourced from around the world.

NORWAY!! Fjak Chocolate

If you ask my kids to name a craft chocolate company, chances are they will tell you about Fjak. I got lots of parent brownie points for introducing them to the Milk chocolate and brown cheese bar and the white chocolate and cheese hot chocolate. Trust us, this combination is perfect!! The cheese, along with all the rest of the ingredients they add to their chocolate, are local, celebrating the flavours of Norway. Think reindeer moss, lingonberry, oak smoked salt, gingerbread and blackcurrants.

UNITED KINGDOM!! Willie’s Cacao

Willie Harcourt-Cooze is both a chocolate maker and farmer, who doesn’t only make chocolate, but takes it to a whole new level in the UK. This chocolate is made both from the cacao he grows on his farm, Hacienda El Tesoro in Venezuela as well as from other local makers. The company sells many different products (including a very nice hot chocolate) and lots of special seasonable mixes.

MEXICO!! Cuna de Piedra

Cuna de Piedra doesn’t only make chocolate from cacao grown in Mexico (where it is growing primarily in Tabasco and Chiapas regions). Their products also look beautiful. They sell a Starter Kit with a selection of most of their bars in a small black box. I reached for that first, but ended up splurging and buying their modern take on a metate; a wooden tool used to froth up hot chocolate, as well one of each of the hot chocolates. I also ran back to spend my last pennies on their chocolate with Mezcal (both woven and reposado).

Uncommon Cacao

Last but not least, I wanted to share this video from Uncommon Cacao, a company that sources high quality cacao from around the world and sells it to craft chocolate makers who turn it into chocolate. They publish a annual Transparency Report outlining who they are working with and the prices they pay for cacao. The market prices for cacao are very low, as are the Fair Trade prices, lower than you would ever imagine (which is why most cacao farmers are very poor). All the makers above, and Uncommon Cacao, pay much more for beans than Fair Trade prices, which is worth thinking about if you are looking to support farmers through your purchases.

Before you get back to work after this whirlwind trip around the world, I just wanted to show you these eggs from The Chocolate Detective. I don’t get into chocolate holidays that much, but love the idea behind this range of Easter eggs that look like the real eggs from different birds in the UK, and even sold in little egg cartons.

Have a great week!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com. Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc

Good morning Seattle!

I’m a bit behind sharing some of my chocolate filled trips with you. The problem is that I drink too many hot chocolates on trips like this … it just takes a long time to write them all up (especially because chocolate is only 50% of my day job…the better 50% obviously). Let’s deal with Seattle first and then I can get you all back to Paris and to Spain (remember that!! I haven’t finished telling you about that trip either!!). These are good problems to have…I’ll take these problems any day.

So, imagine you are in Seattle. You teleported there, so no jet lag, and you have a magic card (because who uses cash…) that will buy you all the chocolate and food you want. Not sure where to start? Read on for answers.

A Hot Chocolate at Maiz Maiz

Maiz Maiz in Pike Place Market serves champurrado, a chocolate based atole (a drink made from corn) that is typical in Mexico. And they do it so well. Maiz Maiz is one of my new favourite places because of how they highlight dozens of different varieties of corn on their menu. There are hundreds of corns in the world…yet we talk about corn in the singular…like we do with many other fruits and vegetables we eat. Here corn is celebrated…and it is delicious!

Read more...

A Hot Chocolate at Frans Chocolate

Frans Chocolate is an institution in Seattle (and beyond). Making chocolates since 1970 (using a special blend of Valhrona chocolate), they also make a beautiful hot chocolate using 68% Dominican Republic dark chocolate (fair-trade and organic). You can get it to take away from their shop either as a shot or with added milk and, of course, a dollop of whipped cream.

Read more...

A Hot Chocolate at Seleuss

You need to ring the doorbell and wait for someone to let you in. Don't worry, they will. But for that brief moment before they open the door, we must all look like little kids with our noses pressed up against the glass window, drool starting to form at the corner of our mouths as we look at the spread of chocolate delights. There are enough bottles of liquor displayed on the walls to turn this into a neighbourhood cocktail bar, but that would be a waste because they all find their way into his chocolates. The hot chocolate is generous both in the amount of chocolate in it and the size!

Read more...

A Hot Chocolate at Indi Chocolate

Amazing bean to bar (and more) chocolate maker based in Pike Place Market. At her factory/cafe, you can see how Erin Andrews turns beans sourced directly from farmers around the world, into really good chocolate, and hot chocolate. She also serves a wide range of other chocolate products, from mole sauce to chocolate spirit infusion kits. Its like a superior version of Willy Wonka.

Read more...

A Hot Chocolate at Rey Amargo

This cafe has dozens of different hot chocolates available, all made using cacao sourced from the Tabasco region of Mexico. I went a little crazy and ordered two hot chocolates (yes, for myself), the Xocolatl with various spices and a Pumpkin spice beause that seemed to be all the rage in the US (when in Seattle…). They were both very sweet like syrup and I wished the chocolate, which I suspect is quite good, was showcased more. Still, I’m a fan of any cafe that serves pretty much only hot chocolate!

Read more...

I also got to taste this pretty amazing hot chocolate made with Felchlin chocolate BY Felchlin people. They don’t look like the little workers in Willy Wonka…but still did magic with this hot chocolate made with Maracaibo 65%, topped with softly whipped cream, caramel fleur de sel (aka fancy salt), chocolate shavings and Tahitian Vanilla Bean Marshmallows. Yes, it was incredible.

There are three more chocolate shops you should visit that are all bean to bar. Although I know there are many more, these are the ones I visited (none had hot chocolates, but still, I won’t judge). The first is Theo Chocolates. Established in 2005, this bean to bar maker offers tours and tastings at its factory/headquarters in Seattle. Second is Seattle Chocolate which also offers a tour. Third is a new arrival on the scene, Spinnaker.

Obviously, you will need to eat a little food in between all of these hot chocolates. Pike Place Market will provide all the food you need. A few favourites include Pike Place Chowder (a must), the Mac n Cheese at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese and Piroshky Piroshky for piroshki (obviously).

If you get to Pike Place Market and you decide to skip the food and get more chocolate, stop at DeLaurenti Food & Wine, one of the biggest spreads of bean to bar craft chocolates from around the world. This is like the academy awards of chocolate. Tap into that savings account and see how many you can take home with you (thank me later…or better yet, invite me over to help you finish them). I’d start with everything on the fourth row personally…but I’m not fussed.

And if you, like me, have to buy a present for the kids, stop at Robot vs Sloth and buy either the stuffed sloth animals or the bats with undies (hidden under his wings). And no, that wasn’t my plane unfortunately, I had to wait at the airport for 8 hours because of a change in schedules…not mine obviously. Luckily these two kept me company.

I’ve run out of room for today, so hot chocolate news will have to wait, but will be back soon. Thanks for reading and see you next week!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com. Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc

Good morning!

It has been a few months now since I was at the Northwest Chocolate Festival in Seattle, where chocolate makers (that is, those who make chocolate from scratch from cacao beans) from around the US, and the world, gathered to sell, taste and educate.

While there, I had the chance to film some mini interviews with several amazing craft chocolate makers. So this week I thought I’d introduce you to just a few of the many incredible chocolate makers in the US. Many of these people are full on celebrities in the world of craft chocolate! Each video (click on each to view) is only a minute or so long and in each case they share what is unique about their brand as well as their favourite bar!

Personally I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day (it is as silly as hot chocolate day…again, everyday is Valentine’s Day AND Hot Chocolate Day). Forget the little chocolate hearts…use this as your shopping list instead.

Fresco

Fresco (Italian for fresh, the way chocolate should be according to their website), was started by Amy and Robert Anderson in 2003 after they were inspired by a tour of the Scharffen Berger factory in 2002. One of the many things that Fresco’s is famous for are their experiments with different roasts. They will take the same batch of beans and roast some of them lightly, others medium, and others darker and create three seperate bars. Buy all three to taste the impact that roasting has on the final bar flavour. @frescochocolate

Dandelion Chocolate

Oh, Dandelion. I can’t hide my love for thee. The many Dandelion hot chocolates I have had both in San Francisco and Tokyo….the Mission Hot Chocolate that is oh so spicy. The beautiful packaging, the flavours, the flight of brownies all made using different chocolates that all taste different but equally delicious. Nothing says love more than Dandelion. @dandelionchocolate

Goodnow Farms

I’ll admit I have two loves when it comes to US hot chocolates. If you are coming to visit me from the US, I won’t open the door unless you have a bag of Goodnow Farms hot chocolate. If you live in the US you really shouldn’t be hurting your body by drinking anything but this. Not only do they make amazing chocolate, but they press their own cocoa butter/powder using the same beans. The Asochivite hot chocolate is the makings of a perfect moment. While you may not think that a caramelised onion chocolate bar is very Valentine’s Dayish…I’d argue it is. @goodnowfarms

Amano

Located in Utah’s Wasatch Mountain range in the heart of the rockies, Amano sources beautiful beans from around the world and creates really good chocolate from them. I love this quote from Megan Giller’s book on America’s craft Chocolate Revolution. Art Pollard, founder of Amano chocolate said “I want people to swear when they eat my chocolate”, that you should be so delighted by the great taste that you scream out “Holy crap!” or whatever your four letter word of choice is! What says love more than that…Buy the Cardamon Black Pepper or Mango Chilli bars and put a red bow on them. @amanochocolate

Madre

Hawaii is the only place in the US where cocoa is grown and transformed into bars. Nat Bletter uses his expertise in Ethnobotany to research and make chocolate. Madre pairs many of their chocolates with native fruits and spices. They also make a bar using a different type of Theobroma, Jaguar Cacao! You’ll remember the flavour of their Triple Cacao made from cacao pulp, cacao nibs and dark chocolate, much longer than those dozen roses will last.

Fruition Chocolate

Buy your true love a membership to Fruition to receive a box of their chocolates every month to their door. Like that every 14th of the month will be Valentine’s Day. That also means you won’t need to choose one of their chocolates because frankly they are all equally good. @fruitionchocolate

Scharffen Berger

Mention Scharffen Berger to any chocolate nerd and a long discussion will follow. The original bean to bar chocolate maker inspired many other makers before being bought by Hershey’s and then returned to private ownership in 2020. Their baking chocolate start up kit (paired with the chocolate recipes on their website) could make for a sweet date night.

THIS WEEK’S HOT CHOCOLATE NEWS

Fairtrade launches new map to identify human rights and environmental risks in cocoa

Forbes magazine’s list of best chocolates for Valentine’s Day

@hotchocolatefest is almost over in Vancouver. I feel for you all. Next year I have to go.

Over 55% of cocoa exports from Ivory Coast “untraceable”

You don’t need this 250k hot chocolate this Valentine’s Day (no matter what they say)

Ultimate Guide to Chocolate in Boston

Best hot chocolates in Riyadh

Some new chocolate desserts to try in New York City

Tempted to try this Black Forest hot chocolate recipe this week.

Salmonella in chocolate

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com. Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc

Yesterday was National Hot Chocolate Day in the US. Although I don’t celebrate hot chocolate day (it’s a silly idea since every day is hot chocolate day), I wanted to contribute by starting a hot chocolate revolution (too strong? I don’t think so…). If you are a chocolate lover, chocolate maker, chocolate grower or have chocolate anywhere in your personal introduction, please read on.

As you all know, I love a good hot chocolate. I have been sipping, and writing up my experiences, for well over a decade at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com.

So, the thing is, hot chocolates are not really getting better…at least not as quickly as I was hoping. The coffee is getting better: you can choose origins, roast profiles and brew styles. The tea is getting good, often served in fancy pots and with stories of the origins of the leaves. The cakes and food are made from local, sustainably grown ingredients with the farmers named in the menu. You can get freshly squeezed seasonal juice and every type of milk under the sun. But the hot chocolate is most often a mysterious brown coloured liquid (sounds bad…it is bad), too often served without the love put into the other offerings.

Hot chocolates are still a mystery (but not a good one)

Most menus around the world have a hot chocolate listed somewhere, but you never know quite what you are going to get. Every time I visit a café I ask:

“What’s in your hot chocolate?”

The top three answers I’m given are:

1.     “It’s a powder, I’m not sure which one”.

2.     “It’s a syrup, we use it in our mocha”.

3.     “I don’t know, I just work here”.

Can you imagine if you went to a café or restaurant and asked the same question about an ingredient, or a wine, or your coffee? What would you do if they answered this way? So why is it ok with hot chocolate?

Hot Chocolates are more important than you think

Firstly, as a consumer, it’s important that we get to know the foods and drinks that we are eating and sipping. What we consume matters, not just for our health, but to many others along the supply chain.  

Secondly, that hot chocolate, that chocolate, has a story and it’s a fascinating (and delicious) one, one that is worthy of a better answer than “I’m not sure, but it comes with a marshmallow!”.

But it’s more than that. There are more places in the world serving hot chocolate than selling chocolate, in particular craft chocolate. The more cafes that take their hot chocolates seriously, the more they may also start exploring, talking about, and selling quality chocolate and supporting craft chocolate makers.  Hot chocolate is the way we can start the conversation, to raise awareness with consumers about sustainable chocolate options, and even what chocolate is to begin with, and we can get baristas and café owners to do a lot of that work for us. Let others be your messengers (so you can focus on what you do best: eating/making/growing etc).   

Let’s change this!

The more we ask, the more likely cafes will start taking notice and want to offer something they can be proud to talk about in the same way they do their other products. Next time you visit a café, ask

 “What’s in your hot chocolate?”.

Even if you don’t plan on ordering it, still please ask.

“What’s in your hot chocolate?”.

Let’s make it even easier for them. Next time you visit a café, give them feedback on their hot chocolate either by sending the card below to their social media. Tell them the name of a local craft/fine chocolate maker who makes a fantastic hot chocolate mix and recommend they explore their options.

Look around you. Do the other customers look like they are more a ‘large mug of hot chocolate with whip cream on top’ crowd, or a ‘shot of dark chocolate with a pinch of salt on top’? Tell the cafe what you would like them to serve and what you would buy if they served it.

If you are a café owner and you serve a good hot chocolate, tell your customers! Bring the words “hot chocolate” on your menu to life!

And please tag #whatsinyourhotchocolate. My reasons for doing this are purely selfish. I want better hot chocolate options when I visit cafes and I want coffee drinkers to look at the beautiful rich coloured liquid in my mug with jealous and admiring eyes.  

Lastly, I’m working on a Hot Chocolate Manifesto and I’d love to know what you guys think. What do you look for in a hot chocolate? What hot chocolate laws should not be broken? Let me know at giselle@ultimatehotchocolate.com or at @ultimatehotchoc.

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com.

Happy Monday to you all!

This week I have been exploring the world of camel milk. It all started with a recent trip via Dubai where I spent a few very jet lagged hours. After my attempts to find Butler’s Chocolate to try their hot chocolate failed (I was in the wrong Concourse), I ended up at Comptoir Libanais. They offer a very nice milk chocolate infused with cinnamon and tahini with halva sprinkled on top.

Read the full review here.

I was hoping to try a camel milk hot chocolate but it seems that all the restaurants in Dubai airport are from the UK (are the restaurants in UK airports all Middle Eastern?).

While walking through the airport it is impossible to miss Al nassma chocolate. Al nassma makes milk chocolate bars using camel milk. Founded in 2008, apparently they have 3,000 camels that they milk twice daily (I say apparently because they don’t really have a website, but there are quite a few articles on the web about them). Some of the milk is bottled and sold locally, some is freeze dried to be used in chocolate. There is 21% camel milk powder in their bars (in addition to sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, honey and bourbon vanilla). Interesting although it says made in UAE, the information I found suggests that the milk is sent to Austria where it is turned into chocolate and then sent back to Dubai (and other countries) to be sold.

Camels in Australia

One thing that you may not realise is that there are actually more camels in Australia than there are in the Middle East. In the 1840s, thousands of camels were imported to Australia to assist with work in the outback where the conditions are dry and difficult. Those thousands are now over a million. We came across big groups of wild camels when we drove across the outback last year. They are feral here, but efforts to create a market for the meat and milk have largely failed. There is a very small industry for camel milk and we are lucky enough in Perth to be able to buy fresh camel milk from a farm just 2 hours away. Apparently camels will only let humans milk them if they feel relaxed and safe. Smart camels.

What does it taste like?

We did a taste test comparing our usual full fat milk with camel milk. The price is already a big difference ($15 for a litre of camel milk versus $5 for milk). For that reason alone I won’t be switching to camel milk anytime soon. The cows milk smells and tastes a lot sweeter. I had never realised how much sweetness is in cows milk until now. The camel milk on the other hand is much more watery and has a definite salty taste. It doesn’t have a particular flavour (apart from salty). It does taste very fresh, like it would be a great drink on a hot summer day (which I plan to try!). It has significantly less fat which changes the way it feels in the mouth too. It is also much whiter in colour than cow’s milk (see picture below), not that that means anything, just interesting to note.

A few details from the back of the containers:

Sugar: 3.2g per 100 camel. 4.4g per 100 cow

Fat: 2.5g per 100 camel of which 1.2 saturated. 3.6 per 100 of which 2.2 saturated

Sodium: 90mg per 100ml camel, 40g per 100ml cow

Potassium: 220mg in camel but nothing in cow

Calcium: 130mg in camel vs 120mg in cow

Energy: 210 kilojewls per 100ml, 271 in cows milk

Protein: 3.6g per 100 for camel and 3.3g for cow

Camel milk is rich in calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and contains three times more vitamin C. It also has less saturated fats than milk. Camels produce much less milk than cows, 6 litres per day vs 24 litres per day for a cow. It also contains less lactose. Similar to chocolate, if you search for health benefits of camel milk you come up with all sorts of impressive but not necessarily scientifically backed claims that it cures everything from autism, to diabetes, even cancer.

I made a few hot chocolates using the camel milk and the dark chocolate worked best for me. A bit of salt actually brings chocolate to life so the saltiness of the camel milk was a nice addition. I did find it needed a bit more chocolate than I would usually use in a cow’s milk hot chocolate to balance the saltiness.

I did a search looking for other chocolate makers or even chocolates using camel milk in their offerings, but I didn’t find much. QCamel makes chocolates using camel milk that they farm here in Australia. Mission Chocolate in Brazil also had a limited edition Camel Milk Bar to celebrate the Arabs who make up Brazilian culture. She used powdered camel milk from Dubai.

Has anyone else tried camel milk chocolate or tried to use camel milk in their chocolates? I’d love to hear about it.

THIS WEEK’S HOT CHOCOLATE NEWS

• Chocolate Monkey has a new series on how to be a better taster on Instagram.

• My favourite hot chocolate festival is on right now in Vancouver:145 flavours in 95 locations. Chez Christophe Chocolatierie for example offers a Canadian Winter with a Kick Hot Chocolate with 41% milk chocolate with cayenne, chilli powder, cinnamon, maple syrup paired with a small, spicy bacon pull-apart. If that doesn’t interest you, they also have a butter beer 34% white chocolate infused with butterscotch and butter flavoured popcorn milk with a mystery lollipop on the side.

• Industry funded study of the week: ultra-processed foods are ok, really

• After five years, recipe to end deforestation from cocoa remains elusive

• Callebaut has recently launched 2nd Generation Chocolate (which looks like what craft chocolate is doing, and the way chocolate has been made most of its history so I’m not sure what is 2nd generation about it, but still good that Callebaut is engaging).

• If you are in Austria, visit Zotter Chocolate and read this article to find out why

• The usual pre Valentine Day chocolate articles are starting early. This one from the Guardian on whether ethical and affordable chocolate is possible.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com. Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc

Bonjour!

In case you are in Paris, or wish you were at this moment, here is a little hot chocolate themed walk through the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. No need to pack anything except an empty stomach and a full wallet.

Start at Les Halles, a huge shopping centre in the centre of the city that is also where most of the metros have stops. Look up and admire Eglise Saint Eustache. Just outside of it there is a famous statue called L’Ecoute by Henri de Miller 1986 of a large human head which is worth a ponder. On certain days, this area is a market with lots of stalls, including a few selling big blocks of chocolate. Avoid these, please. Save yourself. There is better coming. Rue Montmartre turns into a farmers market on Thursday afternoons and Sunday mornings. Take the road next to it, Rue Montorgueil. Soon after you start walking up, you will pass Charles Chocolatier, a family run chocolate shop founded in 1910 that makes their chocolates using traditional recipes. I reviewed their hot chocolate back in 2013 (click here to read it, doesn’t look like it has changed!).

Keep walking up. If you haven’t eaten yet, there are so many options on this road. Al Boustan is a quick Lebanese bite. L’Escargot Montorgeuil is a very famous, historic French bistro that offers snails (which if you haven’t tried, you must). Cross Rue Etienne Marcel and continue up Montorgeuil for even more busy terraces and great food.

Your first stop, before or after lunch, is Fou de Patisserie. So, imagine this, you have made a list of all of the famous chocolatiers and pastry chefs and their signature desserts that you just have to try. You look at your schedule and realise that you will never get to them all. No need to worry, that is what Fou de Patisserie is for. They carry desserts from all of the famous pastry chefs around town, all in one place. You also need to stop at Stohrer just next door, a pastry shop founded in 1730 that is famous for their Baba au Rhum. No chocolate, but lots of rum, which is good too. GROM, a little further up sells incredible ice cream but also has some good hot chocolate. Just after GROM, turn left on Rue Leopold Bellan. I once went to visit an apartment on this street to rent. It has no bathroom and no windows, but I considered it because of the location. Luckily, I found something better at the time!

Continue on Rue Leopold Bellan until you reach Rue Montmartre and turn right. Continue to Librarie Gourmande; a bookstore entirely dedicated to books on food. Yes, that’s right, only food. Once you have spent a small fortune here, keep walking up the road until you reach L’Éclair de Genie Cafe. They are famous for their eclairs so buy one (at least) and order a hot chocolate. I had one with salted whip cream which was really nice but they often have, depending on the seasons, others more innovative options. Click here to read the full review.

When you are done, you are ready for the highlight of your walk. Plaq. Turn right on Rue Reamur and walk until you reach Rue des Petits Carreaux on the left side of the street. Turn up and then take the first right down Rue du Nil. There are a few beautiful food stores, one of which is Chocolate Maker Plaq. Plaq not only makes its chocolate from bean to bar, using sustainably sourced beans from around the world, but they turn these into irresistible chocolate desserts and, of course, hot chocolate. Click here to read the full review.

Retrace your steps back to Rue des Petits Carreaux, turn right and walk up until it turns into Rue Poissoniere and turn left on Rue des Jeuneurs. You can take a little detour and continue up Rue Poissoniere do the Choco Story Paris, a chocolate museum. If not, continue along Rue des Jeuneurs to Rrraw. I didn’t enjoy this hot chocolate, but I would recommend a poke around and to try some of the samples to see the difference in flavour with the chocolate you just had at Plaq and raw chocolate. Click here to read the full review (and mini raw chocolate rant).

Continue along the road until you reach Rue Montmatre again and walk up to Bd Montmatre. Turn left and continue along the road until you reach Lafayette Department Store on the right and the Opera Palais Garnier on the left. Continue on, crossing the road and just past the Opera is Galleria Lafayette Gourmet Food store. Inside there is a whole area devoted just to chocolate, not supermarket chocolate, high quality chocolate makers or chocolatiers. Here you can drool over Jean-Paul Hevin, Alain Ducasse and many other famous French chocolatiers. There is also a stand selling (and giving out samples) of Valhrona chocolate, a very well known couverture chocolate company that is used by many chocolatiers.

Believe it or not, there is even more chocolate stops you could make on this walk. Paris is one giant chocolate shop if that is what you are looking for, but this should definitely get you started. If you want more, you can walk up to A La Mere de Famille on 33 Rue du Faubourg, a very famous French treat shop in a beautiful building. From here turn left onto Rue du Faubourg and keep walking until you reach Rue des Martyrs. This street has many chocolatiers including Alain Ducasse (who is also a chocolate maker) and Maison Le Roux (famous for his caramels). Once you get here, you might as well keep going up and turn right on Av. Trudaine and then continue onto Rue de Dunkerque to visit Ara Chocolat, one of my favourite chocolate makers. Stay here for a while, take in the smells, chat with the makers, spend the rest of your money and then continue along the road until you reach Gare du Nord. From here you can easily take a metro back to Les Halles where you started…or walk it because you are likely to find even more chocolate shops on the way back.

OR…you can keep going all the way to Montmatre and visit Kosak, a great little shop selling craft chocolate from around the world. So many options:)

If you want to see where all of these hot chocolates are, I have been working on adding all of my reviews to country maps. The France map is still a work in progress but you can check out the progress by clicking the map below.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com. Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc

Happy Holidays!! I hope you are all having wonderful, relaxing, good chocolate filled rest days. I have a moment of calm today, so I thought I’d share with you some more interviews from Salon du Chocolate. I’ve posted two posts so far on this. One is an overview of the Bean to Bar Chocolate movement in France and another is an introduction to the Salon du Chocolate with lots of tips on visiting.

Today I’m going to introduce you to some of the chocolate makers that I met that are making chocolate in the countries where the cocoa is grown and processed. Most chocolate is not made in cocoa growing countries…but this is changing…slowly.

SIPS

Issue 32: Salon du Chocolat

Bonjour! When I used to live in Paris, I remember that every year there would be a chocolate festival down in the Carrousel du Louvre, a small shopping area underneath the famous Louvre Museum. As I didn’t care much for chocolate at the time, I never really stopped to look. I know now that this was the early days of the Salon du Chocolat…

Read more

3 years ago · 2 likes · Giselle

Madagascar

This interview is with Lea from Menakao, a family company in Madagascar based in Ambohidratrimo that turns Madagascar cocoa beans into chocolate. The family, originally from India, settled in Madagascar five generations ago. I really enjoyed the chocolates I tried. The packaging is also stunning. Designed by a local artists, each one illustrates the faces of the different ethnic groups that represent the Malagasy people, who are very little known. They had a very interesting bar with 62% dark and combava peel (a type of lime) and pink berries.

Cameroon

This interview (in French) introduces Chocolat Nya Mboa, a chocolate maker that uses 100% Cameroon chocolate made in Cameroon. It is made by the Society Commercial et de Transformation de Cacao (SOCTRACAO), a business that transforms cacao into cocoa butter and powder. If you can understand French, the SOCTRACAO website has lots of information about cocoa production in Cameroon.

Haiti

I didn’t find Ayitika Terroirs de Cacao, they found me. Luckily, one of the representatives saw me interviewing other makers and brought me to discover this chocolate, which was hidden in a far off corner of the Salon that I hadn’t even realised was there. They offer three single varietal bars which isn’t something you often see (cacao is pretty promiscuous so varietals mix constantly). One bar is Criollo, one a mix of Criollo and Amelonado and the third a blend of Contamana and Amelonado.

Ivory Coast

Le Chocolatier Ivoirien makes chocolate in Ivory Coast using locally produced beans. Maker Axel Emmanuel is an ex banker turned chocolate maker and his approach has been highlighted in several shows and documents, including Netflix’s Rotten. He also makes beautiful chocolate mask that were exhibited throughout the Salon.

Peru

Tribal Chocolate started as an experiment to make chocolate from beans grown and processed on the family farm in Ucayali but has grown from there to include other beans from regions across the country including Piura, Cusco and Curimana. Tribar has won many awards for its chocolate. My favourite was the Ucayali.

Ukaw Chocolate is making chocolate in Peru from Peruvian beans. If you are fortunate to be visiting Lima, you can visit their cafe to taste a range of cacao based dishes, drinks and desserts. The chocolate bars feature a range of flavours from the Amazon including nuts, passionfruit, mango, platoon and pineapple. (Interview in Spanish)

Jamaica

Pure Chocolate Company is a Jamaican company started in 2017 by two talented pastry chefs/chocolatiers. The packaging features art work by talented young local artists. They source cacao from several farmers in Jamaica to make a range of bars including several with interesting inclusions (lemongrass, coconut, and even one with jerk Seasoning!)

Thailand

Siamaya chocolate is a crazy (good!) chocolate maker in Thailand using Thai beans. They use a range of local fruits and spices in their flavoured chocolate (think peanut curry, durian, coffee and pomelo, mango and chilli..). They also offer factory and chocolate making tours in Chiang Mai.

Philippines

Auro Chocolate is a tree to bar chocolate company in the Philippines that is working with farmers in country to produce a line of chocolate bars. They have a range of programmes with cocoa farmers, such as organic conversions. The dark milks were beautiful.

Colombia

Color Cacao is a fantastic project/chocolate company in Colombia. They work with small producers that have replaced illicit crops with cacao and create a range of bars that tell the story of these different producers.

This Week’s Hot Chocolate News

I’ve been reading The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz. It includes information on many fermented foods. Even though it doesn’t including cacao (which yes, is fermented), it has been a fascinating trip into a world I knew little about.

Blink and you miss it smoked hot chocolate

Pairing wine and chocolate (in Spanish)

A sad ranking of hot chocolates based on number of calories (not taste, ingredients etc. and all that other important stuff)

YouGovAmerica surveyed Americans and found that hot chocolate is the nations favourite holiday drink.

Lauren Heineck interviews Kathryn Laverick of Cocoa Encounters

As temperatures drop in the northern hemisphere, the lists of best spots to get hot chocolates grow.

• 10 places to get hot chocolate in Prague

• Best addresses for hot chocolate in Bordeaux

• 13 Cafes in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru for hot chocolate

And, most importantly, hot chocolate brunette hair is trending for winter, according to Glamour…

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com. Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc

Bonjour!

When I used to live in Paris, I remember that every year there would be a chocolate festival down in the Carrousel du Louvre, a small shopping area underneath the famous Louvre Museum. As I didn’t care much for chocolate at the time, I never really stopped to look. I know now that this was the early days of the Salon du Chocolat.

The Salon du Chocolat is the world’s largest event dedicated to chocolate, which takes place every year in Paris. There are also versions in other cities around the world, but the largest of them is in Paris. This year it took place at Place de Versaille in a conference centre over two full levels. To put it into perspective, I spent four full days at the event, so there is a lot happening. 

I was one of thousands of people visiting. Last issue, I introduced the Bean to Bar France association and some of its members that I met at the Salon. Here I thought I’d bring you with me on a tour of the Salon. Next week, I’ll introduce you to some of the people I met at the Salon. 

SIPS

Issue 31: Bean to Bar Chocolate, France

Bonjour! Last month, I was in Paris for the Salon du Chocolat. It was also a chance to explore the bean to bar chocolate movement in France. Bean to bar chocolate makers are those who source (most often sustainably) cocoa beans direct from farmers and then turn those into chocolate. A chocolatier on the other hand buys chocolate and then uses it to make …

Read more

3 years ago · 2 likes · Giselle

The space is massive and is an amazing place to experience all the different sides of chocolate. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Farmers, cooperatives, countries and individuals growing, sourcing and selling cocoa beans to prospective chocolate makers

• Companies selling equipment and materials needed to transform cacao beans into chocolate

• A selection of craft chocolate makers taking high quality cocoa beans and transforming them into chocolate

• Chocolate makers that take use bulk chocolate to create all sorts of sweets made from chocolate, in every shape and size you can imagine (and then some). 

• Chocolatiers who take couverture chocolate and turn it into amazing creations. There were several competitions to find the world’s best chocolatier, best sugar artist, best pastry artist, best pain au chocolate, so there was some amazing talent here.

• Companies that make ingredients that go into chocolate such as nuts

• Some talks and educational events (but not nearly as much as they could have (should have?)

Luckily, I had a press pass which allowed me to go anywhere and everywhere. So, I did!

There were a few things that struck me from my time at the Salon. 

First, everything is all mixed together. Craft chocolate makers are selling beautiful bars at $10 euros next to stands with massive piles of cheap chocolate for a just few euros. There is little information for visitors to distinguish, or even understand the differences between the two. Although the mix allowed consumers who wouldn’t usually buy craft to stop at some craft chocolate stands, I noticed most were simply confused. I heard a lot of “It’s expensive over there, let’s go over here”. 

Second, and connected to this, there wasn’t a lot of education more generally. Many stands had information, and the people at the stands were all more than willing to share information about the stories behind chocolate. But the Salon itself doesn’t offer much to help for consumers manage their way around all the different chocolate offerings and price points. They had some talks, but not enough in my opinion.

Third, if you want to learn something, visit the stands that no one is visiting. There was generally an inverse correlation between popularity of stand and quality of chocolate or information. The people selling craft chocolate at the Salon were, in most cases, the makers themselves. These are celebrities in the craft chocolate world. They will gladly tell you everything you didn’t realise you didn’t know about chocolate, and let you taste!  That isn’t the case with the big chocolate brands, who hire staff to represent the brand.

Fourth, there is a lot of chocolate in the world. Obviously, I already knew this, but seeing so much of it all I the same place was impressive? Overwhelming? Exciting? Scary? I’m not sure which one. Consider that chocolate comes from a fruit, a tree. This is a lot of chocolate, meaning a lot of cocoa beans, meaning a lot of farmers growing beans, and this is only one tiny drop in the chocolate ocean. Then consider how cheap the chocolate was being sold for (really cheap, too cheap). If I were a cocoa farmer, I think I would have a heart attack visiting Salon. Granted, much of the cheap chocolate has very little chocolate in it (10% in some cases, it’s mostly sugar and other ingredients), but still. 

Fifth, and perhaps the most important, chocolate is pretty amazing. The eating part yes, but here I’m talking about the chocolate world. The packaging, the colours, the shapes, the artistry, the skill and how it brings together farmers, chefs, artists, consumers, entrepreneurs. I’m glad I’ve found my way into this world. 

Tips for visiting the Salon du Chocolat

• Go on the first day. It is less busy and the people at the stands are fresh and excited. They also have better samples to share.

• Avoid weekends. it gets VERY busy. If you must go then, visit first thing in the morning.

• Don’t stop at the first stands you see as you enter. Try to plan your time and do a walk around before filling yourself up with the free chocolate samples at the start. They aren’t necessarily the best ones.

• Connected to that, be selective in what you sample. Just because it is being offered, and it’s free, it doesn’t mean that you should eat it. There is excellent chocolate on offer. 

• Bring a bottle of water and some actual food. There isn’t much for sale there and at some point your body will need something other than chocolate.

• If you haven’t spent $10 on a craft chocolate bar before, go try some craft chocolate, then you will understand why it costs more. 

• Bring money (cash) and spend it on chocolate you wouldn’t usually be able to get in Paris. Don’t use it to buy big chunks. You can get those anywhere. Use it to try/support a part of the chocolate world that you haven’t before. 

• Aim to visit one cocoa farmer/association, one couverture chocolate maker, one confectionary maker, one craft chocolate maker (who takes beans and turns them into chocolate), a chocolatier (someone who takes chocolate and turns it into confections), one talk, one chocolate competition. 

There are other Salon du Chocolat around the world, in particular in the Middle East and across Asia. I’d love to attend the ones in Japan and/or Seoul. Something to add to my chocolate bucket list. 

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com. Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc

Bonjour!

Last month, I was in Paris for the Salon du Chocolat. It was also a chance to explore the bean to bar chocolate movement in France. Bean to bar chocolate makers are those who source (most often sustainably) cocoa beans direct from farmers and then turn those into chocolate. A chocolatier on the other hand buys chocolate and then uses it to make their own creations out of chocolates. There are many reasons why bean to bar chocolate is so interesting but one of the main ones relates to flavour. Chocolate makers source high quality beans and then do everything they can to bring out the flavours that are naturally present in those beans. The result are chocolate bars that can taste fruity, spicy, fudgy, as diverse as wines.

Bean To Bar France is a relatively new association that brings together chocolate makers in France. In order to join, each maker must sign a Charter of Good Practice ensuring responsible conduct from the sourcing all the way to the finished product. Today I thought I’d introduce you to some of the members of this association (there are 21 in total spread out across the country).

One of my favourite French chocolate makers is Ara Chocolate (54 Rue de Dunkerque in the 9th arrondissement). You know you are close when you start to smell the chocolate wafting out of the shop’s air vents. Andres and Sabrina (both originally from Venezuela) started selling in 2015, a few years after Andres discovered and fell in love with cocoa trees back in Venezuela. Andres was previously a pastry chef, working in 3 star restaurants and 5 star hotels before deciding to make chocolate. Although it was closed the day I walked past (public holiday), luckily I have some very good friends who have very good taste who gifted me several bars. I really like their packaging. They use the same resealable envelop for all of their bars and add a sticker to the top with specific information on that bar. I also like how they do their tasting notes (how fruity, spicy or nutty it is rather than telling you what you might/should taste exactly).

Just down the road from Ara is Les Copains de Bastien (90, rue de Maubeuge in the 10th arrondissement). I only just realised this though while writing this newsletter! I was so close…next time. They launched in 2021.

There are currently 21 members of the association and although I didn’t get the chance to speak to all of them, I did do some mini interviews with a few of them at the Salon du Chocolat. The Salon du Chocolat is a huge chocolate focused event that takes place annually in Paris (and in other cities around the world at different times of the year). It includes not just bean to bar chocolate but chocolatiers as well. I’ll share more on that in another newsletter.

Lady Merveilles was started in 2015 in Brittany by Marine Schmitt. She uses Fair Trade and organic ingredients and packages her chocolate in French made biodegradable and compostable materials. The cacao comes from Ecuador, Peru, Belize, India and Brazil. She is also a recent International Chocolate Awards Winner so defiantly one to check out. She has a range of single origin bars as well as several with inclusions (mint and pepper intrigued me the most!). Click on the image below to view the interview (1 min - in English).

L’Instant Cacao had a stand that was bigger than the size of his shop in Paris (which was closed when I passed by…probably because he was at the Salon!). You can also visit him at 3 rue des Petits Champ in the 1st arrondissement. If you want a lesson on how to fit all the machines you need to make chocolate from bean to bar AND a shop front in a tiny space, there are many examples in Paris, this one probably being one of the most impressive (this video shows you what it looks like). Marc Chinchole, who has a background as a pastry chef, started selling bean to bar chocolate in 2018 after spending time at La Maison du Chocolate and Chocolaterie Chapon. Click on the video below for an intro from Marc himself (1 min - in French).

Next up was Romain from Cacao Experience, one of two brothers (one a chocolatier and the other a graphic designer) from Strasbourg. Their ambition is to create chocolate that is experienced through all of the senses. They source beans from India, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Tanzania and have a bar made with Ewe’s milk which I found interesting. Click on the image below to watch the full video (1 min - in French).

I also spoke with from Aurelien, one half of La Baleine a Cabosse in Marseille. They discovered cacao on a trip to Colombia and today they showcase chocolate made from beans from different regions of that country. The video is noisy because the French stand was right next to the stand for chocolate from Ghana which had not only lots of chocolate grown and made in Ghana, but also a live DJ and music. Click below for his interview (2min - in French).

While most French makers had small stands, Shouka has a large one (which included hot chocolates for sale). Based in Chamonix, they also sell coffee from bean to cup. The brand puts the harvest date on the packaging which I found to be interesting and not something you see very much of (yet?) in chocolate. Every cacao harvest is going to taste slightly different (again, like wine), which also means that chocolate made from those beans can taste different. Click on the image below for the full interview (4 minutes- in French).

Another maker with a big stand was 20Nord20Sud based in. The name represents the area of the world where cocoa grows (20 degrees north and south of the equator). They were doing an amazing job at educating visitors about bean to bar chocolate at the salon, especially because they were sandwiched in between other stands selling huge blocks of cheap chocolate. I got the chance to speak with founder Melanie who opened this all female chocolate factor in Vendee just over a year ago. Click on the image below for the interview (2 min - in French).

Another member of the French Bean to Bar Association is Chocolat Cazenave. I visited Cazenave in Bayonne a few years ago to try their famous hot chocolate. The shop/cafe was opened in 1854 and not only do they make beautiful chocolate, but have a stunning cafe (which includes an intricate Art Nouveau stained-glass ceiling from the 19th century). The chocolate is whisked the traditional way (look at that froth!!). To read the full post on Chocolat Cazenave, click here.

Last but not least, if you are in Paris and looking to buy some of this chocolate, then look no further than Kosak. Started by bean to bar chocolate experts Nathalie and Catherine, this store is amazing. If you have any questions at all about bean to bar chocolate in France (or elsewhere) they can help. They don’t just carry French bars but bars from around the world. It may seem a little out of the way on the map if you are visiting but it really isn’t. It is just down the hill from the touristy area of Montmartre.

There are other bean to bar chocolate makers in Paris/France that are making chocolate at a much larger scale. I’ll be covering those in the next few weeks.

This Week’s Chocolate News

Case dismissed against Mondelez alleging they misleadingly labels dark chocolate as made with cacao instead of cocoa.

I am completely obsessed with Goodnow Farms drinking chocolates…completely.

The best spots in Los Angeles, USA to drink Champurrado and hot chocolate.

Prince Edward Island, Canada, has a Hot Chocolate Trail going on until the 18th of December.

Who’s going to pay for an ethical chocolate bar?

Mars Wrigley chocolate bars to be packaged in recyclable, reusable or compostable material by 2025

List of hot chocolates in Paris.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com. Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc