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…”.

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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.

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Have a great weekend,

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper

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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).

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

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

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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.

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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…

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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

Good morning!

Last week, I started to share info on our road trip via the Great Central Road to central Australia. All up we drove 8038km in 18 days. Why would you want to do a trip like this? Because Australia is absolutely stunning…and big!

If you were to do this trip, you need to be well prepared due to the remoteness of the areas you’ll drive through, where you could be the only vehicle for the day! You will need a fully equipped 4WD, tents, and be self sufficient in terms of food, water etc. (at least for most of it). You won’t have phone reception, or see a lot of other people during most of this trip, so be sure to do it with people you like spending time with (and who have the same taste in music as you). This is definitely getting off the beaten track, but that is what made it such an amazing trip.

Below I’ve shared a day by day overview of our trip, including links to the hot chocolates we had. On my blog I’ve written up each one separately with tips on the different locations. Most of the time there were no cafes, so we made our own hot chocolates infused with native herbs and spices. Check out last week posts for more on that.

Day 1: Perth to Lake Ballard

• Stop in Kalgoorlie, a mining city with an open cut gold mine you can visit in the centre of town and plenty of cafes.

• Lake Ballard has Australia’s largest outdoor gallery with. pieces from Turney Prize winning artist Antony Gormley.

• Free campsite on the side of the lake is beautiful, one of our favourites.

Day 2: Lake Ballard to Giles Breakaway

• Beginning of the Great Central Road.

• Camp at Giles Breakaway, free campsite just off the Great Central Road with beautiful views and lots of privacy and space (and 4G mobile reception).

Day 3: Giles Breakaway to Desert Surf Central

• Count the wrecked cars that line the side of the road. There are hundreds of them.

• Desert Surf Central is an amazing free camp. If you have a 4wd, you can drive up to the top of the hill to camp. From here, you are rewarded with 360 degree views of central Australia.

Day 4: Desert Surf Central to Giles River

• Stop at Warburton Roadhouse and visit the art gallery at the local shire council.

• Look out for wild camels (there are 1.2 million of them) and wild horses (500,000 of them). They seem to like hanging out right in the middle of the road….

• Camp at Giles River free camp, about 50km past Warakurna.

Day 5: Giles River to Ayres Rock Camping (Uluru)

• Visit Kata Tjuṯa, a short drive from Yulara. This is 36 steep sided domes that appear out of nowhere. The Valley of the Winds walk is 5.4km but start early, it gets hot here!

• Camping at Ayres Rock Camping. If you camp, I highly recommend that you make and have your dinners and breakfasts from the sunrise and sunset car parks at Uluru rather than at Yulara.

Day 6: Uluru

• Do the 10km walk around Uluru and visit the Cultural Centre for information on why this is such an important place.

• The hot chocolate at Uluru was horrible, but my posts give tips on what and how to visit the area. There is good icecream there though, made with native ingredients.

  Read more and see pictures here

Day 7: Uluru to Kings Canyon

• Stop for a camel burger (yes, really) at King’s Creek Station - surprisingly delicious!

• Sign up for the Karaoke Aboriginal Cultural Experience. A must.

• Camp at Kings Canyon Discovery Park. They have a happy hour and live music up on a hill with stunning views.

Day 8: Kings Canyon to Palm Valley

• Morning - do the 6km walk of the Kings Canyon loop. The canyon is 300 metres high with 360 degree panoramic views. A highlight of our trip.

• Camp at Palm Valley in the Finke Gorge National Park, located on one of the oldest rivers in the world. Campsites bookable through national park website.

Day 9: Alice Springs

• Do the Palm Valley walk. The palms aren’t supported to be here, but have been for a very long time. Beautiful walk, but a very bumpy 4km road in - 4WD only!

• Depending on time, stop at a few other sites along the way, like Stanley Chasm.

• Camped at G’Day Mate Tourist Park. There is a brewery right next door that serves good beer and pizza.

Day 10: Alice Springs to Coober Pedy (via The Painted Desert)

• Hot chocolate and brunch at Olive Pink Botanic Gardens

  Read more and see the pictures here

• Drive out to see the Painted Desert. It is a bit of a detour but so worth it. One of the most stunning places I have ever seen.

• Stayed at the Lookout Cave Hotel which is underground! Sixty percent of residents in Coober Pedy live underground because of the extreme heat.

Day 11: Coober Pedy to Gawler Ranges National Park (via Kingoonya)

• Hot chocolate at Big Wench 360 with fascinating views over this town which is also the Opal mining capital of the world.

  Read more and see the pictures here

• Take the dirt road into the park via Kingoonya, and be amazed at the staggering number of kangaroos and emus!

• Camp at Scrubby Peak campsite.

Day 12: Gawler Ranges National Park to Port Lincoln

• Hike up to the top of Scrubby Peak, for amazing 360 deg views.

• Hot Chocolate Tumby Bay Bakery which is famous for its impressive street art.

Read more and see the pictures here

• Best Fish n Chips ever for dinner in Port Lincoln, at The Fresh Fish Place.

• AirBnB on the coast in Tulka, just South of Port Lincoln.

Day 13: Port Lincoln/Tulka

• Hot Chocolate at French cafe L’Anse using couverture chocolate accompanied by chocolate desserts.

  Read more and see the pictures here

• Half Day Oyster Tour with Experience Coffin Bay Oyster Farm Tours. They take you out on their boat to the Oyster farm and you get to walk around (and eat a lot of oysters).

• Eat fish and ships (again) at Fresh Fish Place in Port Lincoln - it was that good we went back!

Day 14: Port Lincoln/Tulka to Coffin Bay National Park

• Hot Chocolate at multi award winning Boston Bean Coffee Company. If you read any of the posts, read this one:)

  Read more and see the pictures here

• Camp at Black Springs campsite in Coffin Bay National Park. Rough 4WD track in to the campsite, but it was totally worth it. Perfect white sand beaches and turquoise waters.

Day 15: Coffin Bay National Park to Ceduna

• Explore South side of Coffin Bay National Park, before driving to Ceduna.

• Stop for lunch at Oyster HQ in Coffin Bay.

• Visit Murphy’s Haystacks and Seal Sanctuary

• Camped at Ceduna Shelly Beach Caravan Park (only one we would have rethought. I’d go further and stay near Cactus Beach if we were to do it again).

Day 16: Along the Nullarbor (Ceduna to Madura)

• Play the worlds longest 18 hole par 72 golf course that is spread across two states and two time zones.

• Hot Chocolate at Penang Roadhouse was horrible (like, really horrible), but Penang is definitely worth a stop. Penong is the last stop before you start driving the Nullarbor, a long, straight road with no trees or obvious towns. Visit the free outdoor windmill museum (more interesting than it sounds), and take the short detour out to Cactus Beach (considered by many the best surf beach in Oz) and if you’re lucky, see a pink lake.

  Read more and see the pictures here

• Stop at Nuytsland Nature Reserve to see some of the longest unbroken cliffs in the world and the Head of Bight to see whales, dolphins, sharks etc.

• Free camp at the top of Madura Pass - stunning views, if only it wasn’t directly above the highway ….

Day 17: Madura to Kulin

• Drive the 90 mile straight, the longest, straight stretch of road in Australia

• Take the Norseman to Hyden road, followed by the Tin Horse highway to Kulin.

• Camp in Kulin, a little town with a free council provided campsite. It is famous for having hundreds of statues of horses doing silly things. Grab a counter meal at the local pub. Kulin also has a great cafe called Acres of Taste.

Day 18: Kulin to Perth (with a big detour down to Manjimup)

• Take a bit of a detour to visit all of the farm stalls and pick up fresh produce around Manjimup and Bridgetown.

• Stop at Manjimup Park Cafe for great paninis and coffee.

Sites to help you plan your trip

Western Australia Golden Outback

Discover Central Australia

The Red Centre

Eyre Peninsula

The Nullarbor

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Giselle

Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com

Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc

Good morning!

It’s been a busy few months of travels and hot chocolates. I’ll get to writing everything up in time, but first, Central Australia.

A few weeks ago, we drove a 4wd and camped our way across the Great Central Road to the centre of Australia. For those of you who don’t know Australia well,  this isn’t a trip that many people do, or even think of doing. We did 8038km in 18 days and loved every second of it. The map looks empty but we were never bored. Since there weren't a lot of town or cafes on this trip (or even other humans for that matter), most of the hot chocolates I had we made on our trusty camp stove.

As with all our trips, I always bring hot chocolates to test and enjoy along the way. This time we decided to explore native Australian ingredients, infused into dark chocolate (Callebaut 70% in this case). Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been using native ingredients, or “bush tucker”, for tens of thousands of years as both food and medicine. While these grow in the outback, it isn’t very easy to find them in shops, and when you can, they can be quite expensive. 

I bought a selection of dried natives and everyday we picked one out of the bag to try with breakfast. We read about each ingredient and had a smell and a taste of the dried version. We decided to be very generous and added about 1tbps of each herb per person (our hot chocolates were about 1-1.5cups of milk per person). The herbs were added to the milk and warmed up slowly before adding in the dark chocolate. Before serving, we strained the hot chocolates to remove any excess powder or leaves.

I’ve posted a summary of each of the native ingredients we tried, including what they looked and tasted like. I also included travel tips along the way, including the campsites we stopped at. Natives include Finger Lime, Lemon Myrtle, Davidson Plum, Wattleseed, Desert Lime, River Mint, Cinnamon Myrtle, Aniseed Myrtle, Gumbi Gumbi, Quondongs, Kakadu Plum, Jilungin and Strawberry Gum.

Check out the full list here

FINDING NATIVE INGREDIENTS IN CHOCOLATE

Here is a list of Australian bean to bar chocolate makers that have bars that include some of the natives I tried on my tip.

Atypic 50% Milk Lemon Myrtle

Cailo 70% Lemon Myrtle

Charley’s 60% Milk Lemon Myrtle

Elements Milk with Sandalwood and Lemon Myrtle

Elements White Chocolate with Lemon Myrtle and Finger Lime

Jasper and Myrtle Macademia and Lemon Myrtle Milk Chocolate

Cailo 70% Davidson Plum

Charley’s Davidson Plum

Monsieur Truffe 58% Kakadu Plum, Davidson Plum and Doris Plum

Elements White Chocolate with Davidson Plum

Cailo 70% Pepperberry

Monsieur 46% Truffe Pepperberry

An extra shout out to Sue Lewis in Perth, an incredibly talented chocolatier who makes dangerously addictive truffles infused with native ingredients including lemon myrtle, raspberry and finger limes, local honey and wattle seed, among others.

This Week’s Hot Chocolate News

Where different emotions are felt in the body

French chocolatier Cyril Lignac's hot chocolate recipe

Small kindnesses have more of an effect on people than we think (and the study used hot chocolate as the "kindness"…hence the link)

Spirits that pair well with hot chocolate

What’s with the continued obsession to review and rank bad cocoa powders?

Cacao Origin Relationship Transparency in the Specialty Chocolate Industry

I strongly disagree with this list of best hot chocolates in Houston….where’s Cocoa and Cardamon?

Smeg has a hot chocolate maker…Merry Christmas to me!

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Giselle

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

Vanilla has a mixed reputation when it comes to chocolate. Native records suggest that vanilla was added as a flavour in chocolate in Mesoamerica. Today, it is most often added to lower quality chocolate. The reason is that vanilla has an interesting effect on chocolate. It smooths over some (often undesirable) flavours but it can also intensify other more desirable ones too. This is why you will find vanilla added in as an ingredient in most chocolate you buy at the supermarket but hardly ever in fine chocolate.

Consumers are used to tasting vanilla but most of the time what they are tasting isn’t real vanilla but synthetics. Real vanilla is more expensive, more time consuming to make, and more delicious. It originated in Mexico. According to the legend, vanilla, which is a type of climbing orchid, was born when princess Zanat fled to the forest with her lover after her father forbid them from marrying. There they were captured and beheaded, and the vanilla vine grew where their blood had touched the ground. Today it is grown in many countries around the world including in Australia.

I wanted to learn more about vanilla, so I contacted George and Josette Gonthier from Daintree Vanilla & Spice who have a farm in the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Listed Daintree Rainforest. George is a storyteller and over a cup of tea and some cakes we listen attentively.

Read more here

What to do in the Daintree

• Immerse yourself in the Daintree Rainforest

• Go looking for cassowaries, a large bird that looks like a dinosaur and that is deadly. The Dubuji boardwalk is a great place to spot them

• You must must must take the Cape Trib Farm Fruit Tasting Tour

• Taste the best ice cream you will ever have at Daintree Ice Cream

• Spend a day on the Great Barrier Reef with Ocean Safari

• Camp where two UNESCO World Heritage Sites meet at Noah’s Beach

This Week’s Hot Chocolate News

I’m off to Paris and planning to try all of these hot chocolates (ok, maybe not all…lots)

I’ve been reading Le Livre Du Chocolat published by Flammarion. Beautiful book.

Coles and Yumi’s have just release hummus with chocolate and hazelnuts…just because

Cocoa and chocolate companies agree to share farmer data with Invorian and Ghanian authorities to further traceability

Quality Street is changing their brightly coloured plastic wrappers after 86 years to a more environmentally friendly option

Mars just released its Cocoa for Generations report about its sustainability focused activities.

A guide on what to do with cocoa nibs

The hunt is on for New Zealand’s best chocolate

I found this article on temporarily rebranding a chocolate company with a Maori name in New Zealand interesting.

I so want to try this Attica x Koko Black Chocolate Degustation (its $449 so I probably won’t be sadly)

Thanks for following and have a great week!

Giselle

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