2019 NW Chocolate Fest
Photo by Val

2019 NW Chocolate Fest
Photo by Val

2019 NW Chocolate Fest
Photo by Val

Preparation:

This week I watched:
Anatomy of a Scene prompt:  A Star is Born
Cacao Farmers Taste Chocolate for the First Time
Cacao-Trace : Agroforestry explained
Preserving Criollo Cocoa with Agroforestry
Downtown Business Owners and COVID: Encore and Well 80
This week I read:
SW’s 12.1 PPT images re: the terroir of chocolate
https://chocolateclass.wordpress.com/2016/02/19/basic-botany-theobroma-cacao/
https://www.lumina-intelligence.com/blog/sustainability/cocoa-farming-deforestation-and-agroforestry/
https://readcacao.com/blog/what-is-cacao-agroforestry/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13593-016-0406-6
American Terroir,  “The Blood of the Gods”
The Cooking Gene: ch 17-18

#9a Tasting Lab: Chocolate

Photo by Val

Maker: Askinosie
Name: 34% White Chocolate Nibble Bar
Price: $10.50
Date Sampled: 12/2/2020
Single-origin: Davao, Philippines
Inclusion. FLAVORS: Goats milk and roasted cocoa nibs
Sight:
• What color is it? Light Tan
• Darker or Lighter than you expected? Darker than expected
Smell:
• Can you identify any aromas in the chocolate? Buttersctoch
Sound:
• When you snap the chocolate, is it Crisp or Mellow? High-Pitched or Low? Light snap
Taste and Texture:
• Can you identify any particular flavors? Brown sugar, coffee, nutty
• Does the chocolate have a Clean Finish or does Flavor Linger? Clean finish
• Is the texture Smooth or Grainy? Smooth
Overall Impression:
• Do you like this chocolate? Yes, greatly enjoyed
• Why or why not? Was not bitter, but had that nice chocolate taste from the cocoa nibs
• What effect did seeing the packaging have, or not have, on your overall impression? I liked seeing the cocoa farmer on the packaging
• Would you eat it again? Y/N Yes
• Would you buy it? Y/N Yes
• Rating: * * * * *

Maker: Manoa
Name: 70% HAWAII ISLAND BAR
Price: $12
Date Sampled: 12/2/2020
Single-origin: Kona and Hilo regions of Hawaii Island
Sight:
• What color is it? Dark brown
• Darker or Lighter than you expected? About what I expected
Smell:
• Can you identify any aromas in the chocolate? Nutty coffee
Sound:
• When you snap the chocolate, is it Crisp or Mellow? High-Pitched or Low? Medium snap
Taste and Texture:
• Can you identify any particular flavors? Dark fruit, cherry, raisin, coffee, nutty
• Does the chocolate have a Clean Finish or does Flavor Linger? Slight flavor linger
• Is the texture Smooth or Grainy? Smooth
Overall Impression:
• Do you like this chocolate? Yes, greatly enjoyed
• Why or why not? Was not bitter and had great flavors
• Would you eat it again? Y/N Yes
• Would you buy it? Y/N Yes
• Rating: * * * * *

Maker: Ranger
Name: 80% Chulucanas, Peru
Price: $10
Date Sampled: 12/2/2020
Single-origin: Chulucanas, Peru
Sight:
• What color is it? Dark brown
• Darker or Lighter than you expected? About what I expected
Smell:
• Can you identify any aromas in the chocolate? Caramel, earthy
Sound:
• When you snap the chocolate, is it Crisp or Mellow? High-Pitched or Low? Loud snap
Taste and Texture:
• Can you identify any particular flavors? Fruity, earthy, nutty, bitter
• Does the chocolate have a Clean Finish or does Flavor Linger? Acidic, tannin flavor lingers
• Is the texture Smooth or Grainy? Smooth
Overall Impression:
• Do you like this chocolate? No
• Why or why not? To bitter for me, stung the back of my checks
• Would you eat it again? Y/N No
• Would you buy it? Y/N No
• Rating: *

Maker: K’ul
Name: 70% Espresso & Cacao Nibs
Price: $5.50
Date Sampled: 12/2/2020
Inclusion. Espresso & Cacao Nibs
Sight:
• What color is it? Dark brown
• Darker or Lighter than you expected? About what I expected
Smell:
• Can you identify any aromas in the chocolate? espresso
Sound:
• When you snap the chocolate, is it Crisp or Mellow? High-Pitched or Low? Loud snap
Taste and Texture:
• Can you identify any particular flavors? Coffee, earthy
• Does the chocolate have a Clean Finish or does Flavor Linger? flavor lingers
• Is the texture Smooth or Grainy? Kinda Smooth
Overall Impression:
• Do you like this chocolate? No
• Why or why not? To bitter for me with the espresso
• What effect did seeing the packaging have, or not have, on your overall impression? I liked seeing the cocoa farmer on the packaging
• Would you eat it again? Y/N no
• Would you buy it? Y/N no
• Rating: * *

Maker: Marou
Name: 100%
Date Sampled: 12/2/2020
Single-origin: South Vietnam
Sight:
• What color is it? Medium brown
• Darker or Lighter than you expected? Lighter than expected
Smell:
• Can you identify any aromas in the chocolate? Coffee nutty sweet
Sound:
• When you snap the chocolate, is it Crisp or Mellow? High-Pitched or Low? Loud snap
Taste and Texture:
• Can you identify any particular flavors? Butter, sour, tangy, grassy, burnt
• Does the chocolate have a Clean Finish or does Flavor Linger? slight linger
• Is the texture Smooth or Grainy? Smooth
Overall Impression:
• Do you like this chocolate? No
• Why or why not? Too much tannin and acidity
• Would you eat it again? Y/N no
• Would you buy it? Y/N no
• Rating: *

The center of origin has high genetic variations.
Even, slow drying time helps with volatile flavor compounds.
The maillard reaction- browning of protein during cooking.
White chocolate should not be white, it should be tan or yellow otherwise it has little to no cocoa butter.
Cocoa agroforestry systems do not increase pest and disease incidence compared with monocultures under good cultural management practices.
Increasing space between cocoa tress with other plants helps reduce the susceptibility between cocoa trees for pest and disease.
Added trees bring shade and also insects that protect from bad insects. Other plants and trees can help the soil and nitrogen fixation.
Timber trees- can be sold
Fruit trees and plants- food security and can be sold
Timber trees, fruit trees, banana, plantains, papaya, coconut, rubber tree, chilies, cashew trees, oil palm, tropical spices

#9b: Foodoir: Your Story of Tasting Place

“Our food was never just food.” Page 365
-Michael Twitty

Trigger warning
It was not until I found the right therapist and actually dealt with my trauma that I finally felt comfortable trying new foods. For over 20 some years of my life I was unknowingly bound to my past. Looking back on things, I now understand why my parents said I was the cheapest date. I only ate chicken strips, grilled cheese, fries, cheese curds, and pasta. I rarely ventured beyond those. I had horrible problems with mouth feel and texture. I can specifically remember as a young child eating meat and gagging, even on things that I used to eat. My mom tells me that I would chew things up and just keep them stuffed in my checks and hours later she would find me still with it in my checks. Its hard to believe that childhood molestation can keep hold of your life in such ways.