“Chocolate Tasting” feat. Heinde & Verre

Episode 81 of #PodSaveChocolate features live tastings of chocolate from four makers: Heinde & Verre, Tosier, Pump Street, and a new maker working in Côte d’Ivoire. I will also share some observations about another Pump Street bar and one from Omnom.

Episode 81 Overview

In this episode of PodSaveChocolate I will taste and share my impressions on most of the Heinde & Verre bars (I won’t guarantee that I can get to all fifteen), the remaining Pump Street bar, the Tosier bar, as well as share my thoughts about the Omnom and Pump Street Sourdough bars I finished off. ...

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November News & AMA

Episode 80 of #PodSaveChocolate is the November All the (Chocolate) News That’s Fit to Eat and AMA – Ask me Anything (about Cocoa and Chocolate) episode.

Episode 80 Overview

Every month here on #PodSaveChocolate we take a break to look at the chocolate news you need to know. The floor is open for LIVE participants to ask questions – AMA – about cocoa and chocolate.

One focus of each month’s news is the current state of cocoa markets. This month I will be talking about what I learned on my recent trip to Brussels when it comes to chocolate flavor and my continuing pursuit of answers to the question, “Why Belgium?” ...

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Random Chocolate Stuff

Episode 79 of #PodSaveChocolate showcases the first in a new irregular topical series loosely inspired by Colbert’s “Meanwhile...” segments – #randumb stuff and all that.

Episode 79 Overview

Notes go here

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Rowan Jacobsen’s Wild Chocolate

Episode 78 of #PodSaveChocolate is an interview with Rowan Jacobsen about his new book, “Wild Chocolate: Across the Americas in Search of Cacao’s Soul.”

Episode 78 Overview

I first crossed paths with Rowan back in 2008 when our books were finalists in the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ Book Awards. (Spoiler alert: Neither of us carried our category – Technical/Reference.)

I was in Bolivia twice in 2010, first in January and then in November. While our paths did not cross that year, an article Rowan wrote on the wild cacao – cacao silvestre – of the Bolivian Amazon was published that same year ...

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October News & AMA

Episode 77 of #PodSaveChocolate is the October All the (Chocolate) News That’s Fit to Eat and AMA – Ask me Anything (about Cocoa and Chocolate) episode.

Episode 77 Overview

Every month here on #PodSaveChocolate we take a break to look at the chocolate news you need to know. The floor is open for LIVE participants to ask questions – AMA – about cocoa and chocolate.

The focus of this month’s news will be on the current state of cocoa markets an update on the status of the EUDR – PLUS a heavy metal lawsuit, a new study on consumer preferences, and the impact of AI on flavor trends in confectionery. If there is time for more stories, we’ll get to those. ...

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How Chocolate Gets Its Flavors On

Episode 76 of #PodSaveChocolate is the final episode in my series leading up to the BSF Flavour symposium at the end of the month. In this episode, I tie together the threads of recent episodes around this topic together and explain How Chocolate Gets Its Taste.

Episode 76 Overview

In this episode, I will continue my exploration of topics that will go into my presentation at the 2024 Annual Symposium of the British Society of Flavourists on Friday, October 25th – and this will, most likely, be the final episode in this series. ...

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On Being More-ish

Episode 75 of #PodSaveChocolate is a discussion of The Bliss Point and The Five Gestalt Principles of Perceptual Organization: What they mean for chocolate, chocolate confectionery, and why you need to be aware of them – and shouldn’t be afraid to embrace and make Moreish products.

Episode 75 Overview

In this episode, I will be discussing several related topics:

  1. The Bliss Point
  2. The Five Gestalt Principles of Perceptual Organization

... and how they relate to the making and business of chocolate, chocolate confectionery, and bakery items made with chocolate. This episode is part of my exploration of chocolate in preparation for my presentation at the 2024 Annual Symposium of the British Society of Flavourists, which is happening on Friday, October 25th.

If you’re making chocolate and items that have chocolate as an ingredient, knowing about these topics is critical to making products your customers want to buy – over and over again. ...

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Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival Preview

Episode 74 of #PodSaveChocolate is a preview of the inaugural Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival to be held on November 22nd and 23rd in Rushville, Indiana. My guest for this episode will be festival founder and organizer Dustin Cornett, the founder of the Craft Chocolat Challenge.

Episode 74 Overview

In this episode, Dustin and I will discuss the genesis of the festival, its role in growing awareness of craft chocolate in the Midwest, strengthening the craft chocolate community in the region ... and

Oh, and we’ll also discuss who will be exhibiting; who will be speaking; why Rushville; how to reach out to Dustin if you want to sponsor, exhibit, speak, or otherwise participate in the festival; and more. ...

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Defining Specialty

Episode 73 of #PodSaveChocolate is a continuation of the exploration of fine, craft, artisan, specialty, and other terms and phrases used in cocoa and chocolate today.

Episode 73 Overview

When two or more people use the same words but ascribe different meanings to them, they often talk past each other, and accepting and using different meanings can lead to acting on those meanings differently – with potentially serious consequences.

One example is the use of the word “fair” in terms like “fair trade.” What does fair mean? Who gets to decide what’s fair?

A recent back-and-forth in the /r/chocolate subreddit reinforced (at least to me) the need to be clear and precise about the language we use. ...

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Getting Creative With Chocolate

Episode 72 of #PodSaveChocolate is an exploration of my creative process through the lens of classic, modern, and even a viral Internet recipe that all have one thing in common – chocolate as an ingredient.

Episode 72 Overview

When I talk with people who describe themselves as bean-to-bar chocolate makers, one of my conversational gambits is to get them to think of themselves as chocolate makers and then ask them to ask themselves, “What can I make with the chocolate I make?” I have talked about this extensively in episodes of PodSaveChocolate and TheChocolateLifeLIVE.

When I approach using chocolate as an ingredient in pastry and baking as well as more generally in a culinary context I use a variety of techniques to rethink how chocolate (and cocoa powder) can be used – reimagining the end product. ...

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© Clay Gordon/TheChocolateLife