Go to The Chocolate Life. All updating of this web site has been suspended as of March 23, 2008. Please do not register on this site. Instead, please visit The Chocolate Life and join there.

Why?

I started publishing www.chocophile.com in May 2001 using Userland Frontier and in 2004 switched to ExpressionEngine. In 2007, with the release of my book, Discover Chocolate, I decided to completely re-vamp the web site to take advantage of new software tools that had been developed. In part this was because the site had accumulated so much cruft that re-engineering it with the same software was a task I dreaded. So I switched to a piece of software called B2Evolution, which powers what you are reading now.

Shortly after Discover Chocolate was released I noticed that there had been phenomenal growth in the number of people blogging about chocolate. Never to be one content to be just one of a crowd (I have consistently been at or near the bleeding edge of many new waves of technology for over 20 years - and was one of the pioneers of the genre of serious critical writing about chocolate), I decided that it was time to head off in another direction. After almost 7 years, I decided to stop blogging about chocolate.

This does not mean that I am going to disappear. Instead, I have started a social network just for chocolate fans: The Chocolate Life. TheChocolateLife.com is a lot like Facebook and MySpace in many ways - it has most of the same basic functionality of those sites. There are two key differences however:

• The only people who are members are chocolate fans; and
• The only subject of discussion is chocolate.

The problem (for me, anyway) with both Facebook and MySpace is that there are waaaaay too many people who care little or nothing about what interests me - chocolate. I started a chocolate group on Facebook but in the end, I got totally disgusted with FunWall and all these other apps that were cluttering my page (and my inbox and my mailbox) with all this content about other people or that other people found interesting. But I didn’t.

So that’s why I started The Chocolate Life. I wanted to create a “safe” place for chocophiles - and aspiring chocophiles - to learn about chocolate and to share their knowledge and experiences. And not just from me, but from every other member, too. One thing I am adamant about is that I do not tolerate spamming the group and I do what I can to keep unwanted commercial interests out. Other than that, members are free to talk about whatever interests them (as long as there is a connection with chocolate) and they are able to promote their businesses on their own personal pages (each member has a “My Page") and by posting photos and videos.

So I encourage you to read what’s here (though most of it is being transferred over to TheChocolateLife). However, I urge you NOT to register to become a member here. Instead, go to The Chocolate Life and register there.

:: Clay

Front cover shot.

Discover Chocolate "… opens a world that extends far beyond cookbooks and coffee-table books that feature assorted gooey shots. Yes, this primer is packed with more than a hundred gorgeous photographs of chocolate and truffles, but it is also a guide that includes a handy rating system, a field guide for discerning among different types and styles of chocolates, an overview of how cacao becomes chocolate (including maps of where cacao is grown), advice for pairing chocolate and wine, and, perhaps most important of all, how and where to shop for the best chocolate in the world.”

Read more! »

The past two years have witnessed the start of a new era in chocolate making – the rise of the artisan chocolate maker. Spurred on by the success of Scharffen Berger but driven by very different urges and pursuing very different goals, a small group has emerged that is leading this new wave. I call them The Young Turks of the emergent American Craft Chocolate movement and – for the first (and maybe the last) time anywhere – you can purchase bars from each of them to really get a taste of the vibrant and exciting future of American Craft Chocolate.

The Young Turks sampler – in an edition limited to 99 sets - consists of four bars:

• Madagascar from Art Pollard (Amano Chocolate, Orem UT)
• Soconusco from Shawn Askinosie (Askinosie Chocolate, Sprinfield, MO)
• Costa Rica from Steve DeVries (DeVries Chocolate, Denver, CO)
• Madagascar from Alan McClure (Patric Chocolate, Colombia, MO)

While bars from Amano, Askinosie, and Patric can be found on their web sites and on other web sites and in specialty retailers, this is the first time that Steve DeVries has allowed anyone else to sell his chocolate.

All of these chocolatiers use small-batch production equipment but each has his own techniques. Included with the sampler will be an introduction to each of the four personalities and processes behind the chocolate. Tasting notes are also included.

The perfect gift for any chocophile.

$40 each, limit of 3 per customer billing address.

Pre-order yours today! Orders will be fulfilled on a strict first-come, first-served basis until they run out.

Where in ISRAEL can I buy RAW unfermented & unroasted cocao beans or powder for health reasons? Any chocolate bars to above specs sold in Israel?
Is there any limit to consumption?
Any downside warnings.
What is IDEAL DAILY CONSUMPTION?
Any other advice/ suggestions?
Many many THANKS in advance.

Any ideas where to find matcha tea? Our oriental supermarket and local health food stores don’t seem to have it.
Online resoure?

The majority of the growth in the premium chocolate business in the US over the past several years has come as a result of an increase in interest in artisan confections. This has led to dramatic growth in the number of artisan chocolatiers capable of commanding premium prices for their goods.

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In early December I gave a talk in Google’s New York office. The talk was part of a regular series of talks by authors and chefs.

Click on the headline above or here to view the video on youtube.com. The video will start playing automatically.

Let me know what you think! Comments are disabled on youtube.com but you can make them here.

Swiss open $20 million factory in move to capture Asian palate.

Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut opened a $20 million factory in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou on Wednesday, a move aimed at capturing the growing regional taste for chocolate and other sweets – by supplying chocolate and production facilities to brand manufacturers.

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New research suggests that regular consumption of chocolate may weaken bone density and strength, which in turn could increase the risk of health problems such as osteoporosis and fracture.

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MARCH

The Fourth Annual Oregon Chocolate Festival will be held in Ashland, OR March 7-9 at the Ashland Springs Hotel. For more information about the festival and to learn about special hotel packages, visit the festival web site.

FEBRUARY

The Fifth Annual American Heritage Chocolate® Celebration will be held February 9th, 2008, in Deerfield, MA.

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March

Attend the Austin Chocolate Festival March 8-9, 2008.

Join The Fat Turkey Chocolate Company and Arthur Murray Dance Studio in the fight against Breast Cancer at the 3rd Annual Austin Chocolate Festival March 8th - 9th 2008 benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

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As an unabashed technologist, I love looking at new Internet publishing tools as I am always looking for the Holy Grail - fully functional and really easy to use. Normally you have to compromise one for the other.

I ran across a new tool recently that has to be the easiest blogging tool in the world. It succeeds by not trying to be too fancy. It’s got an easy-to-use user interface and is surprisingly powerful.

Read more! »

In conjunction with the Chocolate Lovers Travel Club I am leading a trip to Cotton Tree Lodge May 22-29, 2008. The trip coincides with the 2nd Annual Toledo Cacao Festival.

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Einstein realized that the speed of light was one of the defining measures of the Universe. We don’t however, know his thoughts about chocolate or whether or not be used it to help him calculate the speed of light. You can however, in your kitchen, with just a few simple tools and a bar of chocolate.

Read more! »

Here is a collection of videos on chocolate tempering (as well as some unrelated stuff) that I found.

If you know of any on-line training resources I am sure that readers would appreciate your sharing them with everyone as a comment.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 20, 2007— Charlemagne Chocolatiers of Belgium is voluntarily recalling its dark chocolate organic bars currently on the US market, because it may contain undeclared milk protein. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. Charlemagne Organic Bars are distributed in the US by Belgium’s Best Chocolates, Inc. and were shipped to retail stores in the following states: MI, CA, NJ, NY and MA. Approximately 5000 units of dark Charlemagne organic chocolate bars were distributed. The following chocolate bars are affected:

• Charlemagne Dark with Coffee 50 gr.(1.75 oz.) (UPC= 5 425001 204038)
• Charlemagne Dark with Cinnamon 50 gr.(1.75 oz.) (UPC= 5 425001 204052)
• Charlemagne Dark with Orange 50 gr.(1.75 oz.) (UPC= 5 425001 204021)
• Charlemagne Dark with Green tea 50 gr.(1.75 oz.) (UPC= 5 425001 204014)

Click on the headline to read the full FDA press release.

Intro
Charles Chocolates founder Chuck Siegel is not new to the chocolate business. In fact, he started his first chocolate business some 20 years ago in the San Francisco Bay area. That business, Attivo Confections, is credited with the creation of the giant chocolate and caramel covered apple and first gourmet s’more, among other reinterpretations of childhood favorites.

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I was in one of my local CostCos (I am “blessed” to live near two) on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and I wandered down an aisle I normally don’t and saw not only packages of Hershey Cacao Reserve tasting squares but also boxes of Neuhaus chocolates.

I did a double-take. Neuhaus. At CostCo. And I wondered …

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Monet’s Palate is a documentary of Claude Monet, a founder of Impressionist painting. His passions extended far beyond water lillies - he was also known as a gourmand who required guests invited to his home for lunch to bring recipes to share.

Monet’s Palate is also a collection of 24 palet-style chocolates comprising 8 flavors from Chocolates A La Carte, a 21-year old company known best for private-label products found in resorts, hotels, country clubs, cruise ships, and restaurants around the world.

Read more! »