Chocolate Landscape 2015
Next year marks the 10th anniversary of craft chocolate. In this time the industry has grown and changed with no signs of stopping. When I started working in the industry in 2012, I was able to record a modest growth rate of 12% domestically and 6% internationally by tracking new chocolate-makers over time. This was a key part of my job because I was working with a cocoa distributor and had to reach out to new makers. Since I left the industry in 2014, it is obvious that these growth rates have likely tripled (hypothetical). While I am thrilled to see a booming young industry, just getting on its feet, there are a lot of apprehensions with the lack of standardized science among the community. We need more set variable among chocolate making. Many of the uncontrollable variables come from differences in equipment, the different origin of beans used and the different goals for the chocolate-maker. For example, Taza is a giant within the Craft Chocolate world, but the way they produce their chocolate is in the ancient mexican tradition. Since they stone-grind their beans, the end chocolate has a much grittier texture which can conflate sensory perceptions if comparing a Taza DR bar to a DR bar created in the european tradition. A good place to start when wading into this entirely delicious landscape is at a local chocolate shop that has a curated selection of craft chocolate. I know these days you can find different makers in Whole Foods and even Target from time to time, but I promise you, the information you seek is not there. When I lived in Portland I was lucky enough to have two shops that I trusted and frequented regularly, The Meadow and Cacao. Again in Palo Alto, Sunita is there with her Chocolate Garage, and is so educated on the industry. It is easier to gain cross-referencing information between makers from the chocolate curators than it is to research and try to ascertain the information from the makers themselves, because even if you are asking the right questions about production methods, percentage cocoa and equipment used, unless you can physically visit the factories to compare the production set-up side-by-side there will always be some variables escaping you.
As an educated lover of chocolate, I find myself baffled at times when approaching new brands or thinking about how to lay out a critical tasting table comparing bars between makers and origin. One of my current projects is leading a craft chocolate tasting and education forum for avid members of the coffee community. I have found that stepping back to the basics and running them through a lineup of darkest to lightest chocolate is helpful to get their minds turning in the right direction, but I also want to put chocolate on the table that they are familiar with. Chocolate to the american consumer can be a very personally rewarding relationship and for most people when you start adding $10+ bars on the table it can create an immediately alienating atmosphere. It’s better to work up to the higher end slowly, and I think the Wine and Coffee industries have done a good job at setting a tone like that.
Another good avenue for learning and tasting new chocolates is go to the factories. Go in with a critical eye and treat it like wine tasting. After the tour compare similarities and differences between the approaches and processes. I know my ideal tour of the United States is factory hopping all around the country. So far I can mark Portland circa 2014, Raleigh NC, Boston, Seattle and San Francisco off my list. Additionally, there are some craft chocolate online clubs popping up, like Cocoarunners for example, has a good sampling of craft chocolate and their options of clubs is fun. I certainly hope to see more of these cropping up, and I plan to start my own chocolate- tasting and monthly- club service as I get deeper into my education forums. On that note, I have San Francisco chocolate stores to check out! I’m always happy to continue these conversations so please contact me with any questions!
All my chocolate-y love,
Anjuli