10 Tips for Keeping Chocolate Fresh

HOW TO STORE FINE CHOCOLATE

We finished with Valentine’s not long ago and although most of you have polished off the last bits of your bounty by now, I know there are few of you out there that want to savor your chocolate over weeks or even months.  Or maybe you are building yourself a fine chocolate collection in the way that some people collect wine.  Either way, you’re in luck because chocolate bars can last several years when stored properly.  Years?  I know, I know, chocolate doesn’t last but a couple of days in your home, but keep in mind that chocolate can become a mess in a matter  of days if kept poorly.

So what do you need to know to preserve the best flavor and texture of your bars?  There are three main enemies of chocolate:

• Heat
• Humidity
• Strong odors

You could add sunlight, but this is rarely an issue.  If you want to defeat the enemies of chocolate, just follow these ten tips:

Some completely abused and bloomed bars. My wife bought these on a summer road trip as a surprise for me and accidently left them in the hot car. Although these bars were beyond edible (I tried), your chocolate won't even come close to this disaster state if you follow a few simple rules.

1.  Store your chocolate bars between about 60 and 65°F (about 16 – 18ºC).  Heat will slowly drive away aroma and then flavor.  In the extreme, you’ll get melting which can wreck the texture besides disturbing any art that’s molded into the bar.  A fat bloom can also develop as a whitish haze on the surface of the bar that, while unpleasant looking, won’t hurt you at all.  Bloomed chocolate may have poor texture, but more importantly, bloom is an indicator of poor storage.  What to do with a hazy bloomed bar?  Just taste it and see.  Rarely will you want to through it away.  If it seems sub-par, but still edible, it can be used for baking, put into your oatmeal or crumbled on dessert.

Storing chocolate under too cold conditions may disturb the crystalline structure of the chocolate and affect texture, cause bloom, or both.  Chocolate makers take great care to create a bar where the cocoa butter and cocoa solids are intimately mixed.  Extremes of temperature can undo this hard work.  Still, I would worry less about cold than heat.

Now these are ideal conditions.  Your chocolate is not going to suddenly turn to junk at 66ºF, so don’t stress out.  Choose one of the storage methods in Tips 7 – 10 and your chocolate will stay smooth and potent.

2.   Store chocolate in a dry place.   Ideally, the relative humidity should be below 50%.  Excess moisture can condense on the bar and draw out the sugar onto the surface.  A sugar bloom, like a fat bloom, won’t hurt you and simply disturbs the texture.  Again, give it a taste to decide its fate – eat it, mix it or toss it.

3.   Keep chocolate out of direct sunlight.  Not only will it heat up the chocolate, but sunlight will also degrade flavors.

4.  Avoid strong odors.  Thou shalt not keep chocolate in your refrigerator next to the garlic and kimchee.  Chocolate absorbs strong odors like sponge.  Also keep flavored bars such as mint, coffee or Theo’s Chai Tea chocolate in a separate box away from your plain chocolate and everything will taste as it should.

5.  Have no fear of the “best by” date.  Here’s a confusing little secret of the chocolate industry:  they put “best by” dates on the bars because packaging laws say they have to, but the dates are somewhat arbitrary.  Some chocolate makers are at a loss as to what date to use, so they basically copy the other guy.  Food needs moisture to grow bacteria and go bad.  Chocolate contains very little moisture and most of the moisture it has is bound up with sugar.  So, chocolate doesn’t really go “bad” in the sense that it can make you sick when it gets old.  Does the sugar in your sugar bowl ever go bad? No.  What does happen is that the fats in the cocoa butter break down under the influence of heat, light and oxygen causing off flavors to develop [3].

With properly stored chocolate bars, nothing much happens except some flavor and aroma slowly, very slowly, go away.  Even milk chocolate bars are very stable since they contain milk solids with very low moisture [1].  Yes, the fresher, the better, but if you discover something that’s out of date, your tongue will tell you if it’s worth eating or not.  Give it a taste test.

6.  Keep chocolate out of reach of dogs.  For some dogs, chocolate acts as a powerful stimulant and they can have a heart attack.  The reaction will depend upon the dog and how much they eat.  If your Chocolate Lab eats a chocolate bar, call your vet and ask what to do next.  Don’t panic.  They may be just fine – it depends upon the dog.

I discovered this Theo dark chocolate bar hiding in my stash. Although it's now 18 months out of date, with proper storage, its in good condition with no bloom. The flavor, while not the same as a new bar, is still enjoyable with floral notes and honey. I'll be keeping these.

7.  Store your chocolate in tightly sealed bags in a cooler in a dry basement.  This is how I keep most of my personal chocolate stash. Put the bars into good quality freezer bags and squeeze the air out before sealing.  Then put it all into a clean cooler or insulated box.  You should put mint and other strongly favored chocolates in their own sealed box or a separate cooler altogether.  Make sure there are no odors in the cooler or buy a new cooler for the purpose.   The basement should be reasonably dry – use a dehumidifier if needed and keep the chocolate well sealed.   No basement?  The bottom of a closet is the next best option as long as it doesn’t get too hot.  Your closet is too hot? Consider Tips 8 – 10 below.

8.  Invest in a wine cooler – This is a more expensive option, but allows you to control temperature best.  Most wine coolers  will have a temperature adjustment, so you can get it up into the 60-65°F range.  You can store wine and chocolate together, but be  sure the unit is clean and dry [2].  Wrap the bars as in Tip 7.

9.  Invest in a mini fridge and dedicate it to chocolate –  You know, the kind you find in dorm rooms.  Set it on the warmest temperature (you can check with a refrigerator thermometer).  Keep it clean and wrap the bars as in Tip 7.

10.  Wrap it up well for the fridge.  If you’ve come this far and you really must insist on putting chocolate in your refrigerator along with the rest of your food, I’m going to say OK, with a few conditions.  Put the bars into freezer bags, include a paper towel and squeeze out all the air.  Put the bags into tightly sealed food storage bins (A.K.A. “tupperware”).  As before, separate the strongly flavored bars such as mint with their own bin.  When it’s time to eat some chocolate, take out only the bag you need and allow it to warm up for 1 hour or more before opening the bag. This will prevent moisture from condensing on the chocolate [2].

ENJOYING WELL-KEPT CHOCOLATE

No matter how you store the chocolate, give it about 1 hour to warm up to room temperature before opening the bag and serving.  This will bring the flavors to life.  If you just can’t bear to wait that long, then take a square of chocolate and press it against the roof of your mouth with your tongue until it starts to melt.  Enjoy the release of flavors that ensues.  Repeat until satisfied.

Should you have any questions on keeping your chocolate well, just leave a comment.

Like this article?  Please share it!

Notes and References:

[1] We’re talking about solid bars here – not truffles or bars filled with some fruit or dairy product.  Depending upon the filling, truffles can go bad quite quickly and are capable of growing mold and all sorts of maladies.    We’ll discuss storing truffles in another post.

[2] Credit goes to Clay Gordon for the wine cooler idea.  See C. Gordon, Discover Chocolate:  The Ultimate Guide to Buying, Tasting, and Enjoying Fine Chocolate.  Gotham, 2007.

[3] Greweling, Peter ., CMB, Chocolates and Confections, Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner, 2007, Wiley.

Who on Earth Cares about Organic Chocolate?

Dark chocolate with nibs made from organically grown cacao

Organic Chocolate Explained

Chocolate is sort of an indulgence after all and not eaten in pounds per week like apples or tomatoes, so do I really need to worry about which chocolate I put into my body?  In fact, the average American eats more than 11 lbs of chocolate a year, but probably has no idea where it comes from.  Well, chocolate grows on trees, the Theobroma Cacao tree to be exact which translates into “food of the gods.”  Cacao pods (a.k.a. cocoa pods) grow on trees found almost exclusively in the “cocoa belt,” a band 20 degrees north and south of the equator.   From these pods come beans that are fermented, dried, roasted, and transformed into that smooth, luscious solid we all know and love.

No one wants harmful pesticides in their food, but the benefits of organic chocolate go well beyond the obvious.  Cacao trees are usually found in lush rain forest environments that are homes to monkeys, sloths, wild birds and other unique creatures.  The use of pesticides endangers the rich biodiversity of these eco-systems.  If that’s not bad enough, some companies will clear cut the jungle first in order to plant cacao trees in neat rows – a procedure that is completely unnecessary to grow cacao.  The canopy trees that would normally form a natural habit for jungle animals is destroyed.

Not only are rain forest animals at risk from chemical exposure, but also humans – the plantation workers.    In some cocoa growing regions such as West Africa, where most mass-market cocoa is grown, there are fewer controls on the safety of farm workers.   When companies seek the lowest cost beans from the global commodity market, they are blind to the social issues connected to their chocolate [2].

So how can you be sure you’re getting the organic stuff?  It’s easy to pick out an organic chocolate bar from the crowd:  just look for an organic seal on the label.  You’re all familiar with the USDA certified organic seal by now, but don’t forget that chocolate is an international product.  Beans grown in the cocoa belt are transformed into wonderful chocolate in countries all over the world.  With so much excellent chocolate coming from Europe, you may also see organic seals from France:  Agriculture Biologique (AB)  or EU Organic, for instance.  You can be confident that any of these seals is credible evidence that basic organic practices are followed.

The familiar USDA Organic Seal

France's organic certification seal

The new organic seal of the European Union

Some have criticized organic labeling as a marketing ploy that only larger companies can afford since the certification and associated inspections cost money.  I look at it more like UL certification for electrical appliances.  Most of us are not electric engineers and are not inclined to study circuit diagrams. We just need to know that when we touch our new TV, we’re not going to get shocked.  Organic certification leaves the details to the experts and hands us the answer in an easy to understand format.  That can’t be bad.  Besides, there are numerous examples of artisan, small-batch chocolate makers with organic certification such as Taza Chocolate, Pacari Chocolate and others.

If you wander down to the local truffle shop, things may not be as simple.  If you’re lucky enough to find an artisan making organic truffles, there’s a good chance that only some of the ingredients, say the chocolate shell, are organic.  Have a conversation with the proprietor and understand where their chocolate comes from.  Is it organic? Is it fair trade?  If you can find such a shop, you’ve got a gem since bulk organic chocolate used for making confections is in short supply in the USA.  You may have better luck finding a website that specializes in organic and fair trade.

Does organic chocolate taste as good as “conventional” chocolate?

I’ve tasted a lot of chocolate and I can tell you yes, of course it does!  The flavor of the chocolate has to do with the variety of cacao, the diligence of the farmer and the skill of the chocolate maker.    Cacao farmers using pesticides and other chemicals can get more pods from their trees and improve profit, but this won’t help the flavor of the chocolate one bit.  In fact, organic chocolates are less likely to contain ingredients that have no place in high quality chocolate such as chemical additives or vegetable oils.  These ingredients only distract from the true flavor of the bean and help the producer lower costs.

Assuming the bar is not flavored with fruits or nuts, you should see at most four ingredients in a chocolate bar:  cocoa mass (or cocoa liqueur or cocoa solids), sugar, vanilla and soy lecithin.  That’s it.  So keep it simple – look for a simple ingredients list, look for organic certification and develop a relationship with a trustworthy proprietor and you’ll do some good for yourself and the planet.

Notes:

[1]  A version of this article was originally published as an invited guest post on Ecobold.com

[2] Fair trade is an equally important and complex topic in the chocolate world.  Due to space constraints, we’ll deal with this one another time.

How Much Caffeine is in Chocolate?

Chocolate or coffee, which has more caffeine?

Chocolate contains hundreds of chemical compounds including polyphenols, powerful antioxidants thought to stave off cancer and heart disease, as well as psychoactive compounds such as theobromine, theophylline,  and caffeine.  Theobromine and theophyliline are mild stimulants that are also partly responsible for that familiar and welcome chocolate buzz.  We all know caffeine as the stimulant found in coffee that brings us clarity and energy in the morning, but how much caffeine is in chocolate compared to drinks like coffee, tea or cola?

Let’s cut to the chase right now – chocolate doesn’t contain much caffeine.  Of course, the actual amount of caffeine you get depends upon factors such as the percent cacao (cocoa), where the beans were grown, how they were processed after harvest and how much you consume as a “typical” serving.  What’s a typical serving of chocolate? That’s up to you, but for high quality dark chocolate, you need much less to feel satisfied, so I’d say 20 grams at most which is a little less than half a small bar or 1/4 of a large one.  With that in mind, here are a few facts about caffeine in chocolate:

CHOCOLATE	CAFFEINE PER SERVING	SERVING SIZE
Milk Chocolate (junk)	4 mg	20 g
Milk Chocolate 45% Cacao	16 mg	20 g
Dark Chocolate 60% Cacao	24 mg	20 g
Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao	28 mg	20 g
Hot Chocolate (typical)	9 mg	8 oz.
Hot Chocolate – Rich	24 mg	8 oz. (made with 15g of 80% cocoa)

Unless you are monitoring your daily caffeine intake for medical reasons, there is no reason to get too caught up in the numbers.  The numbers don’t say much unless you compare them to something familiar, so here are some facts for common beverages:

BEVERAGE	CAFFEINE PER SERVING	SERVING SIZE
Brewed Coffee	140 mg	8 oz.
Single Shot Espresso	63 mg	1 oz.
Decaf Coffee	9 mg	8 oz.
Black Tea	65 mg	6 oz.
Green Tea	28mg	6 oz.
Coke Classic	35 mg	12 oz.
Red Bull	78 mg	250 mL

You may be surprised to see that a shot of espresso has less caffeine than a cup of brewed coffee despite its reputation as a sort of rocket fuel for the weary.  Actually, because the water is in contact with the espresso beans for only a short time, it does not fully extract the caffeine, but pulls out all the best coffee flavors and aromas into your cup.  So where does chocolate stand next to that little cup of espresso?  To get as much caffeine as a single shot of espresso, you would need to eat about three servings of 60% dark chocolate or 4 servings of quality milk chocolate.  On the other hand, to match the caffeine kick of a cup of coffee, you’d need to down 2 entire dark chocolate bars, 3 milk chocolate bars or 6 cups of hot cocoa.

Most people shouldn’t worry one bit about the small about of caffeine in chocolate.  If you’re worried that eating chocolate at night is going to keep you awake, don’t.  Don’t worry, that is.  Like most other good things in life, chocolate is best enjoyed in moderation and moderate amounts of chocolate are not going to affect most people.  But don’t come away from this thinking that milk chocolate is the best choice since it has less caffeine!  Eat milk chocolate if that’s what you like most, but generally speaking, dark chocolate will have more of all the healthy compounds that we seek from plant-based super foods like blueberries and grape juice, not to mention, more satisfying chocolate flavor.  So, rest well knowing you are choosing a healthy artisan food.

References and Notes:

[1] The data are averages from multiple sources.

[2] Goldberger BA, Lessig MC, McCusker RR, Cone EJ, Gold MS. Evaluation of Current Caffeine Content of Coffee Beverages: Recommendations for Clinicians Regarding Caffeine Exposure. Society of Biological Psychiatry’s Annual Convention and Scientific Program 2003. San Francisco, California.

[3] Mayo Clinic - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211

[4] Wikipedia on Caffeine

[5] Center for Science in the Public Interest

[6] Amano Chocolate Blog

Five States Consider Laws to Ban Chocolate

April 1, 2011, Washington, D.C. – FPress International – In a move that threatens to undermine the spreading trend to legalize marijuana, Idaho took the lead in drafting a bill to criminalize chocolate.  The law, if passed, would place severe limits on the sale or possession of any solid or drinking chocolate in the state.  Authors of the bill cite undisputed reports in scientific journals documenting that chocolate contains a multitude of psychoactive compounds.  Among these is anandamine, a molecule also found in marijuana, albeit in much larger quantities [1,2,3].

Mildred Blancofacia (Idaho), co-author of the bill explains:  “Tolerance of hedonism in this country is out of control.   It only makes sense at this time to enforce a prohibition on chocolate in any form so that our citizens can focus more on hard work and family values.”  Some chocolate sales would still be allowed for those who have a medical need or for external use such as in spa treatments:  “We’ve made a provision in the law to allow limited chocolate sales to people with certain conditions, but only at state-run cocoa dispensaries.”

Chocolate advocacy groups are already starting to organize against the new legislation.  Mary J. Lunavahker, co-chair of Mothers For Chocolate, MoFoCho, sees the bills as regressive:  “You know the government is going to just hand out over-roasted cocoa beans diluted with vegetable oil, artificial vanilla and extra sugar.  We want our single-origin artisan chocolate and we will fight for it!  Besides, this is just a way for the states to make money taxing chocolate at a time when prices for cacao beans are going through the roof.”  Opponents of the bill also point out that chocolate is widely thought to provide broad health benefits when eaten in moderation.  Lunavahker continues: “Any move to ban it would compromise the health of our nation.”

Plans are already underway to monitor chocolate sales at the federal level.  According to Chester Wilson of the DEA, “Distribution of these substances will be strictly controlled.”  So far no violence has resulted over the issue, but federal authorities are concerned about what will happen when supply is shut off.  Wilson explains: “Idaho is a big state and most people are not going to drive to Canada or Nevada to get their fill.  We fully expect smuggling routes and mobile chocolate labs to become active within weeks.”

Four other states are expected to quickly follow suit to institute chocolate bans including Kansas and Alabama.

References:

[1] Di Tomaso, E., M. Beltramo, and D. Piomelli (1996) Brain cannabinoids in chocolate.  Nature 382:677-678.

[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11363932

[3] Nature 396, 636 (17 December 1998) | doi:10.1038/25267

Searching for Chocolate in Costa Rica: Day 4 – Cacao Trails

This guy welcomes you to the orchid garden before sending off to the cacao trees

Cacao Trails Chocolate Tour, Costa Rica

I started the day in great anticipation of doing a big chocolate tour – this one without kids.  After the babysitter was set, we zoomed up north along the well-potholed roads to the Cacao Trails Chocolate Factory and Cultural Museum.  Only 15 minutes from the beach, it’s an easy drive from Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.  If you don’t have a car you can still get there on an arranged tour.  Ask your hotel or innkeeper for details.

Starting in a tropical garden

We lucked out and had an almost private tour with a Swiss couple joining us part way.  The guide led us through the bright, but comfortable Caribbean sun down a trail through an orchid garden, traditional medicine garden, banana trees and cacao trees.  Costa Rica is home to over 1000 different species of orchids and someone had spent time planting 25 or so of them in this garden.  Stepping into the traditional medicine garden we were shown the infamous noni fruit, respected by locals for it’s curative powers, but infamous for its odor.  One quick whiff and I realized it’s the only thing I’ve smelled outside of China that’s reminiscent of stinky tofu.  After a quick look at how sugar was extracted from cane back in the day, we found our way to the cacao trees.

The Return of Chocolate to the Caribbean Coast

In the old plantation where Molina has taken hold, the trees thrive while the pods rot before maturing.

Sometime in the late 70s, cacao farming was decimated by the Monila fungus bringing the chocolate industry on the Caribbean coast to a screeching halt.  Some cacao farming continued in the mountains, but the moist air by the sea allowed the fungus to flourish.  Eventually these cacao plantations were replaced by bananas, an irony since cacao had itself replaced bananas in the 1920′s when Panama disease killed off the banana trees.

These hybrid pods are thriving and will ripen to maturity

Much to our delight, the folk at Cacao Trails have been experimenting with hybrids of different cacao species – trinitario, criollo and forestero, and have found a blend that’s disease resistant.  We were able to walk among healthy cacao trees with growing pods of different colors.  We also strolled past the old plantation, the oldest on the coast, and saw the live cacao trees, decades old, with rotting fruit affected by Monila.  It was still great to see the beauty of a cacao farm that is lost on many people – that the trees can grow in the shad of the rain forest, allowing all the tropical birds, monkeys and sloths to thrive in their natural environment.  Unlike banana plantations which require clear cutting before planting, cacao, and hence chocolate, is an environmentally friendly food if cultivated properly.  It’s wonderful to see a slow revitalization of the cacao industry in Costa Rica as interest in premium and organic chocolate has spiked in recent years.

Making Chocolate by Hand

Genevieve

grinds

beans

The most fun came when we helped out with chocolate making the traditional way.  Now, “traditional” is in the eye of the beholder.  While the afro-Caribbean way would be to grind the roasted beans in something that looks like a meat grinder and then mix it up in a drink with water, we made some kind of a cross between this old way and a rustic European style.  After the beans were roasted over a charcoal fire, they are peeled and put through the hand grinder.  This pure cocoa, which is oozing with cocoa butter, is mixed with  raw sugar, vanilla, rum and dried milk using the back of a spoon and a lot of elbow grease.  Finally, the mixture is flattened out into a cake on a wooden cutting board and cut up into pieces for us to eat.

Finished chocolate ready to eat

This was one of my favorite chocolates of the trip because I knew it was made fresh – right in front of me – and because it felt more like I was eating a food than a candy - with all its luscious cocoa fat, a bit of smokiness, and chewy-crunchy texture.  The guide told us we could have as much as we wanted…and we did.  The tour ends with a parting gift – a couple of rum-flavored truffles made from their hand-ground chocolate.

Back home now with sunburns healed and all of our chocolate from Costa Rica eaten, I’m going to raid my stash for some Theo Chocolate single-origin Costa Rica bars and see what kind of memories it brings back.

For basic information about this tour  including cost and driving directions, see this summary of chocolate tours in the area.

Notes:

[1] The standard tour includes an indigenous peoples museum, but we were short on time, so we skipped it.

[2] I paid for the tour and all chocolate myself.

The Top 5 Incredible Disappearing Holiday Gifts for 2010

It seems like just yesterday when I published last year’s guide to Incredible disappearing holiday gifts. With this year’s new list of five gift ideas, I’ve once again sought to free us from the burden that inevitably comes with the holidays: more and more stuff in our lives.  Spending money is great if you have it, but there is a hidden cost in that we sometimes confuse having stuff with living.  While some stuff can enrich your life, most stuff will only entertain you or distract you temporarily and fails to add anything really meaningful to your existence.  When all is said and done,  you end with a lot of stuff to take care of – things to store, clean, repair, resell, lock up, protect and eventually, throw away.  So please, let’s spend money, but let’s spend at least some of it on more enriching gifts that leave no burden.

This year, I’ve added a new twist by raising the bar.  For a gift to make the list, it must meet three criteria:

1)      Create experiences. It’s all about replacing stuff with experiences.  The best experiences bring family and friends together and ideally, they enrich your life in some way – through learning, giving back, or creating new and deeper relationships.  Now that’s a memorable gift.

2)      Do good. The gift must do some good.  Sounds lofty, sure, but the emphasis is on some.

3)      Disappear.  The gift must disappear in some way.  It must not leave behind burden, excessive waste, or otherwise make a pest of itself.

Since the bar has been raised and I’ve got a self-imposed deadline, the list is a shorter this year, which should make your decision easier.

2010′s Top 5 Incredible Disappearing Gift Ideas

1) The Gift Card that Keeps on Giving – Kiva.org

This is my favorite microloan site, a place where you can grant interest-free loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries around the world and even those struggling to get ahead right here at home.  It’s simple to use – just view profiles of the entrepreneurs online and decide who you want to loan to.  I’ve done over 25 loans in the last few years and it takes no time at all.  As the loan is repaid, you can loan it out again.

The experience:  Unlike when you donate some money to charity in someone else’s name, with the Kiva gift card, the recipient will need to get involved.  They will experience the satisfaction of choosing the people to receive the loans.  Who knows, if they are turned on by the experience, they may make it a habit and kick in some of their own money in the future.  Either way, the experience will be perpetual if they decide to re-loan the money again and again.

The good:  when people in developing nations are provided the resources to help themselves, the whole world benefits by becoming  a better and safer place.  Kiva connects with people that have the energy and the motivation to create value for themselves.  This is an incredible opportunity to leverage what is a small amount of money for us into a life-sustaining experience for someone else’s family and community.

The disappearing act:  the only thing physical is the gift card and even that can be sent by email.  No paper, no waste.

2) Premium Chocolate Gifts from NewLeaf Chocolates

Five Piece Truffles in Red Eco Box from NewLeaf Chocolates

NewLeaf Chocolates is an online shop for premium and artisan chocolate.  They bring you the world’s best chocolates in a sustainable way – by shipping in their earth-friendly GreenPod, by featuring delicious organic and fair-trade chocolates, and by donating a portion of all sales to the environment.  Choose from a number of gift assortments of bars or truffles all wrapped in attractive, earth-friendly materials.  The Chocolate of the Month Club will keep premium chocolate bars coming throughout the year. [1]

The experience –   At the core of any culture is food and language.  Food brings people together.  Explore the world of premium chocolate and you will discover that this is a gourmet food worth sharing and talking about.  So make sure your gift should includes enough to share.  Or, you could host a chocolate tasting party where everyone compares different styles of chocolates – explore cocoa origin, textures, and flavors.  If you have a tasting party, why not also reach out and invite someone you wouldn’t normally socialize with.  Make new connections and enrich your life and theirs.

The good – NewLeaf Chocolates is a member of 1% for the Planet, so no matter what you buy, a portion of all sales is donated to environmental charity.  Organic chocolate is not only better for you, but  when cacao is grown without pesticides, the tropical habitat is kept clean and farmers are not exposed to dangerous chemicals.  That’s good for the earth and everyone.

The disappearing act – I don’t know about you, but chocolate doesn’t last too long in our house.

3) Plan a Volunteer vacation

I’m a big fan of living in a smaller house and spending the difference on traveling the world.  If you could see my house and my passports, you would understand.  So it’s no surprise that two of the gift ideas this year involve travel.  On your next trip, how about skipping the museum tour and tan-o-rama routine on the beach and instead pitch in and do some good.

My favorite trip from this page from my passport was eco-travels in Belize.

If you go this route  be sure the agenda is a good match to your physical abilities.  It’s also wise to ask about who else will be on the tour – singles, families, students, etc. to make sure you will feel part of the group.

The experience –   At first glance, an active volunteer vacation might not seem all too relaxing, but consider that the satisfaction you gain will bring a more lasting sense of peace that you can’t get from a blender drink by the pool.  Besides, you can always round the trip off with a few days of R&R.  Who knows, you might even make some new friends who share a passion for adventure and doing good.

The good – I think this one is self evident.  All you need to do is decide what good to do.

The disappearing act - You need only bring home some photos and the memories of a lifetime.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

For an overseas experience with a well-established organization, check out Cross Cultural Solutions. They accommodate people and groups of all ages and have opportunities in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.  They follow established standards for social responsibility.

If you want to stay closer to home, then consider repairing hiking trails in America’s precious wilderness.  See American Hiking’s site.

Not sure if you want to stay on home turf or pull out your passport? Habitat for Humanity has both domestic and international programs where you and your family can build homes for those in need.

This forum provides even more ideas:  Frommers.

4) Plan an Eco Vacation

Whether you want to simply support the preservation of protected lands by wandering the wilderness or get hands-on with an eco-volunteer vacation, there are many options for those who really care about preserving the planet.

The experience – There is nothing better for the soul than getting outdoors and connecting with the earth.  Push your limits and learn about a new culture and environment.  Do it with your family and friends and you’ve created a shared memory.

The good – eco-tourism allows communities to extract sustainable value from the land without resorting to more destructive forms of development.  Just supporting national parks and sanctuaries at home and abroad helps prevent move destructive types of development and industrialization from taking over.

The disappearing act – see above.

Volunteer on an organic farm and learn about organic farming while helping support a good cause.  US and international including some very pleasant locations stateside such as Hawaii are listed on Wwoof.org.

For an overseas adventure that still puts you on the beach, help save the endangered sea turtles of Parismina, Costa Rica.  Volunteers patrol the beaches at night to deter poachers and help transfer eggs to the hatchery.  Get a real authentic taste of Costa Rica by staying with a local family for only $25 per night.  More information.

This article provides a few more ideas for those who wish to stay in the USA.

5) Gift an Organic / SUSTAINABLE Food  Cooking Class

Learning a new skill is a great way to enrich your life, a fun way to meet people, and something that you can easily enjoy every day.  Even if you can’t find a program that’s purely organic, there are numerous classes that emphasize organic or local ingredients or highlight sustainability.

The experience –   Learning something new is the perfect path to enriching your life and keeping sharp.  Sharing food, recipes and cooking tips with other foodies builds connections and perpetuates the art of gourmet food.

The good – cooking with organic and local ingredients is kind to the planet, reducing your carbon foot print and keeping potentially harmful chemicals away from our soil and water.

The disappearing act – what could be more satisfying than eating the fruits of your labors?

Offerings will vary regionally, but here are some suggestions worth looking into:

New York

At The Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health you can find gift certificates for public classes using organic foods.

The Culinary Institute of America, CIA doesn’t offer specific courses in organic cooking, but they often use local ingredients, including some from their own garden, and recreational classes on sustainable food.

Northern California

Gourmet Retreats at Casa Lana provides cooking classes in an idyllic Napa Valley setting and is also a B&B.  It appears that they use some fresh, local ingredients, but check with them first about emphasis on organic foods or sustainability.  With the small class sizes, you’ll be sure to get individualized attention.

CIA, St. Helena - see Culinary Institute of America, above.

Los Angeles

Spork Foods has purely recreational classes in vegan and natural cooking with an entertaining, fun vibe.

Texas

CIA, San Antonio- see Culinary Institute of America, above.

The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts in Austin focuses on pure plant-based cooking including vegetarianism and veganism.

Overseas

Make it a vacation and head for Organic Tuscany where you can do a week-long program or one day class cooking with local ingredients under Italy’s Tuscan sun!

Happy Holidays

I hope this year’s list gave you some food for thought at least.  Feel free to make suggestions of your own.  I’ll be back on line after the holidays.  Until then, all the best.

Notes: [1] If you haven’t figured it out yet, this is our sister site.  If you like this blog, please support NewLeaf Chocolates.  [2] I didn’t eat any chocolate to write this blog, so I don’t care who paid for it.  Next time I will…stay tuned.

Press Release: NewLeaf Chocolates Confirms Portability of Le Whif “Breathable” Chocolate

Le Whif Raspberry, Chocolate and Mint

Le Whif

The online premium chocolate shop, NewLeaf Chocolates, has evaluated Le Whif “breathable” chocolate for its portability.  Le Whif is a new device that allows you to enjoy the taste of chocolate by inhaling it into your mouth.  The full press release can be found here:  http://www.prlog.org/10810894-newleaf-chocolates-confirms-portability-of-le-whif-breathable-chocolate.html

ABOUT NEWLEAF CHOCOLATES

NewLeaf Chocolates is a unique online shop for premium and artisan chocolates. They strive to protect the planet in everything they do and affirm this commitment in three tangible ways: by donating a portion of all sales to the environment, by continuously innovating within their GreenPod sustainable packaging initiative, and by focusing their offering on the world’s best organic and fair trade chocolates. NewLeaf Chocolates is a member of 1% for the Planet. For more information, visit http://newleafchocolates.com

More Results of the Chocolate Preferences Survey

What are Your Chocolate Preferences?

It’s been a few months since I first published the Chocolate Preferences Survey results.   Since then I’ve received more input from an all-female product review panel who filled out the survey (thank you!).   I’ve combined these new responses with previous results and reposted the graphs here. For full commentary, please see the original post which I’ve also updated.

The review panel consisted of about 40 women in the following age ranges (not all of them answered the age question):

• 30 – 39:       41%
• 40-49:         41%
• 50-59:         11%
• 60-69:          7%

The group did not necessary identify themselves as chocolate lovers nor were they necessarily connoisseurs.  This was confirmed by most responses to a favorite brand question. Although they overwhelmingly listed brand as their number one most important factor when choosing chocolate, the most commonly cited “favorite brand” was Dove with Ghiradelli, Godiva and Lindt all tied for second place.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with most of these brands, but the responses don’t show much depth of brand awareness.  On the other hand, it’s a great testament to the marketing effectiveness of these ubiquitous brands that they are on the tips of the tongues of American consumers.

I really hope that artisan bar makers will get more recognition and brand awareness in the coming years.  While I’d like to keep all the good stuff for myself, it’s nice to be able to talk to people about the difference between Amano and Amedei and they actually know what you’re talking about.

Here are the results.  In this recent survey, Question #2 (choose all factors that are important…) was not asked, so I’ve left it out of this update.  What follows is a combination of all responses from the original survey and the new review-panel results.

 

What's your favorite type of chocolate

What's the SINGLE most important factor when choosing chocolate?

What's your favorite form of chocolate?

Now it’s your turn.  The updated survey has been set up and is quick with only ten questions.   Click on the link at the top right of this page to take the latest chocolate survey.

Well there’s more data still to be added from the ongoing online survey.  Things have been quiet here on my end while I’ve been working on the video blog, so I thought I’d offer this new survey data to keep the blog moving.  But the video blog is coming along.  I just my wife’s help to translate from Japanese to English.  Stay tuned.

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Koko Lingo

A Glossary of Chocolate Terms

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve started a chocolate terminology section as a separate page (see link at the top of this page).  I hope you find this helpful in understanding some of the words and phrases thrown around in the world of chocolate. It will be a continual work-in-progress as I expect to add to it as I go.  If there are terms you want to see listed, please just shoot me a note or leave a comment.

Well, I’ve been working on a long post that involves editing video – something that is taking way too long, so it may be a while before you see anything new here.  Hang in there…it will be worth the wait.  Hint: I filmed it on my last trip to Tokyo in September 2009.  Now it’s way overdue to get this one published.  Stay tuned!

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Press Release: NewLeaf Chocolates Announces the Introduction of Free Range Chocolate

Free Range Chocolate

ARLINGTON, Mass., April 1, 2010 – After two years of searching cacao plantations in Asia, Africa, and South America, NewLeaf Chocolates has secured a limited supply of Free Range cacao for a new chocolate bar to be released later this year.  Free Range Chocolate is the latest in a string of ethically-traded products to consume the chocolate world.  Genevieve Oba, Co-founder of NewLeaf Chocolates explains: “Today, organic and fair trade are not enough.  People need to know that the cacao trees are being treated gently and with compassion.  We created Free Range Chocolate because our customers are concerned with the wellbeing of cacao trees around the world.”

Free Range Cacao Pods are only slightly bruised and dried up, but otherwise pretty much OK.

In order to be certified as Free Range, growers are not allowed to cut cacao pods from the trees since cutting can result in scaring and discomfort for the trees.  Instead the pods must fall naturally and only when they are ready.  According to Chuck (no last name), a 27^th generation cacao farmer from Madagascar: “It takes tremendous patience to wait for the pods to drop from the trees so that we can collect them.  Sometimes there is a little bit of bruising on the outside of the pods (see photo), but it doesn’t affect the cacao beans inside… that much… really.”

Chester McGillicutty, Director of Aimful  Cacao Wandering for  NewLeaf  Chocolates,  explains: “At first we had difficulty gaining the cooperation of cacao farmers, but then we found a plantation on a small island north of Madagascar.  It’s only accessible by canoe through shark-infested waters, but the beans we bring out are phenomenal.  The flavors in the chocolate are reminiscent of composted provincial lavender, Himalayan Sherpa sweat, and south-pacific sea-cucumber. ” As of now, there is only one plantation in the world certified Free Range by Free Agricultural Range Certification Enterprises (F.A.R.C.E) and its European Equivalent, Certification pas Restrictive de Regional Agricultique Programme.

A date for the release of the Free Range chocolate bars has not been set.

The New Way to Get Chocolate

ABOUT NEWLEAF CHOCOLATES

NewLeaf Chocolates is a unique online shop for premium and artisan chocolates.  They strive to protect the planet in everything they do and affirm this commitment in three tangible ways:   by donating a portion of all sales to environmental charity, by continuously innovating within their GreenPod sustainable packaging initiative, and by focusing their offering on the world’s best organic and fair trade chocolates.  NewLeaf Chocolates is a member of 1% for the Planet.

Contact:

Genevieve Oba

NewLeaf Chocolates

info@newleafchocolates.com

http://www.newleafchocolates.com

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