7 August 2016

The last stop on our Tuscan Chocolate Valley adventures was in fact second last on our list. Hubby and I had not accounted for this……

The Italian lunchtime siesta.

This time, we found ourselves outside of Agliana, about 25km west of Florence, in search of the touted “Father of Tuscan Chocolates”.

Along a quiet country road, after several missed turns and u-turns, we finally arrived at the original Arte del Cioccolato……but to closed doors. We had just missed the morning opening hours.

Mental note to self and other chocolate aficionados: Check carefully for Italian opening hours. This information is not always correct on the web.

The next day, with 3 hours to spare till our scheduled flight to London, we re-attempt the visit. Success the 2nd time round! We arrive to a shopfront display of the man himself – Roberto Catinari.

Roberto has spent his lifetime devoted to his passion for chocolates. He started as a teenager in Switzerland, working his way up from dishwasher to the rank of chef in a pastry shop.Then in the 1970s, he decided to return to Tuscany, taking with him his artisanal skills and passion for chocolate making, to open his own shop. Today, more than 40 years on and well into his 70s, Roberto is still going strong and churning out exquisite creations of pralines, chocolate figurines and bars.

Setting foot into the shop, I am greeted by the ever so inviting aroma of chocolates. The colourful pralines, rochers and bars, behind the gleaming display counter, are a feast for the eyes. The decor isn’t fancy or contemporary. Nonetheless, it wins me over with a sense of warmth and nostalgia.

The lovely lady who serves us speaks little English. As the pralines aren’t individually labelled, choosing becomes a tad challenging. Thankfully, we are united in the language of chocolates and find a means to communicate by exchanging names of simple ingredients as we work through our selection.

So, how does chocolate, the recipe and craftsmanship of which have been refined for over half a century, taste?

Delicious is an understatement. I am blown away by how good each beautifully hand-made, bite-sized and dainty piece of chocolate tastes. The majority that we selected contain nocciola (hazelnut), either whole, crushed for texture in a praline or as a paste in gianduia. The unique flavours and textures of each are well accentuated.The chocolate itself, made from prized Sao Tome cocoa beans, is rich and smooth with well balanced sweetness.

I rate Roberto’s pralines to be amongst the best that I’ve tasted in Tuscany!

Caught out again by the Italian lunchtime siesta, we miss the opportunity to visit Mannori Pasticceria in Pistoia. We will have to save this experience for our next Tuscan adventure.

As I bid farewell to the Roberto Catinari experience and our Tuscan Chocolate adventures, I reflect on all that I have learnt and experienced and the chocolate connections that I have made along this journey.

I now truly appreciate how one can spend a lifetime devoted to chocolates, in this little slice of heaven that is Tuscany……

26 July 2016

Here’s a trivia for the die-hard chocoholics, connoisseurs and aficionados out there:

What’s the world’s most expensive chocolate (measured by weight of the pure chocolate and cocoa beans)?

Which chocolate is used to create the world’s most expensive cupcake, the Golden Phoenix, priced at over a thousand US dollars per serve?

Which chocolate is manufactured in limited quantities of only 20,000 individually numbered bars per year?

If your answer is the “Amedei Porcelana”, then give yourself a good pat on the back!

With this knowledge in mind, I sought to find out for myself if the Amedei Porcelana, and its sister bar, the Amedei Chuao, made from prized Criollo cocoa beans derived from the famous Chuao region of Venezuela, lives up to its reputation.

First Impressions:

The packaging is attractive and classy. The design is consistent with the Amedei theme, as seen on the painted walls of their headquarters, and the colours bring back fond memories of Tuscany. Each bar is apparently packaged by hand. The number on the back of the Procelana bar tells me that I’ve purchased bar number 13,485 of 20,000 for the year.

Tasting Notes:

The Porcelana has a slight earthy nose. As it melts on my tongue, I find the texture to be both soft and gentle. The initial flavours are sweet and toasty, like roasted almonds. This gives way to the ever so mild hint of bitterness. And then the flavours disappear, leaving the palate fresh and ready for the next mouthful.

The Chuao is surprisingly different. The aroma reminds me of mushrooms; not quite porcini, perhaps closer to swiss brown mushrooms. As it melts on my tongue, the fruitiness comes through prominently. The closest that I can think of is the flavours of caramelised figs, or Iranian dates. These flavours are slowly replaced by an earthy mushroom finish. Once the chocolate has disappeared, it leaves my palate with a slight but lingering tingle of bitterness.

The Verdict:

Is the Amedei Porcelana and Chuao worth its weight in awards, accolades and reputation? I certainly think so. I had not truly explored the flavours of chocolates, or discerned the unique characteristics of Criollo cocoa beans, until I’d experienced Amedei’s prized chocolates.

23 July 2016

Imagine this: You are driving along a quiet country road. Apart from the abundance of greenery, you see the occasional oncoming car, heavy vehicle and a die hard cyclist or two. Along the way, you pass tired looking stone houses, sometimes abandoned, a smattering of fuel stations, and the odd shop and local eatery. Then suddenly, you come upon a scene that is more reminiscent of a bustling city. A classy shopfront with glossy windows, adorned with vibrant and attractive displays of chocolate in every shape and form.

This was the scene that greeted us as we arrived at the headquarters of Andrea and Daniele’s family business, situated just outside the Tuscan town of Monsummano Terme. Originally established by their father, Luciano, as a specialty coffee roasting business, Andrea and Daniele subsequently took over the reigns and expanded the business. Daniele further honed his expertise in blending and roasting coffee while Andrea decided to build on his fascination with chocolate, applying his artistic and creative flair. These days, Slitti Cioccolato e Caffe (chocolate and coffee) is well reputed not just in Italy, but as far away as Asia and Australia, for their quality, award winning chocolates and coffee.

Excitedly (despite the “no photographs” sign out the front), I push open the front door and walk in. Immediately, I am greeted by the heavenly scent of chocolates, and the addictive aroma of roasted coffee beans. What more could one ask for at breakfast? The set up is rather clever. There is a retail section out the front, of all of Andrea’s artisanal chocolate bars, tortinas, panettos, girottos, powders and spreads plus a glass showcase displaying his handcrafted pralines, truffles, giandujas, ganaches and rochers, next to a section showcasing Daniele’s selection of roasted coffee beans. To the back is a small cafe, serving Slitti’s selection of coffees and hot chocolates, and a range of sweet and savoury treats. One wall of the cafe is decorated with shelves of books – on nothing but chocolates and more chocolates! I totally get it?

Curbing my enthusiasm for the chocolates that are still to be discovered, hubby and I head straight to the cafe section for breakfast. We place our order for a caffe marocchino and hot chocolate respectively.

A caffe marocchino is coffee with a dash of hot chocolate, topped with frothy milk and sprinkles of cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.

And to keep with the Italian breakfast tradition, we throw in a sweet treat of custard croissant.

A typical Italian breakfast generally comprises a hot beverage, usually coffee, and a sweet pastry or bread.

The hot chocolate is delectable. Warm and rich chocolatey goodness, with just the right amount of sweetness. The texture is pleasant and the consistency is thick but not viscous. It hits the spot.

Once sated, we adjourn to the retail section. Where does one start? Systematically, I begin with the award winning ones. The Tavoletta d’Oro (Golden Bar) is acclaimed as the most important chocolate award in Italy, and as a testament to his mastery, Andrea has won a Golden Bar for different creations almost annually since the 2000s (sometimes for the same product over multiple years). He has also been celebrated at the International Chocolate Awards and Salon du Chocolat.

The Lattenero 45% is one such celebrated creation, winning the Golden Bar award more than half a dozen times. The Lattenero range is unique in that it’s milk chocolate, made from a blend of select cocoa beans, with a higher than normal percentage of cocoa (45, 51, 63 and 70%). As I snap off a piece of the Lattenero 45% and put it to my nose, I find the aroma to be pleasant. Sweet but the cocoa elements still come through sufficiently, unlike mass produced milk chocolate. I place it on my tongue and let it melt. It’s rather smooth on the palate and the taste is milky, with hints of cocoa flavour. For a milk chocolate bar, I find it to be well subdued, as it should be. It’s just the right combination of cocoa, milk and sweetness.

The Gran Cacao 73% is another celebrated creation but, as a dark chocolate enthusiast, I opt instead for the Gran Cacao 82%. The aroma is heavenly. Strong, toasty and with the slight hint of nuttiness. These carry through on my palate, as I place a piece on my tongue. There is an initial hint of acidity, then the flavours open up – nutty, toasty and just a trace of berries at the end. Thumbs up, I say?

As I’m walking past the cashier, I catch a glimpse of a familiar face. Then, it hits me! It’s one half of the Slitti brothers! I walk up to shake his hand and ask if he is indeed Andrea. He looks at me, a little puzzled and corrects me. It’s in fact Daniele, the “coffee” brother. I speak excitedly but he shakes his head, beckoning to one of the ladies behind the glass showcase. The lovely Giada (meaning jade in Italian) comes over and introduces herself. She acts as the interpreter as I tell Daniele about my excitement at meeting him, visiting Slitti’s HQ as part of our Tuscan Chocolate Valley adventures and my experience at the Amedei chocolate tour. They tell us to come back in the new year, when Slitti too will commence running a tour at their factory, just behind the shop.

Giada then leads me to the glass showcase to assist me in picking out a selection of pralines, ganaches and giandujas. In the midst of doing this, Daniele strolls over and presents me with a prepackaged bag of more handcrafted chocolates. It’s complimentary, he says through Giada. I refuse but he insists, so I accept it graciously.

As we are about to head off, Giada asks the all important question:

Who is better, Amedei or Slitti?

I smile and evade the question. How do you compare apples and oranges? Each is unique in her and his own way – one is a master at single origin creations while the other is a master blender. Both are artistic and creative, but in their unique ways. I think you are both deserving of your accolades and achievements, and should be sufficiently proud to be representing the Tuscan chocolate industry on the world arena.

16 July 2016

The art of chocolate making is considered sacred, by many. Well documented in the annals of time, from books and encyclopedias to the more contemporary e-books and web articles.

Have you ever wondered what happens when an important step is removed from the manufacturing process?

Hubby and I sought to find out as we went in search of this next Tuscan chocolate maker. Hailing from a coffee roasting family, this individual spent many years perfecting the art of roasting and even consulted in this trade. A chance meeting and casual suggestion led him to broaden his horizons, to experiment with chocolate. He did away with the all important conching process, choosing instead to mix ground cocoa nibs with cocoa butter and cane sugar, to create a chocolate paste. His technique has since been refined and this paste now forms the working base for his artisan chocolate bars, Trinci.

The search for Trinci resulted in hubby and I arriving at the gated entrance to a factory, in a secluded industrial estate in Cascine de Buti, on a cool and rainy Tuscan summer’s day. We were expecting a shop or cafe! Instead, we are greeted by a lone cat. Disappointed and with no help from the website, which is mainly in Italian, I am ready to give up and move on. However, hubby persists and decides to step out of the car to buzz the intercom. Out comes a lady in white uniform. From the passenger seat of the car, I can tell that hubby is struggling to communicate with her. She goes back into the factory, emerging moments later with a small bit of paper. On it is scrawled a name of a shop and a town. Apparently, Trinci’s chocolates can only be purchased in 3 locations, one of which is a shop in the little known town of Bientina. The other two are in Milan and Florence.

With some renewed vigour, we head there in the rain, in search of Trinci’s creations. Locating the shop is an effort in itself. We walk in to find some Tuscan wines, metal vats of pressed olive oil and regionally harvested honey. Unfortunately, it is slim pickings of Trinci’s chocolates. We are told that the range and quantities stocked are minimal, due to the summer weather. Oh boo:( We purchase a bar each of what’s available – 75% dark chocolate with cocoa nibs and chilli (peperoncino) and 75% dark chocolate with cocoa nibs and Tuscan beach honey (miele della spiagggia).

Dear Mr Trinci, please share your chocolates with the world by making them easier to find and purchase. Your website needs updating so chocolate aficionados like me don’t travel halfway across the world to end up at a closed factory.

And the all important verdict on the unconched chocolate? First, the bars are rather thick – almost an inch thick. To break it necessitates the use of a tool, like a chisel. I resort to using a butter knife.

The dark chocolate with chilli bar has the distinct, pleasant, almost sweet aroma of well roasted cocoa beans. I chisel off a small piece and place it on my tongue. It doesn’t melt that easily, due to the high content of ground cocoa nibs. In fact, the nibs mask the ability to truly savour the texture and mouthfeel of the chocolate. And the chilli – there is a lot of it! I didn’t know that Italians had this high a threshold for spiciness. I find the chilli to be over bearing. I would not rate this as a personal favourite.

The dark chocolate with Tuscan beach honey has a more subtle chocolate aroma, with difinitive hints of honey. I do the same, chiselling off a small piece and placing it on my tongue. Again, I find the cocoa nibs to be a distraction texturally. However, the taste is pleasant. The honey marries well with the dark chocolate and adds just the right amount of sweetness. The honey itself has a distinct flavour, quite different to commercial/ bulk produced honey. My recommendation is that this bar is best enjoyed with a glass of strong/ tannic red wine.

All in all, I am not convinced about unconched chocolate. However, I will keep an open mind and perhaps give it another go, minus the distraction of ground cocoa nibs and too much chilli.

9 July 2016

As you are eating a piece of chocolate, do you take the time to pause and truly savour the moment? To allow your tastebuds the opportunity to be tantalised by an explosion of different flavours and your palate to be caressed by the smoothness of the chocolate as it melts at your body temperature?

For those of us that do, we may truly appreciate the beauty of “bean to bar“. I’ve mentioned the term “bean to bar” on several occasions throughout my posts. What does it really mean and why is it important anyway?

To put things in perspective, let us start from the very beginning – the cocoa plantations deep in the tropics and sub-tropics. Here, the cocoa pods or cabosses are harvested by hand to preserve the integrity of its precious beans. The cocoa beans within the pods are carefully extracted, along with the moist, fibrous, white pulp that envelops the beans. The beans are then laid on banana leaves and covered, or placed within closed bins or boxes. Nature takes its course, whereby the combination of moisture, heat and airborne microorganisms results in the fermentation of the pulp into alcohol. The alcohol is further oxidized to lactic and acetic acid, by gently aerating the beans. The reaction between moisture, alcohol and acids leads to initial flavour development of the beans. This fermentation process is allowed to occur for up to 8 days, after which the beans are sun or air dried, sorted, bagged and ready to be transported to chocolate manufacturers around the world.

At this point, the “bean to bar” journey begins.

The Bean

Batches or bags of cocoa beans arriving at manufacturing plants are thoroughly checked and tested. Once the seal of approval is given, the beans are cleaned then roasted, much like coffee beans. Roasting causes the cocoa beans to develop their characteristic aromas, flavours and colours, which may be unique to their variety, plantation and country of origin.

‘”Bean to bar” chocolate makers may apply their own method of roasting the beans to accentuate its desired characteristics.

The Cocoa Nib
During the roasting process, the shells of the cocoa beans separate from the kernels. The de-shelled kernels are more familiarly known as cocoa nibs. The cocoa nibs are winnowed by air, or using sieves or filters, to completely liberate the nibs from the shells.

The Cocoa Liquor

The pure cocoa nibs are ground or milled to produce the cocoa liquor. During this phase, depending on the type of chocolate to be made, ingredients such as sugar, lecithin, milk or milk powder and vanilla may be added to the cocoa liquor. The cocoa liquor mixture is then refined.

“Bean to bar” chocolate makers may apply their unique refining method, grinding to different particle sizes or degrees of fineness to achieve the desired smoothness and mouthfeel of the eventual chocolate. They will typically also adjust the chocolate formulation by adding or removing cocoa butter and other ingredients to produce the intended taste, flavours and type of chocolate (i.e. white, milk or dark chocolate).

The Working Chocolate

Next, the cocoa liquor mixture is subjected to conching, which is regarded to be the all important step in the development of the flavour, smell and texture of chocolate. The mixture starts as a powdery mass and is kneaded using a machine known as a conche, for a period of several hours to several days. The continuous motion further refines the texture of the mixture and promotes flavour development through a combination of evaporation of volatile chemicals and acids, and oxidation. The end product is the working chocolate.

“Bean to bar” chocolate makers vary the duration of conching to achieve the desired flavours and texture in their chocolates.

The working chocolate is then usually tempered to create the characteristic “snap” and glossy shine of finished chocolate. Tempering chocolate involves putting it through a cycle of heating and cooling to align fatty acid crystals in cocoa butter, and to maximise formation of the desired beta crystals. Tempering also prevents the formation of chocolate bloom, the whitish film, streaks or spots of cocoa butter that are sometimes seen on the surface of chocolate.

“Bean to bar” chocolate makers may use one of several methods to temper chocolate, namely seeding, tabling and machine tempering.

The Bar

Tempered chocolate is now ready to be moulded into bulk bars, which may then be re-tempered to make finished chocolate bars, blocks, pralines and other moulded chocolates. The tempered chocolate may also go into another production cycle to produce buttons, pellets or blocks of couverture chocolate (which may sometimes be untempered).

Couverture chocolate is the starting material used by chocolatiers all over the world to create masterpieces of dipped, moulded or coated chocolates, and chocolate sculptures.

Both “bean to bar” chocolate makers and chocolatiers apply their creative flair to bulk chocolate to develop their eventual artisanal works of art.

Now, let us revisit the questions at the start.

What does “bean to bar” really mean? I trust that this has been clearly explained as we went through the intricacies of the chocolate making process.

Why is it important anyway? I feel that it’s important to appreciate chocolate making as an art and skill, not just a process; there are many steps where “bean to bar” makers can impart their different and creative variations to produce unique tastes, flavours and textures of chocolate. It is also pertinent to understand the distinction between a “bean to bar” chocolate maker and a chocolatier, although I believe that the former is none less skillful than the latter.

So next time you eat a piece of chocolate, pause and savour the wonderful aromas, flavours and textures in your palate, and spare a thought for all the effort that has gone into its creation, from “bean to bar”!