Chocolate
Latest ContentNot only do we strive to procure and sell exceptional chocolate products from across the globe, but it’s also our strong desire to provide relevant product and industry information to further inform and serve our vast community of customers. Whether it’s as basic as origin and manufacturing insight, or a more complex topic delving into some of the challenges impacting the future of chocolate, we hope to be a reliable, informative resource. If there is a specific topic in which you are interested, but don’t yet see published, please feel free to submit a content request via our contact page.
The History of Guittard Chocolate
Guittard Chocolate The History of Guittard ChocolateYou don’t have to travel halfway around the world to find the world’s best chocolate – though this was exactly how Etienne Guittard discovered his true calling. After arriving in San Francisco from France for the...
The History of Côte d’Or Chocolate
Côte d’Or Chocolate The History of Belgium's #1 Chocolate BrandThis Old-World chocolatier is known for creating rich and decadent chocolate, the taste of which has withstood the test of time. Belgians are famous for many delectable creations, but the one that has...
The Chocolate Genome: Can it Save the Cocoa Crop?
Back in 2010, scientists announced what was their first draft of the chocolate genome, or genetic makeup, of the criollo variety. As climate change continues to affect the planet, cocoa is in danger of dying out entirely within the next 100 years. Some...
Chocolate: Effects on health
With all things food-related, the effect on health can vary by the amount consumed in one given sitting. Chocolate does act as a stimulant, as does most sugary products, as it contains a slight amount of caffeine, as well as theobromine. Excessive...
Chocolate Label Tags: what do they mean?
Chocolate labeling can be a bit perplexing if you are new to the subject. Most manufacturers label the percentage of chocolate on the packaging, quoting 'cocoa' or 'cacao.' This is in relation to the combined percentage of both cocoa butter and cocoa...
Making Chocolate
Growing & Harvesting After the cocoa pods are grown and ripe, they are commonly harvested by cutting, or knocking, off a a tree often with a machete. The pods are then broken, and the beans are separated from the surrounding pulp. The beans are then...
Bean Varieties
Forastero The forastero bean is the most commonly grown across the globe. It is most likely native to the Amazon basin, and the African cocoa crop is almost entirely of forastero variety. They are significantly hardier, and offer a more classic chocolate...
Chocolate Types
Generally speaking, chocolate is a range of food derived from cocoa, or cacao, mixed with cocoa butter and finely powdered sugar to produce these confectioneries. Believe it or not, different countries have their own 'rules' for each classification of...