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Taste. Better. Chocolate.
Discover the world of craft chocolates through my personal tasting reviews, learn about how chocolate is made, learn to mindfully taste chocolate and find out what's going on in the worldwide craft chocolate scene.

I'm Lilla, chocolatier and certified chocolate taster, chocolate educator and I eat chocolate Every. Single. Day.

I started this blog to share my passion for craft chocolates with others and to celebrate the amazing diversity of flavours and styles in chocolate making, the makers and of course the cacao farmers.

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⛵ Lost among last few weeks' planned posts, but ⛵ Lost among last few weeks' planned posts, but I don't want to miss it. I bought this cute bag of @mirzamchocolate 5 minibars with their single origin range at Chocoa. This pack exists also with a mix of their flavoured bars, but when I saw these I decided to try their unflavoured bars this time.⁣ ⁣ One milk and four darks, and a great way to play with comparative tastings. Tanzania milk 50% or dark 72%? Tanzania 72% vs. Madagascar 72%, India 65% vs Vietnam 65%? ⁣ ⁣ • Tanzania 50%: interesting earthiness, caramel and some mushroom/umami notes⁣ • Tanzania 72%: intense deep chocolate note, roasted coffee⁣ • Madagascar 72%: very unusual (compared to other Madagascars that I've tried), floral (rose) and spicy, herbal notes, rich chocolate, slight acidity (I have a slight doubt this was sitting close to the flavoured bars, as they use quite a lot of aromatic ingredients such as rose, cardamom and fennel)⁣ • India 65%: juicy and tart cherry notes, slightly spicy aftertaste⁣ • Vietnam 65%: light acidity, again some herbal notes (fennel?) ⁣ ⁣ 🤔 I kind of feel weird about this now as I'm not sure I tasted the real flavour of these bars, but again, maybe that's how they are? The flavoured bars are more unique in my opinion.⁣ ⁣ I love the concept, I've been a firm supporter of minibars and especially tasting packs like this as it is a very useful tool to introduce craft chocolate to consumers. No big commitment of buying a full-sized bar, possibility to try various flavours in one purchase, easy comparison and still shareable portions. And the packaging and the look is just undeniably beautiful. Look at those waves, the painting-like illustrations.⁣ ⁣ What's your favourite Mirzam bar?
Oh là là.. almost late for this weeks game with Oh là là.. almost late for this weeks game with my letterboard post. But seriously, how could I not post about @pumpstchocolate on P week?! Here's a gorgeous quartett of bars, all made with cacao beans from Hacienda Limón in Ecuador.⁣ ⁣ The signature Rye+Milk+Salt that came as a curiosity and now is a firm staple among my favourite bars, and the Sourdough+Salt, similarly delicious bar for dark chocolate lovers. And their plain, unflavoured counterparts, a 60% dark-milk and a 85% dark. ⁣ ⁣ What a beautiful variety, and it really shows how diverse the same bean can be when a fantastic maker is playing around with it. ⁣ ⁣ I am a huge PS fan, since my very first Rye+Milk+Salt bar, and so happy that I had the chance to visit them in Orford a couple of times and also carried their bars when I first launched Little Beetle Chocolates at some local fairs and events, they were also part of my advent calendar. ❤⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Which is your favourite Pump Street bar?⁣ (mine are: Gibassier (limited edition), Eccles, Brown Bread, Rye+Milk+Salt, Jamaica)⁣ ⁣ ⁣ P.S.: I love Pump Street 😄🍫
🐧P is for Little Miss Pinguin Patricia🐧 Kick 🐧P is for Little Miss Pinguin Patricia🐧 Kicking off P week of TTTT with this celebrational post because guess what, TTTT has just turned 1 year old! 🎉🎂❤⁣ ⁣ Born of an idea of Patricia @myic2016 whose spirit animal is the pinguin, TTTT quickly became something more than just a weekly post idea. Week after week, more and more people gathered around the same theme, first chocolate origins, now the letters of the alphabet, to share favourite brands, bars, flavours or even thought-provoking associations, origamis, beautiful compositions, pairings, collections and more. ⁣ ⁣ With this post I would like to thank Patricia for starting this fun challenge and building an amazing, friendly, positive, diverse, supportive community around it. I am so grateful for being part of this. ❤ ⁣ ⁣ Pictured you can see a fraction of the chocolate sample tags that I have from Patricia's generous chocswaps. Thanks to her, I got to taste so many more bars than I ever imagined, from makers I sometimes don't even know, flavours I've never thought that I'll try. I truly hope that one day I'll get to hug you Trish and have a fun tasting session finally in person! 🤗❤⁣ ⁣ A couple of weeks ago when we first thought of this anniversary, we realized that the first ever TTTT post was one where Trish got inspired by a bar I posted so she tangented me in her post. I didn't remember this, as I was right in the middle of moving to Vienna, and so I even joined only several weeks later when a few people were already actively playing the game week after week. ⁣ ⁣ TTTT is literally the only thing that helps me stay more organised with my stash and my posting schedule. I love to plan ahead and see what I will be able to show each week. So much fun!⁣ ⁣ I am also very grateful for all the amazing people who are involved and with whom we continue to support each other and have great conversations no matter how far we are from each other. ⁣ ⁣ Here's to many more years of TTTT with Patricia and all the others (and whoever wants to join!) 🍾🍫🎉⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #TTTT_P #tttt_chocolate #tangentialtastingtwintuesday #tastingtuesday #tttt23June #chocolatefriends #chocswap
Ooooh I love oats ❤ 95% of my mornings start wit Ooooh I love oats ❤ 95% of my mornings start with a bowl of porridge with fresh fruits and nuts and cocoa nibs. It never gets boring, it's tasty, filling and can be enjoyed hot or cold, sweet (or even savoury, but I've yet to try that). ⁣ ⁣ 🍫 If we can add chocolate to our porridge, why couldn't we add oats to our chocolate?! Well, some craft chocolate makers are already working on this. It's safe to say that oats have been one of the top inclusions/ingredients in chocolate recently. As vegan and non-dairy options are on the rise, many makers started to experiment with various alternatives. Coconut milk is the most popular but it does add its own flavour to the bar. If you look around you can find versions with soy or rice milk and now also with oats.⁣ ⁣ I don't really consider these bars as milk chocolates though, as compared to a similar percentage coconut milk bar, oats don't dilute and sweeten the chocolate as much as coconut does. Oats make the dark chocolate slightly sweeter, add a very light nuttiness and take off the edge of the acidity or harsher flavour notes. ⁣ ⁣ Today I'd like to highlight two brilliant makers' versions. One of them is the 60% Ecuador, Hacienda Limón with oats by @pumpstreetchocolate, this bar is so popular that it now exists also in the minibar form, just how cute, isn't it? Perfect lunchbox treat!⁣ Also, fully compostable packaging ♻️🌿 Lovely creaminess, spicy fudge brownie, the best chocolate porridge of your life. ⁣😋 ⁣ Secondly, there is a 72% Peru Marañon with oats by @mikeandbeckybrussels. 🐟Featuring a funny catfish, living in the Rio Marañon, also called "Chocolate Pleco" due to its colour. Love the ton of useful info inside the environment-friendly packaging ♻️. The bars texture is not completely smooth which really makes you feel you're eating porridge (it's not grainy, but is has a kind of floury thickness from the oat powder), I like it. Subtle coffee notes emerge alongside the chocolate porridge, rich and satisfying. ⁣😋 ⁣ Have you already tasted oat mylk chocolate? Do you know any other brands using oats as a dairy alternative?🍼
We can't have N week without talking about Naive @ We can't have N week without talking about Naive @chocolatenaive. I have been fascinated by the chocolates made by Domantas ever since I first tasted them at the London chocolate show in 2015. First, I was intrigued by the flavoured bars, with porcini and hops, but later I discovered his single origin and nano-lot bars as well.⁣ ⁣ This particular bar is very special as he only made 200 bars for the second @cacaoreview collection (I know, that was some time ago 🙈). Using Rugoso beans from Nicaragua fermented by the well-known fermentation specialist Zoi Papalexandratou, Naive worked with a truly nano-batch, only 40kg of beans (less than a full sack)! ⁣ ⁣ Such an intense flavour journey. Starts with fresh fruit notes, sweet berries, some tropical background and a light acidity. The packaging suggests wheat beer, and I can agree with that, although I'm not sure I would have guessed. It seems more intense than its 67% cocoa content. The flavour lingers in the mouth for a long time. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ What's your favourite Naive bar? ⁣ (Mine are the Porcini and the Stout)
In the midst of listening, unlearning and learning In the midst of listening, unlearning and learning, let me sneak in some cuteness and continue our TTTT series with N week. . . I would like to start with a chocolate maker family from Newry, Northern Ireland, called NearyNógs @nearynogschocolate. One of the most adorable families I've known. So happy, that they were also part of my calendar and since then we've met a couple of times. Last time we saw each other with Dot and Shane in Amsterdam at Chocoa and now it just feels so far away and almost unreal. . . I've actually got this bunny (sorry, hare!) from Dot last year when we met in Cambridge at our dear Riadh's place @bumbleandoak. We had long chats and walks and ate ice cream and it was a lot of fun. I don't quite know how I forgot about this little one, but I was so glad when I found it a few weeks ago as I was reorganizing my stash (hoarder... I know 🙈) . . The Mourne Hare (after Mourne Mountains in NI) 65% Ecuadorian dark chocolate, hare buddy already did the toughest part, as its ears broke off so I didn't have to bite them off first. Gentle dark chocolate, no acidity, no harsh notes, light nuttiness, a bit of a coffee note towards the end and surprisingly tastes like it has dairy in it but it doesn't. . . Thanks lot, Dot for this cutie and I honestly can't wait to visit your amazing solar-powered chocolate heaven. ❤🤗 . . . Have you already had chocolate from the Nearys? . . . . . #tttt_n #tttt_chocolate #tttt09June #tastingtuesday #tangentialtastingtwintuesday #craftchocolate #madeinuk #northernireland #chocolatemaker #darkchocolate #craftchocolate #smallbatch #vegan #beantobar #beantobarchocolate #chocolatebunny #ecuador #nearynogschocolate #chocolatefriends #chocolateeducator #tastebetterchocolate
#blackouttuesday #muted . . "United we stand, divi #blackouttuesday #muted . . "United we stand, divided we fall" - Aesop . . Check out @chocolatenoise for a list of blacks and other minorities working in craft chocolate. . . Listen & learn & donate @blklivesmatter
🗺️ M is for MAP 🗺 @mapchocolate I feel so 🗺️ M is for MAP 🗺 @mapchocolate I feel so lucky to be able to say this here in the middle of Europe where not many others have the chance to know, and what's more, to taste not one but several of Mackenzie's amazing creations. So I am here today to celebrate being a #podgirl and having friends like Trish @myic2016 and Riadh @bumbleandoak with and thanks to whom I have experienced Map chocolate so many times. ⁣ ⁣ Today, I am here with 3 bars! Because the time of Map bars lingering around waiting for an appropriate moment and a decent photo is over. It is time to taste! ⁣ ⁣ A vegan white and two darks on the plate today. Let's dive in:⁣ ⁣ 🍍Sunny with a chance of cake, the upside down tahini pineapple cake bar so many have raved about. Slight overheating on the front and broken in half, still beautiful and of course full of juicy pineapple flavour, the tahini is less strong for me, and I sometimes find cocoa butter bars (technically this is not a white chocolate, as there's no milk powder) a bit too fatty for my taste, but maybe that's just me.⁣ ⁣ 🌶️ Happy Trails, smoked paprika peanut butter & crispy rice. Gosh.. Ok, so this is unstoppable 😆 very moreish (as they say in the UK). Feels like a milk chocolate (but it's a dark), a creamy-dreamy peanut gianduja basically, with that lovely warmth of paprika (if you know Hungary, you know we put paprika in every freaking savoury dish we cook, so guess whether I like this 😉) and loads of funky crispy rice. A snacking bar for chocolate geeks. Gives you that feeling of joyful snacking without really needing to think about sophisticated flavour notes, yet gives you none of the crap that goes into usual snack bars. Wish it lasted longer though... 😄⁣ ⁣ 🏖️ Surf camp 1974, is a beautiful take on dark chocolate from Ghana, with honey sesame brittle and sea salt. Sweet, salty, chewy, rich, nutty all in one piece. Love the generosity of the topping. Another great example of a craft snacking bar, just a bit darker. ⁣ ⁣ Feeling so much relief now. I don't have to wait any longer, I can finally sit down and enjoy these bars, read Mackenzies poetry-like notes inside the packaging and feel grateful for this moment. ❤
Basically almost the only fix point since this Cov Basically almost the only fix point since this Covid19 madness has been our weekly TTTT round. I can still remember when we decided to switch from origin theme to the alphabet theme back in February and we started in March. It's quite unbelievable that now we are already at the letter M. ⁣ ⁣ I am spoilt for choice as to what to show you so expect more M goodness to come this week! ⁣ ⁣ Starting with a popular origin today, the remote Marañon canyon in Northern Peru. I've had quite a few interpretations of this origin by various makers already, and now it's time for me to try what @fruitionchocolate created with these flavourful beans.⁣ ⁣ They decided to go for a 68% dark milk. I love this kind of chocolate. Basically almost a 70% dark but with a dash of milk. It makes all the difference. ⁣ ⁣ The colour is beautiful light brown, look at that gloss on the intricate pattern. The aroma is sweet, nutty, dairy-like. I expected a caramel flavoured milk chocolate. And then, I got lovely intense fruity dark chocolate notes, underlined by a gentle creaminess, a silky swirl of clotted cream (they used roasted whole milk powder), so there's a bit of caramel, almost dulce de leche kind of flavour but with some tartness at the background. Very pleasant and intriguing, love the unusual flavour journey. ⁣ ⁣ Thanks Anelisa @chocolatedriven for sending this chocolate with my @chocolatenotebook order. It's been a while since my last Fruition bar. I really enjoyed it!⁣ ⁣ Do you like high % dark milk chocolates?
🐞 L is for Little Beetle 😄 well, of course n 🐞 L is for Little Beetle 😄 well, of course not just, but also Little Beetle's chocolate stash. This week, I would like to show you three cool bars from @casa_lasevicius from Brazil. 🇧🇷 I found their bars at Chocoa this year, and almost went past their booth. Thank God, I didn't. ⁣ ⁣ We had the chance to taste unique local ingredients, such as baru nuts, cupuaçu, and also a 100% chocolate sweetened with cacao pulp juice. Well, of course much more, but I took home these three. They also had a lovely goat's milk bar and a very interesting one with coffee cherries, too. ⁣ ⁣ 🌰 Baru nut 45% milk: creamy, roasted nutty aroma and flavour. The baru is hard and crunchy, nicely roasted with a unique nutty flavour, I can't associate it with any other nut. ⁣ ⁣ 🍐 Cupuaçu 68% dark: I am already a big fan of this fruit, so couldn't resist. Lovely chewy pieces throughout the rich chocolate. It's the most delicious and interesting candied fruit ever. Tropical fruits, but also like bubblegum, pear, white dessert wine (Tokaj), such a diverse flavour journey.⁣ ⁣ 🍯 Mel de Cacau 100% dark: using the whole fruit, adding the sweet cacao pulp juice to the pure cocoa mass is something I hope we will see more of. Based on the nutritional values this bar has roughly 70% cacao mass and 30% cacao juice. The sharp acidity is accompanied by a gentle sweetness and lots of tangy fruit notes. Intense chocolate that packs a punch but no bitterness, the creaminess is also very pleasant.⁣ ⁣ Do you like the idea of cacao juice as a natural sweetener in chocolate?
Just before we switch to L week, I would like to s Just before we switch to L week, I would like to sneak in another K bar here. This 70% Peru, Chuncho blend from Greek makers @kakauworship has been in my stash since last year's EuroBean Festival. 🙈 The slight dullness of the surface is entirely my fault, it was probably a bit warmer than suitable at some point.⁣ ⁣ The texture and flavour are still perfect, so let's take a closer look. The packaging is simple, natural, fully recyclable. I like how you can just push out the inner piece like a tray, very clever. Cool graphics too! ⁣👍 ⁣ The bar mould design is unique, using Greek-style motives to recreate the shape of a cocoa pod. ⁣ ⁣ The use of coconut sugar is evident. The aroma and initial taste of the bar is predominantly characterised by this sugar's unique flavour profile. But as the chocolate melts, the Peruvian beans open up and bring in some lovely rich notes of earthy chocolate and lots of creaminess. Interesting that the intense fruitiness of Peruvian cacao is somehow transformed here into something different. ⁣ ⁣ Have you tried this Greek brand? Make sure to check out @myic2016 post about their açai bar I sent her from Chocoa!
K is for Karuna 🇮🇹 ⁣ South Tyrol, hit hard K is for Karuna 🇮🇹 ⁣ South Tyrol, hit hard by the Covid19, but it has a real treasure. @karunachoc is the first bean-to-bar chocolate maker in the region and they create stunning bars using lots of fresh local ingredients. ⁣ ⁣ I saw parts of their journey within the WT group and had the chance to talk directly to the maker Armin at Chocoa this year. After meticulously tasting through their range I decided to take home this pair of bars.⁣ ⁣ 🤓 This is a gem for chocolate geeks. Two bars. Same beans from Southern Belize, same recipe, same processing EXCEPT for a different drying method. One batch is slow dried the other fast dried.⁣ 🐌 vs 🐆 ⁣ I knew fermentation can present differences in flavour but never thought about the effects of drying. Slow drying poses the risk of mould, fast drying poses the risk of cracking shell that bacteria and humidity can enter and grow mould later on. Careful attention and close monitoring is needed to avoid these to happen.⁣ ⁣ So the bars? I let you admire the wonderful custom mould design, I really had a hard moment when breaking into it..⁣ 😍 ⁣ 🐌SLOW: deep woody aroma, melts easily into a lovely silky creaminess. Roasted and nutty flavours develop slowly, gently. It's like a rich, luscious gianduja. Total comfort food.⁣ ⁣ 🐆FAST: unbelievable that it's from the same beans! Fruity aroma, similarly creamy mouthfeel, yet sharp acidity upfront, juicy fruity notes, citrus notes like a lemon curd. The aftertaste mellows out to a slight nutty note, but much less than the slow dried. ⁣ ⁣ I might just keep going back-and-forth between these two bars, trying to decide which one I like more. ⁣ ⁣ Do you like to compare such geeky bars? Or do you just prefer to enjoy?
🐎 Horse with no name 🐎 yet again, a fantasti 🐎 Horse with no name 🐎 yet again, a fantastic bar by Mackenzie of @mapchocolate and some words of wisdom for those who decide to go in the opposite direction as everyone else. ⁣ ⁣ Aromatic 65% dark-milk chocolate from heirloom Mexican Tabasco cacao beans enriched with brown butter sourdough cinnamon toast crumblets. These swim around in the lusciously creamy dark-milk chocolate creating fun crunchy islands of warming cinnamon, nutty brown butter and salty sourdough notes. ⁣ ⁣ Really hard to say anything else than half the bar is gone just while writing this up. Perfect balance of sweet and salty, creamy and crunchy. 😋⁣ ⁣ Brightened my Monday and gave me a warm hug. Thank you, Mackenzie 💗⁣ ⁣ Are you doing 'How Everyone Else Does It'? Or are you 'Not Doing It How Everyone Says You Should'? Either way, this bar will put a smile on your face. 😊
🍵🇯🇵 Double word score for this week's TTT 🍵🇯🇵 Double word score for this week's TTTT 'J' week with this Japanese Jasmine tea infused 50% milk chocolate from @meiji_the_choco, Japan's biggest chocolate manufacturer (also in the top10 confectionery brands worldwide by net sales). So definitely not small-batch craft chocolate, but it's always good to look at the bigger picture sometimes. . . Originally, I was struggling, as I didn't find any J makers in my current stash (although I had J.Cocoa and Jordi's before) nor origins like Jamaica which I also had before, but nothing now. Then... . . Almost at the bottom of the stash box, I found this Jasmine tea bar, and this literally saved me. I love the simple, elegant and decorative packaging that has 3 individually wrapped pieces. . . Couldn't figure out much of the packaging even with the help of google translate 😄 . . The aroma is sweet vanilla, it is very creamy, soft, and the herbal, green notes of the tea jump to the front straight away and stay until the very end. Familiar green tea flavour with a slight astringency. The floral note is subtle. 💮 . . . Do you like tea inspired chocolates? 🍵 . . . . . . #tttt05may #tttt_j #tttt_chocolate #tangentialtastingtuesday #milkchocolate #jasminetea #jasmine #japan #beantobarchocolate #chocolateaddict #instachocolate #chocolatetasting #chocolatemaker #teaandchocolate #tastingreview #tastebetterchocolate
🌼 It was Mother's Day yesterday in Hungary, so 🌼 It was Mother's Day yesterday in Hungary, so I took a moment to share a delicious piece of dark chocolate with my son. The best feeling for a chocoholic Mum like me is to be able to share this passion with him and teach him to discover and appreciate high quality craft chocolates before he even knows. 🌼 . . . . . . . . #craftchocolate #mothersday #motherandson #sharingiscaring #givekidsrealchocolate #gourmet #myson #chocolateaddict #chocolateeducator #beantobarchocolate #darkchocolate #singleoriginchocolate #tastebetterchocolate #instachocolate
🇮🇳 I is for India ⁣ ⁣ This week for #ttt 🇮🇳 I is for India ⁣ ⁣ This week for #tttt_i I'm showcasing three bars made in India, from cocoa beans grown in India (= tree-to-bar). ⁣ ⁣ I had the chance to meet the makers of @soklet_official at Chocoa this February and try their newest bars. I took home a fun trio:⁣ ⁣ • Desi Rabdi is a caramelized white chocolate (made by adding caramelizing milk powder to the cocoa butter, there is no cocoa solids) flavoured with saffron and pistachios, creating a chocolate version of a popular Indian sweet. ⁣ ⁣ • 80% zero-sugar dark-milk is following the trend of no added sugar without having to commit to a 100% dark bar or use artificial sweeteners. The added skimmed milk powder adds a touch of sweetness and enough creaminess to cut down the strength of the unsweetened pure cacao. ⁣ ⁣ • 100% dark - something that I have started to appreciate lately, forget inedibly bitter, powdery, chalky dark bars. Craft chocolate makers are here for us to bring out the best of their beans, there's almost no way to hide off flavours (technically, makers can still play around with added cocoa butter to a certain degree). Intense of course, but this one has lovely sweet red fruit notes of raspberries, to the point you almost can't believe it's not flavoured. But that's fine cacao for you 😋⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Do you have a favourite Soklet bar?
Happy to share with you a fantastic new chocolate Happy to share with you a fantastic new chocolate maker for H week of our tangential tasting. Heinde & Verre from Holland! If you ask me, which brand made the biggest impression on me at Chocoa, it's hands down @heindeverre. ⁣⁣ ⁣ I spent quite some time at their booth, talking to both Jan-Willem and Ewald and of course tasting through their samples. Don't you just love these lab coats and glasses? I do 😅 real chocolate nerds can expect to go down into so much detail here, my mind was blown. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Basically, H&V decided to take a different route, trend setting if you want. Instead of focusing on single estate bars, they are blend experts. They blend different roast profiles, various aged chocolates, and of course origins. Let's dive in!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🏵 Blossom Bali 37% - Bali beans create this velvety smooth, sweet, yet beautifully floral, slightly vegetal and spicy white chocolate with notes of wildflower honey. H&V use Dutch cow's milk that gives a rich clotted cream aroma and buttery notes to the bar. Total game changer!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 💮Noble Bali 71% - same Bali beans from the Marga Utama coop. Spicy aroma followed by a distinctive spicy and woody flavour in a rich yet mellow dark chocolate. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🍯Porcelana 71% - rare white beans from Zulia, Andes region of Venezuela bringing smooth and gentle honey and slightly floral notes with hints of macadamia nuts. This is a blend of batches aged for various length and two different roast profiles.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🍒Bold Brazil 71% - blend of 4 different roast profiles of beans from the Coopoam coop in the Pará Amazon region. Sweet cherry aroma, a juicy cherry note hits in straight away, so fruity and yes, bold! The initial acidity mellows out to a rich dark chocolate with light coffee notes at the end.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🍌 Dutch Blend 71% - a blend of Brazil, Bali and Porcelana. It has such an intense aroma of a tropical fruit basket. Then as it melts, it's bananas all over, and honey, and rich chocolate. Like the best banana bread of your life. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Honestly, hip-hip-hurray for Heinde&Verre!
🇭🇺 H is for Hungarian 🇭🇺 ⁣⁣⁣ Mom 🇭🇺 H is for Hungarian 🇭🇺 ⁣⁣⁣ Moment of national pride for me this week to honour these amazing Hungarian craft chocolate makers. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ Chronologically, the first bean-to-bar maker is @rozsavolgyi_csokolade, I'm sure you are all familiar with the unpronounceable name, the unique folklorique bar moulds, and of course their amazing flavours. My personal favourite is this Pistachio gianduja. Their Venezuelan range is also really popular, especially their Chuao. They also make hot chocolates, bonbons and chocolate covered fruits. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Next comes a couple from, again an unpronounceable place, Albertkázmérpuszta, a teeny-tiny place next to the Austrian border. @_chococard_ started their bean-to-bar adventures in 2016 after visiting some plantations in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. They work exclusively with beans from plantations they previously visited in person. They are the first (and so far only) European maker to use Zorzal cacao from Dom.Rep. They also have a fantastic wide range of various chocolate covered fruits and nuts.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ The third is the Harrer family @harrerchocolat. Karl, pastry chef and chocolatier in Sopron, started to experiment with bean-to-bar chocolate making around 2016, and launched their first bars late 2017. They are also making flavoured and ganache-filled bars that are very popular, especially the ones showcasing Hungarian wines or spirits. They love experimenting with new ingredients, their newest creation is a vegan white bar with freeze-dried purple sweet potato 😋.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Finally (for now), there's @fabricchocolate from Budapest. Originally working with craft chocolate couvertures (Pralus, Menakao, Hoja Verde) and unique inclusions (physalis, cinnamon flower, date vinegar, kumquat), Viki started experimenting with her own bean-to-bar line around 2017-18. She is fond of beans from the Solomon Islands. Her latest bar is a Madagascar dark-milk made with smoked cane sugar. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Fun fact: the last 3 were part of my Taste.Better.Chocolate. Advent Calendar in 2018. Have you tried them then? ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Which Hungarian maker have you tasted so far? Which one would you like to try next? #tttt21apr #tttt_h #tttt_chocolate
🏵️ Real spring vibes on this beautiful @arcel 🏵️ Real spring vibes on this beautiful @arceliagallardo wrapper. I found this partial bar received from @myic2016 during my stash inventory check as I was looking for bars for TTTT's G week. . . 🌰Double word score here: Gallardo's gianduja, which in this case is a Brazilian take on the Italian classic. Gianduja, a hazelnut enriched dark chocolate becomes Barujá, a Brazilian dark chocolate enriched with baru nut. . . If you are not familiar with this kind of nut, its taste is similar to brazil nuts. The 'barujá' chocolate is super creamy and softens much faster than a regular milk chocolate due to the higher fat content from the added nut paste. The nutty flavour is mellow with an added woody note. Lovely, satisfying chocolate. Disappears too fast 😅 . . . Do you know baru nuts? . . . . . . . #tttt14apr #gianduja #baruja #Brasil #arceliagallardo #missionchocolate #barunuts #nutty #darkchocolate #chocolatetasting #chocswap #chocolateaddict #chocolateeducator #tastebetterchocolate
🇬🇭 G is for Ghana 🇬🇭 ⁣ #tttt14apr . 🇬🇭 G is for Ghana 🇬🇭 ⁣ #tttt14apr . This is not an origin we automatically think of when talking about craft chocolates. Being the biggest cacao producing country, mainly supplying bulk cacao to the big guys, it has now started to strive for better quality cacao. ⁣ ⁣ Of course, craft chocolate makers are happily taking up the challenge to change how we think about chocolate made with beans from Ghana. ⁣ ⁣ Here's a very brave one: 100% cacao by Swiss maker Kai from @taucherli_chocolate. No added sugar, or anything else, there's no way to hide any imperfections. 💯 The bar has a lovely sweet aroma of coconut sugar and spices. As it melts, it has a slight sourness reminiscent of tasting unsweetened dutched cocoa powder, but it is surrounded with a gentle sweetness. The taste reminds me of tonka beans, my favourite spice, a mixture of warming cinnamon and sweet vanilla. No astringency, very little acidity, finishing off like the rich bottom of a hot chocolate.⁣ 👏 ⁣ I was very happy to meet Kai at Chocoa in February and to try his other chocolates. Next time I want to get my hands on his Betulia bars as well. ⁣😋 ⁣ ⁣ ❓Have you already tasted craft chocolates made with cacao from Ghana? ⁣ ⁣ 📚💡For those of you interested in learning more about cacao in Ghana, I firmly recommend the book Cacao from Dr Kristy Leissle @docofchoc, or listen to her interview on @welltemperedpodcast.
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