Where to find the perfect Cacao bean?
Well if this were coffee, a field we know too well from our experience building Truth Coffee, we would have called our most trusted match makers. Connecting farms and roasters. Well we tried that in Cacao.
Here is how it went:
Q: “What Varietals of Cacao do you have?”
A: “huh?”
Q: “OK, What Single Origins you have?”
A: “huh?”
Q: “Oh well, what flavour notes can you talk to us about?”
A: “huh?”
Q: “Can we buy from a specific Country?”
A: “oh yes, you want the good stuff? ok Madagascar?”
Well that was never going to work for us. So we began in our coffee network, and eventually, Sara Trioni turned up. Thank you Sara, and a world opened up to us.
We started getting beans from everywhere. And we mean everywhere.
A slow daunting process, made logistically dystopian with lockdowns everywhere.
But we were roasting tiny batches, conching, melanging, and all sorts of new words were being used in our conversations.
Finally we locked in. Sweet, awesome mouthfeel, chocolateyness. It was like all the good stuff from an illicit easter egg with no guilt. Yes! even the 10 year old taster approved.
We had done it. Naturally sweet chocolate with just milk (from New Zealand!, don’t ask!) two ingredients, and well, magic.
This is what we had found:
Go to that Wiki article. The shocking find about slavery. Two thousand Jewish children under the age of 8 were taken by the Portuguese to establish the island. For me this first chocolate is in their honour, and is the best way I can honour a forgotten piece of my people’s history.
David