Head in the Clouds...
I’ve always loved chocolate and after getting a taste of some Valrhona and Charbonel et Walker chocolate a few years ago, there was no going back to Cadbury’s (akin to a sin where I’m from – B’ham).
So when the opportunity arose to attend the Qype chocolate tasting with The Chocolate Consultant and learn all about what makes great chocolate, I was ecstatic. Louise, the founder of The Chocolate Consultant is clearly passionate about chocolate and her expertise and knowledge on the subject shone through as she educated us on the history of chocolate, where good cacao comes from and what exactly makes good chocolate.
Did you know that much of the chocolate we eat is made using diseased and mouldy cacao beans?? Just like bad coffee, the cacao beans for such chocolate is roasted at very high temperatures to remove the disease/mould and purify it, giving it a bitter, cardboard-ey taste. Often these chocolate companies also substitute cocoa butter for palm oil, which not only gives the chocolate an inferior taste, but is also detrimental to the rainforest.
As well as being extremely informative, the event involved tasting some of the most gorgeous chocolate I’ve tasted. Some of the names I remember are, Valrhona and Amado. Of course, to get the full benefit of the consultation, you really must book a session yourself. It’s an absolute treat and Louise is a fantastic teacher!
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