Chocolate in Every Country

Belgian Chocolate Butter Creams

2011-11-25T21:01:00.001-08:00

Chocolate Butter Creams are delectable - soft and rich with a smooth melt and lingering chocolate flavor. In fact our award winning California Collection contains several butter creams handmade in the classic Belgian chocolate, French chocolate and Victorian chocolate butter cream tradition.

Homemade butter cream chocolates are fun to make and perfect for dessert. Here is one of the easiest chocolate butter cream recipes around. This is a chocolate recipe handed down from a Belgian chocolate master in Bruges.

2 Cups Santa Barbara Chocolate Cocoa Powder (a rich slightly alkalized cocoa powder)

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Cup Melted Salted Butter

1/4 Cup Whole Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Mix/Beat all ingredients thoroughly to a smooth fine whipped paste

Once you have your completed butter cream you can use it as a filling in a praline (Belgian chocolate style), you can pipe into starch molds (Victorian English chocolate style) or pipe into a long log roll, chill, cut and dip into chocolate (French chocolate style).

Probably the simplest way to enjoy this easy chocolate dessert is to spoon your buttercream into balls and roll in a mixture of cocoa powder and finely chopped nuts (hazelnuts for the European traditionalist). If needed, chill the butter cream mixture slightly to help set it up. Your creation may look rough around the edges but this is okay and is exactly how the earliest chocolate makers would have made chocolate butter creams.

Guaranteed everyone will be impressed with your classic chocolate making style and for sure everyone will love the impeccable taste of your traditional chocolate dessert.

The Best Chocolate - But How?

2011-11-25T19:22:00.000-08:00

Cocoa bean – Sourcing and testing

Top quality cocoa beans are required in making the best chocolate ingredients such as chocolate couverture and cocoa powder.

Expertise in cocoa bean sourcing as well as a secure broker infrastructure set up in growing areas,

allows Santa Barbara Chocolate to select the best cocoa beans available.

One country we get cocoa beans from in West Africa is the Ivory Coast which has more than 800,000 farmers growing cacao. Most of these family farms are very small, about 3 hectares in size. These small family cocoa farms play an important role in the quality level of the finished chocolate.

Family farmers give attention and love to their cocoa trees, along with proper pruning, fermenting and cacao drying which all contributes to top quality cocoa beans. By starting with the best ingredients such as family farm grown cocoa beans Santa Barbara Chocolate is able to make the best chocolate.

Santa Barbara Chocolate works with ethical brokers who buy cocoa beans directly from small family farms.

Hispaniola Organic Dark Chocolate Video

2011-07-24T03:47:00.000-07:00

Click here to watch a video about the Santa Barbara Chocolate organic Hispaniola Dark Chocolate.

How long will my chocolate last?

2011-06-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

How long will chocolate last?

It depends on which chocolate you are talking about but for general terms if stored at 60F and 50% humidity:

1) Solid Chocolates such as couvertures or bars: 1 year

2) California Collection of fruits, nuts, caramel, toffee and butter creams: 6 months

3) Truffles: 4 months

4) Truffles in 75 piece packs: 4 weeks

Santa Barbara All Natural 60% Dark Chocolate

2011-03-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

All Natural 60% Dark Chocolate Nutritional Specifications.

Santa Barbara Organic White Chocolate

2011-03-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is the nutritional specification for the Santa Barbara Chocolate organic white chocolate.

Cocoa Beans and The Roast

2011-03-06T21:01:00.000-08:00

So here's the secret as to why the Santa Barbara Chocolate Organic Fair Chocolate tastes great:

Some chocolate companies burn their cocoa beans with a heavy roast. This results in a strong bitter taste with not much depth. This is done to hide inferior quality cocoa bean flavors and off notes of acidity, metallic like flavors or even damp, musty flavors due to over ripe or over fermented cocoa beans. It also allows manufacturers to use less cocoa fiber (the dark part of the cocoa bean and the most expensive part) and still get a desired "dark" chocolate taste. Santa Barbara Chocolate Company does not over-roast or use inferior grade cocoa beans. Santa Barbara Chocolate Company never burns the cocoa beans to produce a flavor. What you get from Santa Barbara Chocolate is a true and balanced flavor of cocoa with no burnt aftertaste.

Guide to Raw Cacao and Cocoa Bean Flavors

2011-01-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

A very helpful guide to cocoa bean characteristics and flavors has been posted: Santa Barbara Chocolate Company

Santa Barbara Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies

2011-01-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to a great recipe that I enjoy making and eating the end result nearly every Friday night with a big glass of cold milk: Santa Barbara Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies. You'll become addicted as I have.

These are the two chocolates used for this recipe:

Sao Thome Dark Chocolate Chips

Rainforest Natural Cacao Powder

Who is Jason Vishnefske?

2010-12-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

Chocolatier Jason Vishnefske: click here.

Colin Cowie & Fabulous Friends

2010-12-18T03:28:00.000-08:00

Event designer Colin Cowie is at the zenith of his industry. He is also one of the kindest, most gracious and suave people we know. Attending a Colin Cowie event is a magical experience you'll never forget. We are honored that he has chosen Santa Barbara Chocolate to be a part of his fabulous friends. See his amazing website:

http://stage.colincowie.com/fabulous-friends/jason-vishnefske

The Cacao Tree Facts

2010-12-05T13:31:00.000-08:00

Cacao trees typically do not begin to bear fruit until they're 6 - 8 years of age. Some hybrids can produce fruit at 3 years. There are generally 2 crops a year. Cacao trees can have flowers and fruit at all stages year round. Sometime 1 tree will have over 6,000 flowers in a year. The Upper Amazon hybrid cacao tree produces the most fruit at the earliest age. Cacao is probably the most popular fruit in the world.

The Secret of the Chocolate Chip

2010-10-04T22:19:00.000-07:00

Santa Barbara Chocolate Company provides chocolate to several segments in the food industry. One of those segments is the artisan baker. The artisan baker is the baker who bakes fresh cookies, custom cakes, wedding cakes, cupcakes, tortes and more.

For most bakers the chocolate chip cookie is a regular seller and a mainstay on the menu. There are many recipes for chocolate chip cookies but some just work better then others.

But have you ever wondered why?

When it comes to adding chocolate to dough, to be a successful merger, proper fat content is critical for both the dough and the chocolate. At baking temperatures, fat from chocolate should transfer into dough while fat from the dough should transfer into the chocolate.

Have you ever seen a chocolate chip cookie where the chocolate was either runny or grayish? If it is runny, it's because the dough has too high a fat content and the chocolate chips have become over saturated with fat. If the chocolate is grayish, it is because the dough has too low of a fat content, leaching cocoa butter from the chocolate chips. These are examples where not enough fat has transferred into the chocolate from the dough and vice versa.

Through baking experiments we have discovered certain fats transfer from the dough into the chocolate better then others. For example, palm oil transfers faster then canola oil or even butter. With palm oil you can get that runny chocolate issue I mentioned above because of too much fat transfer too fast. Vegetable shortening transfers most evenly. Butter seems to be the next best option, transferring not as fast but evenly.

It is important to make sure your dough contains a fat that flows evenly, like butter or vegetable shortening. Also, your chocolate should have a lower fat content then the dough, so that the flow can occur. A good rule of thumb is to make sure to use at least an equal amount of fat by volume to chocolate (1 cup butter = 1 cup chocolate). If your recipe calls for, or if you prefer more chocolate then fat, you must use a lower fat chocolate with about 24% cocoa butter. We have a great chocolate chip designed for this exact situation. It is called The Forastero Baking Chip.

These Forastero Baking Chips contain only high quality chocolate and hold their soft mound shape without the addition of ingredients like dextrose or butter oil.

Now that you know the secret of the chocolate chip, why not have a hot cookie night?

Rain Forest Natural Cacao Powder Specs:

2010-09-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Santa Barbara Chocolate Rain Forest Natural Cacao Powder Data:

100% Pure Ground, Pressed Cacao, GMO Free, Vegan Friendly and Ethically Traded

Ingredients: Pure Cacao Powder.

PH 7.0
12% Cocoa Butter Fat

Serving Size: 1 tbl (5 g) Amount Per Serving: Calories: 10 (Calories from Fat: 5), Total Fat: .5g (1%), Saturated Fat: 0g (0%), Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg (0%), Sodium: 0mg (0%), Total Carbohydrate: 3g (1%), Dietary Fiber: 1g (6%), Sugars 0g, Protein: 1g. Vitamin A: 0%, Vitamin C: 0%, Calcium: 0%, Iron: 6%.

*Percent Daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Ecuador Organic Rainforest 85% Specs.

2010-06-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

Ecuador Rainforest Organic 85% Fair Trade - manufacturer's specifications

The samples listed are for 100 grams: KJ x .239= calories and µg = 1/1,000,000 gram

Ecuador Organic Rainforest 72% Specs.

2010-06-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

Ecuador Rainforest Organic 72% Fair Trade - manufacturer's specifications.

The samples listed are for 100 grams: KJ x .239= calories and µg = 1/1,000,000 gram

Food from the Heart

2010-04-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

I read in one of my chocolate trade journals that Ball Canning Supply had a great year in 2009, even though many other companies went bankrupt that year. The management of Ball said they think this is directly the result of the recession. With a shortened money supply and a stronger interest in spending time at home, many families started canning their own foods again. I suspect for many this at first doesn't seem as much fun as going out for dinner and a movie, but I bet many people who did this, found this activity to be a great alternative form of entertainment.

If you're reading this blog you might feel the same way as I do. You already know how something made at home can taste. You're in charge of the quality, the ingredients and the time placed into each food produced; as a result, everything tastes the best ever. Baking a cake or cookies at home is not only therapeutic, but also a huge hit with everyone who gets to sample the exquisite result.

Probably one of the most important ingredients placed in home cooking and baking that makes the food taste so good is the non-tangible ingredient of LOVE. There's a certain amount of heartfelt love and effort placed into each item made at home, and I have to say that is the secret ingredient that makes the difference.

My mom Lynnea is one of us, a home baker that loves sharing from her heart. Lynnea hasn't been trained professionally as a chef or baker. She is a self taught baking wizard, and I'm guessing this is due to her being raised on a Kansas farm and being highly motivated to be good at a craft that makes everyone happy.

I asked mom to share with me some of her thoughts on baking and chocolate making etc. You'll see some of her posts here. Mom's recipes are basic but good. These easy recipes are for you to share what you love doing with your friends and family.

The picture above shows mom at home in Kansas right after baking cookies chocolate chip cookies (my personal favorite). Her beloved Jack Russell Terrier Louie sits with her. Louie passed away in 2009.

Mom's Homemade Chocolate Cake

2010-04-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

Mom and Grandma above (I think they are shopping for more unnecessary trinkets). Mom's writing below:

When I was younger, I asked what is it all about? I think living is about loving, learning and just being in this beautiful world. Learn to dream about it and let it happen.

If I start baking or cooking, I am doing my meditation. I am creating. It becomes a dance and my partner is what I am creating.

If I can be just one little bit like my mother, I will have accomplished a wonderful thing to be. I have spent the last couple of days with this colorful, persistent lady who at 85 has mastered

the most important thing in cooking or baking-- she makes you feel like you are the only one she has been working over the stove for.

The love from her is overwhelming, just looking into those wise blue eyes, she is saying you are the most important person in her home and the food is her gift to you. She has said, " I've just got to give love, somehow, someway." Cooking became that vessel for her. Loving others through food is as old as time, and my wonderful mother is proof in that. All those years I thought it was just food on the table, my heart now knows better.

Love = me showing you a small way of what I can create, maybe through cooking or baking something special for you.

72% Ecuador Organic chocolate being tested as I write this, creamy, dark can't wait to taste chocolate cake in the oven. To be continued with the results, and recipe if all goes well...

Organic Chocolate Cake

2010-04-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

Mom's latest creation and thoughts:

The cake was wonderful,"was" because Harry (my husband) who doesn't like chocolate, ate most of it. He said it tasted better than any cheese cake (this cake doesn't contain any cream cheese however) he has ever tasted.... not too bitter. Harry loves milk chocolate and I actually used the dark chocolate. In fact I used the 72% organic extra dark chocolate! I love dark chocolate and I plan to make the cake again with the 85% just to try it out. I like to feel the cocoa burst after the first bite, then satisfied you can go back for more later.

The cake was homemade "art," which rose on the sides of the pan, leaving a center you could fill with fresh fruit and top with whipping cream (I bet it would taste like a large chocolate filled truffle.). I topped with some powdered sugar because I like the full effect of the Chocolate flavor.

Carb counters would like this desert and the calories aren't too bad either, especially knowing you are getting antioxidants to boot!

Here we go. Love it, and so much love in each slice. The chocolate flavor is big and satisfying. The texture is so creamy, melts in your mouth like cheesecake, yet with only 4 Tablespoons of flour resembles a cake. You can do so much with this recipe, leave simple or add other toppings.

I was greatly impressed with the melting quality of this chocolate by the way. I have never used any chocolate that melted so well at such a low heat.

So I say love someone today, even from afar, you never know if you will see them again, better yet send them the recipe, or make it for them:

Pre-heat oven to 400degrees: Generously butter and dust pan with flour. I sometimes use Pam spray for baking which works great.

12 ounces of 72% Ecuador Rainforest Organic extra dark chocolate (Santa Barbara Chocolate) This chocolate makes a great snack on it's own!!!!

2 Sticks of salted butter

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat.

Remove from heat and whisk in:

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1 cup of brown sugar

4 eggs, beat in one at a time

Stir in 5 Tablespoons flour - gently

Pour into 9 to 10" pan

Tap pan on counter to raise out air

Bake 20 to 23 minutes or until a knife comes out clean and run knife around edge of pan.

Cool 15 minutes, unmold right-side-up.

Decorate with powdered sugar and serve with warm melted chocolate (Santa Barbara Ecuador Organic 72% dark chocolate) and whipped cream.

Serves about 10. Per serving: 333 calories, 30 carbs, 5 g protein

Please try it and think of a name for this desert!!! Thanks

Cacao Prices on the Move Upward

2010-04-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

For those of you interested...Cocoa bean processing this first quarter here in North America bounced up 16% while the expected cocoa grindings in Europe increased by 8% for this coming May.

The May delivery spots for raw cacao in the European market are running $3,355 for a pallet (Imperial 1 ton).

I think all of this points to a few different possibilities. The most important possibility is this is a sign that there is a slowing of the downward spiral of world wide depression/recession. The other possibility is there will be an increase in cocoa powder availability by June, thus ending a world wide shortage.

So, there's no better time to be in the cosmetics industry then now. And if you're already in the cosmetics industry, this is the time to switch from that horrible cheap shea butter and go back to the good stuff that really works like cocoa butter.

Cacao is a fruit.

2010-04-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

Ingrid Cuk took this great photo of an organic cacao pod being grown in Ecuador. From these Ecuador cacao fruits we make our exclusive blend of Ecuador Rain Forest Organic Chocolates.

Ingrid is an associate and chocolatier friend located in Buenos Aires Argentina.

Thank you Ingrid.

Healthy Chocolate & Lower Blood Pressure

2010-04-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Did you know eating chocolate is a great way to control blood pressure and protect the heart? Several studies have found those who eat chocolate daily have significantly lower blood pressure than those that don't. Dark chocolate especially seems to reduce the risk of stroke. Chocolate eaters have been found to have blood pressure readings that are one point lower for both systolic and diastolic then non chocolate eaters. Also, individuals who ate chocolate had a 39 percent lower risk in heart attack and stroke. Dark chocolate is especially good because it is high in antioxidant flavonols.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. The products represented are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Chocolate and Wine Pairing

2010-03-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

Both chocolate and red wine contain heart healthy antioxidants known as flavanols. Additionally, chocolate contains compounds that helps cause our brain to release serotonin hormones which can affect our mood in a good way - making us feel happy and comfortable. So fortunately, enjoying some chocolate and wine together can be a fun and healthy experience.

There are a few basic guidelines when pairing wine with chocolate which I've found make the nicest flavor combinations. Try your own pairings to see what works best for you. The basic idea is to keep the wine within the same sweetness range as the chocolate. In other words, combine light chocolates with lighter wines and darker chocolates with bold red wines. The one exception to this basic guideline is that when it comes to champagne, you pretty much can pair it with any type of chocolate.

Have lots of fun hosting your chocolate and wine tasting party this weekend. It's okay to eat too much chocolate, but don't drink too much wine or you may regret it in the morning. ;)

White Chocolate: Dessert Wines

Milk Chocolate (34% cocoa solids): Pinot Noir

Dark Milk Chocolate (41% cocoa solids): Merlot

Dark Chocolate (66% - 72% cocoa solids): Shiraz and Zinfandel

Extra Dark Chocolate (85% cocoa solids): Cabernet Sauvignon and Port

Make it a Santa Barbara Chocolate Hot Cookie Saturday Night!

2010-02-25T13:55:00.000-08:00

Everybody loves a Santa Barbara Chocolate hot cookie fresh out of the oven. Nothing beats the aroma of fresh baked cookies in the house. They are a better value, easy to make and far tastier then any pre-made cookie dough. Treat yourself to an authentic hot cookie!

So which Santa Barbara Chocolate is best for baking fresh hot cookies at home?

The Forastero baking chips are perfect for chocolate chip cookies because they maintain their soft mound shape when baked. Your chocolate chip cookies will be bursting with yummy chocolate! The Forastero Chips will also take your brownies to a whole new level of chocolate bliss.

Easy Chocolate Tempering Instructions

2010-02-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

Santa Barbara Chocolate offers many different types of chocolate to chocolate lovers world wide. Because our chocolates are pure and natural with only real cocoa butter from the cacao tree, they require tempering to achieve a shiny finish when moulding or hand dipping.

I personally work with all of the Santa Barbara bulk chocolates so with first hand experience I can offer technical advice and support for chocolatiers and confectioners who want to know how to use our chocolates with the greatest success. When it comes to tempering our chocolates with the best shine and cleanest look for making handmade truffles, I recommend following the quick and easy tempering guideline we created (see the chart).

Due to the fact we use the best cocoa butter and ingredients in our chocolates, this quick tempering method works. This method only works with high quality pure chocolate. It is extremely important to use a very accurate digital read thermometer.

Who is Santa Barbara Chocolate?

2010-02-24T16:48:00.000-08:00

Last week at the gym my friend Paul suggested I come up with the company history of Santa Barbara Chocolate to share with everyone on the blog. Paul mentioned as a customer he likes to know a company's history. So with his help and help from the office we came up with a short biography of Santa Barbara Chocolate.

-Jason

Company History:

California based Santa Barbara Chocolate Company, founded by Matt Lansford and Jason Vishnefske in 1992, is a registered trademark company purveying exotic chocolates and cocoas from around the world. Organic chocolates and single origin varieties from countries like Peru, Ecuador and Cameroon, fair trade and earth friendly healthy products are the focus of Santa Barbara Chocolate Company.

The Santa Barbara Chocolate brand of raw chocolate is used by chocolatiers, patisseries, bakers and chocolate enthusiasts seeking healthy chocolate alternatives, including those extremely high in cocoa flavanols (antioxidants) and probiotics which science has proven to be beneficial to the human body. Also available through their website are many finished products including organic chocolate truffles, bon bons, California chocolates containing fruits and nuts, imported European classics and cocoa in many forms.

Master Chocolatier Jason Vishnefske's family history of purveying chocolate originated in nineteenth century Prague, Czech Republic. As a boy in Kansas, he mastered the secret family recipes and learned about the cocoa trade. Then while attending college in 1992, at a time when chocolate was considered only candy, Jason started developing new recipes more consistent with his passion for physical fitness and well being. He began importing exotic types of raw chocolate from around the world, blending them and recruiting fellow students for test marketing thus forming the Santa Barbara Chocolate Company.

Santa Barbara Chocolate Company supports pure plantation and organic natural cacao growing methods, thereby encouraging eco-friendly farming techniques that further sustainability and fair pay for the farmer. Developing these relationships with ethical cacao brokers and farmer co-ops helps to ensure the consistent supply of quality origin cacao. The best cacao varieties are selected, fermented and dried in the country of origin. The beans are then cleaned, roasted, ground and crafted to precise specifications allowing the taster to experience the full flavor unique to that cacao genotype and growing region. Facilities are ISO certified, operating according to the highest hygienic standards in the industry. Independent microanalysis lab testing guarantees the utmost food safety, highest quality and best flavor cacao products available.

Santa Barbara Chocolate Company celebrity clients include Wolfgang Puck, Kelsey Grammer, Charlie Sheen, Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Nicholson and Oprah Winfrey. US Army troops based at Camp Freedom Iraq, sailors aboard the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier and guests at two Presidential Inaugural Balls have enjoyed Santa Barbara Chocolates.

Chocolate from Azerbaijan

2009-12-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

Our agent Raul is working on a project in Azerbaijan. Raul said the chocolate he has enjoyed the most is a milk chocolate with almonds and orange peel by Ulduz.

Visiting Paris

2009-12-12T16:02:00.000-08:00

Paris is truly one of the most special cities of the world and I recommend everyone visit this great city at least once. Here are a couple of my recommendations on a Parisian vacation.

A vacation rental is definitely less expensive then a hotel and can often be incredibly luxurious at a great value. I would recommend staying in a hotel for a few days when you first arrive then moving to a vacation rental. Sometimes rentals are very different in person then what you find in the photos. If you start out in a hotel you have many more options. This is the area of the city I would recommend staying if you get a vacation rental (touristy locations nearby, safe and generally nicer places). If you choose a rental that is on the 6th floor of a building, make sure they have an elevator and also look to see if there's a fire escape.

Vacation Rental site link.

I really like this hotel because it is situated in a typical Parisian neighborhood (it is a business hotel mostly). It is a bit of a walk to tourist locations but it is an easy hotel to deal with, affordable and very clean/nice. The breakfast is excellent (generally comes with your room). The front desk staff speaks excellent English also. Oh and on Sundays there's a really deluxe outdoor market right outside the hotel (incredible fresh cheese and chocolate).

Hotel link.

This is an obscure chocolatier on a very cute street. He's an excellent chocolatier that specializes in fresh cream chocolates for his local neighborhood. His prices are reasonable, yet he is one of the best in Paris.

Charles Chocolatier Paris link.

Please let me know about your trip and share with us how it goes.

Hard Working Cacao Farmer

2009-12-06T18:57:00.000-08:00

Growing cacao (cocoa beans) is no easy task and I have to say that chocolate is an incredible value. I don't know of any other food on the market that requires as much effort as cacao and is priced at such a reasonable value.

Just look at one aspect of cacao production and this is with the small family farm that actually grows cacao.

Cacao is a fruit that is grown in equatorial regions on small family farms generally no larger then 5 acres. With climate change and delicate trees, losses in cacao cultivation on any given farm can reach as high as 75%. The average harvest per cacao tree is about 20 pods and each pod produces about 1.5 oz of dry cocoa beans. Considering the tree losses, size of the farm and yield the average cacao farm produces 1 ton of cacao per year.

Now keep in mind there's still a lot more work that goes into making that raw cacao into chocolate (i.e. transport, roasting grinding, packaging, delivery etc), so the farmer is not getting paid the direct price of what you buy your chocolate bar. If the farmer is not part of a CO-OP, Direct Trade or Fair Trade program, they get paid less and might only earn $2,000 for that ton. This equates to $5.48/day in earnings. But that's not all profit to go out and buy food, clothing and necessities. Out of the $5.48 a day there's the hard material expenses of caring for the cacao, harvesting, fermenting, drying, packaging etc. That reduces those earnings to about $1.50/day if the farmer is efficient and lucky. So from a labor stand point, the average farmer probably works 10 hours a day and that means he earns $00.15/hour. The farm laborers that grow and harvest cacao therefore support their family and home on 15 cents an hour! Even in a third world nation this is considered a low pay with a lot of hard work.

Okay, so why isn't the farmer getting more? There's several factors. One possible reason to be considered is that some choose to buy inexpensive mass produced chocolate from manufacturers that have motivations to keep the farmers underpaid so they can continue to offer "cheap" chocolate. Remember someone in the supply chain is working for only 15 cents an hour. ****I have to add that a very select group of producers of mass made inexpensive chocolate do pay living wages, but one would need to research this thoroughly to know who is actively involved. One company that I know of that works closely with the farmers of Ghana to ensure living wages is Cadbury of England.

What if we all were to choose chocolate that was grown ethically and the farmers were paid a true living wage? The direct result would be the quality of life would improve greatly for that farmer in higher wages. The higher wages would further motivate the farmer to keep growing cacao, making high quality chocolate for all to enjoy. Across the board the quality of chocolate would go up, people would be happy and motivated to consider their actions and implications. Fortunately many companies here in the USA realize the importance of making life better for farmers and are actively getting involved.

So, chocolate is an incredible value and it can always be a value, but it doesn't need to be at someone's expense. The market is driven by consumer's choices and if you, the person who likes to eat chocolate, chooses to buy chocolate from suppliers that care and that are fair, you can have a direct effect on an individual's life. I'm very proud to say Santa Barbara Chocolate Co chooses to buy from grinders that care. Santa Barbara Chocolate works with farmers, CO-OPs, brokers and suppliers that have a vested interest in making this a better world for all. So let's all have our chocolate and eat it too.

Click here for Direct Trade Organic Chocolate.

The Global Chocolate Market

2009-10-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

From all appearances it looks like things are changing in the global chocolate market and changing fast! Raw cacao has been trading at $3,200 per 2,000 lbs on the New York Stock Exchange and continues to go up. World wide there have been issues with cacao growing associated with climate change. The cacao orchards just haven't been producing the fruit to meet current demand. This is part of the continued motivation behind some of the big chocolate companies to keep adding more and more cheap fillers to their chocolate -it helps keep their costs down.

Even with prices influx, chocolate is still one of the very best values anywhere, and as a consumer who enjoys chocolate should continue to only choose pure chocolate that hasn't been cheapened with fillers. This why I always recommend buying from the small artisan chocolatier that cares about quality and ingredients - basically companies like us Santa Barbara Chocolate Co.

If you consider how much effort goes into making 1 chocolate truffle or 1 chocolate bar it makes sense why high quality pure chocolate is the best value around: Cacao is grown in the tropical rain forests at the equator, it is hand picked, fermented and transported along unimproved roads in the country of origin to a port, shipped thousands of miles to a state of the art facility in Europe where the raw cacao is transformed into chocolate couverture. The chocolate couverture is packaged and delivered to distributors and then trucked to smaller artisan chocolatiers who work using time honored labor intensive techniques to transform this chocolate into fresh cream truffles or pure chocolate bars. These truffles and bars are hand wrapped, carefully packed and offered with beautiful presentation. Looking at this lengthy chain of events you can see why high quality artisan chocolate is an incredible value. Honestly, it is pound for pound one of the best values anywhere really.

Here are two articles from Reuters that helps sum up what is happening in the current cocoa markets and you can basically see what is forecast.

Fall 2009

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - The world's biggest cocoa supplier, Ivory Coast, closed the book on its worst harvest in at least five years on Monday, and exporters aren't expecting the new season to be any better.

Loads of cocoa beans arriving at ports from the West African nation's plantations lagged last year by nearly 14 percent, reaching just 1,178,526 tonnes during the October 1 through September 30 season, according to official data.

Weak production from the key world exporter, scarred by a 2002-03 civil war and racked by years of underinvestment, can bolster cocoa prices on the London and New York exchanges by restricting supply to market.

Last year, cocoa arrivals at the main ports of Abidjan and San Pedro hit 1,367,877 tonnes -- the second best performance since the 2004-05 season thanks to good growing weather.

But black pod disease and crumbling infrastructure have weighed heavily on Ivory Coast cocoa output.

Exporters polled by Reuters last week said they projected the 2009-2010 season to run between 1 and 1.15 million tonnes.

During the first four days of the new season, cocoa arrivals hit 6,500 tonnes, according to exporter estimates, well below last year's 9,692 tonnes for the same period.

"The quality is good and there's no evidence of problems with the beans. We hope it continues like that. Last year there were too many problems," said the director of an export company in San Pedro.

LONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Cocoa futures soared to a 24-1/2 year high in London on Monday with fund buying possibly providing the spark to trigger a wave of automatic buy-stops against a backdrop of bullish fundamentals.

Prices on both Liffe and ICE suddenly surged with the U.S. market rising almost $200 within a minute.

"It could have been buying by a big fund (which triggered the rise). We're a bit bemused," one London dealer said.

December cocoa on ICE rose to a peak $3,268 a tonne before the exchange cancelled all transactions at or above $3,256.

The front month ended nearly eight percent higher at $3,240 a tonne after subsequently setting a new peak of $3,259 a tonne.

March cocoa futures in London ended 145 pounds higher at 2,153 pounds a tonne after setting a 24-1/2 year high for the benchmark second month of 2,156 pounds.

NYSE Liffe said all trades in the London market would stand.

Dealers said market fundamentals remained bullish, buoyed by declining production in Ivory Coast and talk that demand may be beginning to revive after a downturn earlier this year.

The world's biggest cocoa supplier, Ivory Coast, closed the book on its worst harvest in at least five years on Monday, and exporters aren't expecting the new season to be any better.

BNP Paribas Fortis, in a report issued last week, forecast a global cocoa deficit of 56,000 tonnes in 2009/10 versus a shortfall of 28,000 tonnes in 2008/09.

"We know there is not going to be enough, it is just (a question of) how far short we fall," one London dealer said.

Proud Moments

2009-10-03T18:14:00.001-07:00

I spent this Saturday looking through some of Santa Barbara Chocolate's records and reflected on many of the experiences I've had with this company. I have to say I identify with Santa Barbara Chocolate as an individual like a living person, even though it is a business entity. I think what I do more than anything is what many small business people do... that is put my heart and soul into all aspects of the business thereby giving the company a personality with all the positive and fun traits you'd find in a very good friend.

While I was looking at the records I really enjoyed thinking about the more famous clients we have had over the past years. I'm proud to say that Santa Barbara Chocolate has been enjoyed by guests at two Presidential Inaugural Balls along with many celebrities including Kelsey Grammer, Oprah, Ozzy Osbourne and Jack Nicholson. Our chocolates have also been enjoyed by US Army troops based at Camp Freedom in Iraq (shipping in the summer to Iraq requires very special handling with many chill packs).

One of the most special moments for me personally was when we provided our bittersweet dark chocolate to the very professional chefs aboard the famous aircraft carrier USS CV67 John F. Kennedy. Our Santa Barbara Chocolate was used in preparing dessert for dignitaries aboard the John F. Kennedy during the July 4th 2000 International Naval Review by President Bill Clinton. I was informed that one of the most popular desserts made using our chocolate was a dark chocolate fondue served with fresh tropical fruit and butter cookies.

I feel very honored that Santa Barbara Chocolate Co. was chosen for such an illustrious event and enjoyed by the hard working and good people of The US Navy. The future holds many new opportunities and I bet in a few years from now I will spend a Saturday just like I did today. Thank you for making it so much fun.

Terrible Truffles in Victoria Canada

2009-09-08T01:12:00.000-07:00

The artisan chocolate company with the oxymoron name Terrible Truffles is located in Victoria Canada. A very memorable name, but the truth is Terrible Truffles offers some of the most terrific truffles which are terribly good.

Gold medalist chocolatier, David Booth, hand crafts his exquisite creations using a combination of Schokinag chocolate couverture and Lindt chocolate. My personal favorite is David's classic dark chocolate truffle with an extra delicate coating and very smooth, delectable center. David's chocolates are some of the finest examples of hand crafted chocolates.

David and his wife Vlasta own and operate the cute and comfortable Humboldt House Bed & Breakfast where I fully recommend a visit.

Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates

2009-09-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates

Wichita Kansas

One of the nicest and best chocolatiers I know lives in my old hometown of Wichita Kansas. Beth Tully, owner and maitre chocolatier of Cocoa Dolce makes some of the finest chocolates available.

Beth hand crafts each masterful chocolate piece with fresh ingredients and a keen sense of how fine chocolates should taste. She's a graduate of Ecole Chocolat's professional chocoaltier program taught in Vancouver Canada and has put her experience to good work in her beautiful shop.

Cocoa Dolce is growing rapidly with a lot of press and has clients that include the famous Dean & Duluca Market. Beth is as friendly as a day is long with good Kansas cheer even on a busy day. Patrons are free to talk and ask questions and she'll take the time to explain anything you might want to know about hand crafted chocolates or how she got her inspiration in creating her unique and pleasant flavors.

My personal favorite is her signature Cocoa Dolce chocolate with the CD cocoa butter transfer on top. This dark chocolate ganache is a delicate balance of fresh orange and cinnamon perfectly blended together. I'd recommend sipping a cup of very fine Earl Grey Tea while savoring this chocolate.

Beth originally chose an array of Belgian Callebaut couvertures to use in creating her chocolates, but I strongly suspect she's going to switch and become one of our fellow chocolate comrades that use Santa Barbara Chocolate Couverture to craft beautiful and tasty chocolates. ;)

Red Cocoa and High Antioxidant Value

2009-09-04T23:23:00.000-07:00

The Hershey Company spends many dollars every year in research and development along with looking at the trends that will continue beyond a mere novelty. Like all smart and successful businesses they look for ways to stay at the cutting edge.

The biggest chocolate trend that seems to be much more then a trend but rather an expectation and realization of all chocolate is the increasing / concentrating or maintaining of healthy cocoa antioxidants in a chocolate product. It is sorta like the current health conscious popularity of concentrating anti-cancerous resveratrol from red grape skins and then placing it back into grape juice or other drinks.

The problem is when cocoa beans are heavily fermented or processed they start to loose their natural cocoa antioxidant value. There are many ways of keeping the antioxidant value high in chocolate or cocoa, but the good people over at Hershey mentioned to me a new exclusively patented way of doing it. In addition to keeping the Hershey cocoa antioxidant value high, an added benefit is a nice red color.

Hershey achieves this goal using underfermented or unfermented cocoa beans that are treated with an acid composition. The acid treatment is used in place of the dutch process or alkalization of the cocoa beans. As a result a distinct red hue develops while high levels of cocoa antioxidants are maintained and/or developed. This clever method was invented by the very smart Hershey engineers Holmgren, Miller Stuart and Wang.

I would like to add that our Borneo Red Cocoa has a naturally red hue. Also 1 oz of our Santa Barbara Chocolate bittersweet Kumba already has as much antioxidant value as about 2 large glasses of red wine.

This is all me

2009-08-29T23:03:00.000-07:00

I'm supposed to say this: This blog is my opinion only and the views, ideas and thoughts expressed here are not necessarily the same as Santa Barbara Chocolate Co. and its employees or affiliates. This blog is my personal opinion only and should be read, enjoyed and followed for entertainment purposes only. :)

Sly's Restaurant in Carpinteria - One of a Kind

2009-08-06T02:13:00.000-07:00

SLY's

From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave you are greeted and treated like a special friend at Sly's Restaurant in Carpinteria California. World renowned chef James Sly and his lovely wife Annie have made their restaurant a true reflection of their own personalities and passion.

Sly's is a warm and inviting casual dress restaurant with white table cloth service and an outstanding wine selection. It is also one of the few restaurants that makes their own dressings, sauces and creations all from scratch. James' expertise in creating the classic recipes shows through with exquisite taste, top notch flavor and beautiful presentation. James Sly selects the very best ingredients available and then adds his world class touch to each meal.

I enjoyed an incredible dinner of a clam chowder appetizer, fresh baked bread, real California abalone (try to find that on a menu somewhere other then Sly's) and farmer's market fresh garden eggplant and fennel root vegetables grilled to perfection. The dessert of course was incomparable. James uses our cocoa and Kumba chocolate range in crafting a deep, very dark chocolate cake that is not too sweet. His outrageous pecan salted caramel chocolate sundae is a must have.

What is Sly's recipe for success? It is attention to detail, quality, value and love put into every morsel. I hope you and your family take the time to visit Santa Barbara County's newest landmark, Sly's in Carpinteria.

Death by Chocolate

2009-08-04T00:22:00.000-07:00

Death by Chocolate is generally my favorite menu item... chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, chocolate mousse, chocolate ice cream and chocolate fudge sauce. After that type of indulgence the meaning of the dessert name becomes self evident. But the reality of the situation is actually yes, it is possible. Well how much though and why?

If we exclude the actual impossibility of eating this much chocolate in one sitting it would be 22 lb. of chocolate for a 170 lb. individual. This translates to eating about 40 of our Valrhona chocolate bars in a time period of about 30 minutes - not likely possible to complete (well unless you are really a true chocolate fiend). ;)

What would be the culprit ingredient in chocolate that could bring a chocolate fiend to his or her demise? The answer is the ingredient that makes chocolate so addictive, and it is also the ingredient that would compel the chocolate fiend to try to eat 22 lb. all at once...Theobromine.

Theobromine is the natural plant alkaloid and nerve stimulant that is in chocolate and tea by the way. Anyhow, theobromine gives you that euphoric feeling and "pick me up" not to mention it has aphrodisiac properties.

So my recommendation is to enjoy your chocolate without fear.

No Melt Chocolate by Callebaut

2009-08-03T00:58:00.000-07:00

The world's largest chocolate maker, Callebaut with corporate offices based in Switzerland and Belgium, is about to introduce a reduced calorie chocolate that does not melt due to heat - yes that's right...A CHOCOLATE THAT DOESN'T MELT DUE TO HEAT. Well of course we all ask what? why? how? isn't that called wax?

Callebaut's core business is contract manufacturing and this new chocolate has been created specifically for their contract customers. This new chocolate by Callebaut is called the Volcano and is scheduled to hit the store shelves in about two years. With Callebaut's growing list of customers including Hershey (yes Callebaut makes some chocolates for Hershey), Nestlé and Cadbury Schweppes there is a growing interest to reduce cost of refrigerated handling and hot weather handling. This will maximize profits in the USA and also allow companies to introduce their chocolate to new markets including India and China. Callebaut expects skeptical customers will be interested in trying it because of the reduced calorie content. The melt proof Callebaut Volcano chocolate will melt due to one's saliva and not due to heat.

Callebaut believes the melt proof Volcano chocolate will be a huge success helping further maximize profits.

CHOCOLATE BUNNY WARS!

2009-07-27T12:31:00.001-07:00

Below you will see two very cute foil wrapped chocolate bunnies. The first is made by the Swiss chocolate giant Lindt & Sprungli, the second little fellow is from master chocolate maker Hauswirth based in Austria. Both chocolate bunnies look similar because this is a traditional chocolate mould shape that dates back to the 1930s. This particular chocolate bunny mould shape is a successful one because it is very sturdy and actually quite light in weight considering the size of the chocolate bunny.

But here is the difference between the two chocolate bunnies: Lindt & Sprungli makes many millions more of these bunnies then any other chocolate company. Because of this, Lindt decided they needed to protect their gold bunny investment and trademarked the three dimensional shape as an exclusive design shape and look to Lindt & Sprungli.

Lindt claims this is a unique shape and bunny likeness exclusive to their company. Lindt has also brought lawsuits against chocolate companies, like Hauswirth, that have been making this bunny shaped chocolate for many years before Lindt even started doing it. Lindt infact won a settlement against the German chocolate maker Hans Riegelein & Sohn which forced them to stop making gold foiled chocolate bunnies of similar shape. Lindt's claim is that the competitor's gold chocolate bunnies are confusingly similar and that this particular look is a Lindt exclusive. The European Austrian High Court will make the final ruling on if Lindt will capture the cute bunny.

Chocolate is a Lot Like People

2009-07-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

Last night while enjoying one of our Valrhona organic chocolate bars, I realized that chocolate has a personality just like people. What I mean by this is, have you ever met an individual that you just didn't care for initially, but once you got to know them and their intricacies you found that this individual is actually a great person - maybe even a best friend? I have had this experience myself both with people and chocolate.

When I first tried the Valrhona Cao Grande Dark 70% Organic Chocolate I didn't know what to think. Valrhona's chocolate is complex with strong flavor notes of fruit, bitterness and acidity. The flavor is truly grand and not modest in any way. My first reaction was that this chocolate has too many flavors with too big of a personality. Later on when I actually took the time to relax, slow down and just enjoy a piece of chocolate, I realized how brilliant of a chocolate Valrhona had created. The flavors unveil themselves in a complex array much like an individual might slowly unveil their own personality. The layers of complexity of this chocolate are truly remarkable - much like an individual.

So, I recommend trying one of our Valrhona chocolate bars and sharing it with someone you'd like to know better. It will be worthwhile time spent - even if it is only the chocolate you end up liking.

Camel's Milk Chocolate

2009-07-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

In an earlier blog post I mentioned Al Nassma, the chocolate company based in the United Arab Emirates that has partnered with the Austrian chocolate maker Josef Manner in introducing the first milk chocolate made with camel's milk.

Last week one of our Santa Barbara Chocolate Middle East agents, Nick, sent an extensive sample pack of all different types of chocolate from Al Nassma, including camel's milk chocolate.

I really enjoy the flavor of the camel's milk chocolate and find it to be a great alternative to traditional milk chocolate. Al Nassma's camel's milk chocolate has a pleasant cocoa flavor with balanced sweetness and a rich, buttery, milk flavor with a lingering slight acidity. I think Al Nassma has a winner in this new niche chocolate. Some of the other samples Nick sent included dates stuffed with pistachios and assorted nut pastes enrobed in milk and dark chocolate (a favorite combination of mine since I was a kid). He also included the Al Nassma camel's milk chocolate with orange and macadamia - my favorite from Al Nassma. The camel's milk chocolate with orange and macadamia has very fragrant orange oil and orange zest along with nibbed macadamias. This combination balances perfectly with the full flavor of camel's milk chocolate (slightly crunchy texture, smooth melt and big orange flavor).

Camel's milk is lower fat with a higher mineral content then cow's milk. Interestingly it is also much higher in vitamin C, doesn't curdle and is easier for individuals that are lactose intolerant to enjoy.

I have a lot of respect for Al Nassma and their extra fine chocolate creation. I think this will probably be a big hit for them and will likely go into the chocolate history books as a great chocolate with ingenious marketing.

Czech Chocolate Recipe

2009-06-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

In Prague Czech Republic my family had been making and selling chocolates, pastries and baked goods for almost a century before immigrating to The United States and settling originally in Kansas. When my great grandmother passed away I was given her confectionery recipes that her mother started writing and developing back in Prague.

I've studied the recipes carefully and some of these original recipes are used by Santa Barbara Chocolate Co. today. Here's one of my great grandmother's European Czech recipes which is very easy and a perfect summer time tasty treat for Fourth of July (I modernized it slightly by including a blender):

Serves: 1

2 large bananas peeled

1/2 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (Our Borneo Red Cocoa works great - make sure the cocoa you use is alkalized / "Dutch Process" this is very important)

1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I like Bourbon/Madagascar vanilla)

8 medium ice cubes

Place everything in the blender and blend high until smooth.

Squeeze a few drops of lime onto the top of the chocolate drink once poured.

Enjoy ice cold with a garnish of lime.

Happy Fourth of July! The USA is a great place to be and we are all very lucky.

Chocolate from India

2009-06-28T00:50:00.000-07:00

Cacao is grown in many equatorial nations from West Africa to South America to Oceania. Interestingly cacao has never been grown widely in equatorial India, even though it has an ideal climate.

Last week I was speaking with our Santa Barbara Chocolate agent in Malaysia and he told me how Cadbury, the famous milk chocolate maker of the Dairy Milk chocolate bar, is planning to expand growing cacao in India. This makes a lot of sense because India is a politically stable country with a lot of capacity for cacao growing.

Cadbury hopes to persuade 20 percent of India's coconut farmers to include cacao farming in their plantations. If Cadbury is successful, Indian production of cacao could be up to 150,000 metric tons a year. This would equate to about 3 percent of the world's total production of raw cacao.

Just think, chocolate might end up being on the menu along with madras, curry and tandori.

Where Does Santa Barbara Chocolate Process Cacao?

2009-06-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

One question I get asked frequently is: "Where does Santa Barbara Chocolate Co. process cocoa beans." To answer this question adequately it takes a little explanation.

Santa Barbara Chocolate Co. is a small company when compared to the big manufacturer's that process raw cacao into chocolate couverture to be used for bakery, pastry or confectionery. Most companies that process raw cacao into chocolate couverture are giant international companies with sales in excess of $500,000,000 annually. There are a lot of companies that claim to make their own couverture but what they actually do is blend and melt a variety of chocolates to make their own finished custom flavored formula. Then there are others on a very small scale that are roasting and grinding cacao and actually making small batches of chocolate. One company that I have a lot of respect for that does this, and makes great chocolate, is Askinosie Chocolate in Springfield Missouri. The downside of this type of small operation is high cost and difficulty in sourcing the best raw ingredients.

Our approach is completely different yet but I feel our approach will deliver the very best chocolate consistently with a secure infrastructure that regularly audits our systems and procedures.

All of us here at Santa Barbara Chocolate Co. have developed relationships with a close knit group of cacao brokers and farmers that act as a co-op ensuring top quality ethically traded cacao of unique origin. Our cacao is graded, fermented and dried in the origin country it was grown. We ship our cacao to Europe where it is cleaned, roasted, ground and manufactured to our precise recipes which we developed through extensive trial and error. We have chosen this method because our chocolate facilities in Europe are state of the art with the cleanest most health conscious standards around. These state of the art facilities are not normally found in South America or Asia and are very hard to find here in the USA. Santa Barbara Chocolate Co. facilities are certified ISO 9001 operations that ensure the chocolate made is perfect and with the highest hygienic standards. There are independent microanalysis lab testes performed with each batch made. We do this because we want to always offer the best quality, flavor and safety. Our partners in operating these top notch chocolate facilities include many of the famous European chocolate brands in Belgium, France and Germany.

Our chocolate couverture is shipped to California from Europe where we then distribute it to happy chocolate lovers. Here in California we use our custom couverture formulas to handcraft finished chocolates like our best seller of assorted California favorites.

Chocolate Makes You Smarter

2009-05-29T00:02:00.001-07:00

Being a helicopter pilot is a mentally demanding but very rewarding hobby. It requires math skills along with a basic foundation of logic and hand eye coordination. The challenge and exhilaration of being a helicopter pilot is one of the best things in my life. And now after reading the latest findings from an extensive British research study I can justify eating or drinking my favorite dark chocolate right before departure.
Chocolate is beneficial for mentally challenging tasks. The finding suggests students who binge on chocolate before exams may gain a benefit. Flavanols, part of a group of polyphenols found in chocolate, actually increase blood flow to the brain. In the study thirty volunteers were asked to count backwards in groups of three. The findings showed that the individuals who drank dark chocolate before taking the test could perform the calculations more quickly and more accurately then those who had not been given a chocolate drink. The test was repeated several times and it had the same results each time. Test subjects were also less likely to feel tired or mentally drained after drinking hot chocolate.The researchers gave the volunteers a total of 500mg of flavanols derived from dark chocolate and cocoa.

Everybody Loves Milk Chocolate

2009-05-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

I'm a milk chocolate lover at heart and most around the globe seem to appreciate milk chocolate in one way or another. In fact world wide milk chocolate actually seems to outsell dark chocolate but only by a slim margin. In fact with our Valrhona chocolate range, it is the milk chocolate Rinette Lait that is one of the best sellers and this is a chocolate coming from one of the foremost experts in dark chocolate production. So for sure milk chocolate is a favorite. But have you heard of Camel Milk Chocolate? Yes, this is true!

Al Nassma specializes in making milk chocolate with fresh camel milk. Al Nassma is actually the first chocolate company in the world to offer this uniquely Arab creation of camel milk chocolate. Based in the modern cosmopolitan city of Dubai in United Arab Emirates, Al Nassma has worked extensively to perfect this clever chocolate treat.

Knowing Al Nassma's reputation and dedication to making some of the best chocolates around, I'm sure they have come up with a winner. I have yet to try it, but when I do I'll give you a complete update.

Valrhona French Chocolate

2009-05-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

Some of Santa Barbara Chocolate's manufacturing couverture chocolate comes from Europe. We contract with established artisan European cocoa grinders to help us produce particular types and flavors of chocolates which we then use in making our own chocolates or we offer to our clients as a wholesale chocolate supplier to be used in manufacturing, chocolate making or home baking.

One of our partnerships is with the most famous French chocolate maker Valrhona. With an unparalleled dedication to quality and ethical cocoa growing practices, Valrhona is recognized as a masterful chocolate maker. I'm very grateful to have our long term partnership we have built over the years. Our relationship started with the former Valrhona owner and president, Monsieur Olivier DeLoissy. Olivier is an outstanding chocolatier with an expansive knowledge of cacao, not to mention a great guy.

In addition to artisan couverture chocolates Valrhona makes their own line of chocolate bon bons and truffles. They are top of the line and I find myself eating them frequently. I'm excited to be offering Valrhona chocolates to you and fully recommend them.

Chocolate and Stimulants

2009-05-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

Last week I gave a presentation on chocolate to a tour group staying at The Bacara Resort and Spa in Santa Barbara. One of the questions was: "Does chocolate have stimulants?" The answer is yes and this is why you'll find the basic components of chocolate in so many health food preparations and fat burners. The nice thing is the main stimulant of chocolate is theobromine and not caffeine. Theobromine is relatively mild, helps elevate one's serotonin levels producing a really nice side effect of feeling good. Another benefit is that chocolate and theobromine has thermogenic properties which help increase one's calorie burn. That's why if you eat good chocolate that hasn't been spoiled with a bunch of fillers you get a "feel good" high along with a slight warming rush (the thermogenic calorie burning response). The darker the chocolate the more likely you'll get these results.

Cocoa / chocolate is derived from the seeds of the theobroma cacao tree (cocoa beans). Chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine, but pretty high amounts of theobromine, an alkaloid in the xanthine family. Theobromine is classified as a mild central nervous system stimulant and has physiological effects similar to those of caffeine, but much weaker. The average cup of hot cocoa contains about 10 mg of caffeine and over 200 mg of theobromine. A 3 1/2 ounce (100 g) semi sweet dark chocolate bar contains about 12 mg of caffeine and 155 mg of theobromine.

So in sum, eat up and enjoy your chocolate - especially dark chocolate.

My Fair Trade Lady

2009-05-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

There is a new way of thinking toward chocolate in London.

On a cute and culturally diverse side street near the Speaker's Corner area of Hyde Park, the people of COCOMAYA chocolate shop are dedicated to a higher level of "ethical meets whimsical."

Billed as "London's finest luxury chocolate shop" when we first saw the sign "Cocomaya" we immediately thought of our friend back home in the states: Maya Schoop - Rutten of Chocolate Maya Santa Barbara a SantaBarbaraChocolate.com retailer.

Like Chocolate Maya of Santa Barbara, COCOMAYA of London is also the inspiration of a savvy and elegant woman. Her name is Yael Mejia and she lives by her conscience with all the color and flair of a truly entrepreneurial chocolate aficionado. Above all, she adamantly adheres to her beliefs in fair trade, pure ingredients and the concept of eco-responsibility.

High quality Valrhona and Michel Cluizel South American couvertures are used as the basis for many of their creations. Great attention is paid to detail throughout the store and the chocolates themselves really are brilliantly designed.

Master Chocolatier Jonathan Deddis' enthusiasm for the art is apparent in his innovative combinations of technique, decoration and color. COCOMAYA's zealous quest for unusual textural contrasts and authentic flavors really impresses us.

Can't wait for our next visit to the fine people & luxurious chocolates of COCOMAYA in London.

London Truffles

2009-05-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

Among London's bustling Oxford street designer shops and big name brand stores is somewhat of an English chocolate institution - or at least a franchise there of. It's called Thornton's. They've been around for nearly a century. Smart packaging, yummy product photography and beautifully printed brochures feature decorative, though slightly mass produced looking chocolates.

London Stock Exchange

2009-05-03T17:32:00.000-07:00

London is truly a great capital city of the world in many ways. For one, the world language in business is English and this is due to the world's shared British history. In fact we all know about The United States and our history tied to Britain. But did you know that Britain is also the capital when it comes to chocolate?

The London Stock Exchange is where the vast majority of cocoa futures are traded. In fact, London is actually considered the predominant capital when it comes to the cocoa futures market.

Cocoa futures are the contracts that guarantee cacao pricing and cacao production. This is how manufacturers that make the actual raw chocolate source and buy their raw cacao materials to use in manufacturing chocolate couverture. The London cacao market is traded in Sterling. Sterling is the British currency which generally has a higher exchange rate then the US Dollar, so it is preferred by brokers and farmers selling their raw cacao. Also the London cocoa futures market is closely tied to the largest growing regions of cacao throughout the world. I suspect this is due to the period between 1815 - 1914 when the British Empire sent sailing ships to all four corners of the globe.

In the United States cocoa futures are traded on The New York Stock Exchange, but it is not as vigorous as a market as London's when it comes to cacao.

Savory Cacao in Zarautz

2009-05-03T16:27:00.000-07:00

World renowned chef Karlos Arguiñano has opened a charming beach front hotel and restaurant just west of San Sebastian, Spain in the lively seaside town of Zarautz. This small hotel named after its founder is located on one of the best beaches for surfing in Spain. Beautifully appointed rooms, incredible food and a world-class beach - the Hotel Karlos Arguiñano has it all.

Chef Karlos has the expertise and all of his creations are guaranteed to be exquisite. One of his more modest delicacies is are a real treat called pintxos. Pintxos are an assortment of traditional and modern Basque dishes similar to tapas in the rest of Spain. My favorite pintxo was the marinated beef strips in traditional Basque spices, sprinkled with black cocoa atop fresh baked flat bread and served with a side of herb olive oil for dipping. It had a very close flavor to the savory chocolate dish from ancient Oaxaca, Mexico known as mole negro.

Because of their size and variety to choose from, it is common to make a meal of assorted pintxos. It is a lot of fun to sample the different flavors of pintxos with a glass of the sparkling local apple wine.

Being one who appreciates quality food and comfortable places, this has become one of my new favorite vacation spots. http://www.hotelka.com/

Sipping Hot Chocolate in Mundaka, Spain

2009-05-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

Between the Basque cities of Donostia (the Euskara name for San Sebastian) and Bilbao on the Northern Iberian coast (in an area known as The Bay of Biscay) is a very famous surfing spot called Mundaka. Mundaka is a sleepy sea side village with incredible waves. Where the ocean meets the river mouth there is a very deep inlet and a picturesque little harbor. At the entrance, a very shallow sand bar catches big surf coming from the fierce North Atlantic. This is where some of the best surfing in Spain is found at the foot of ancient battlements and classic Spanish church.

My business partner and California native, Matthew Lansford is an avid surfer (pictured above at the outdoor flower market). Every business trip we take to Europe, Africa, South America or the South Pacific he brings his surfboard in the hopes that one of our chocolate customers or suppliers is at a beach or near one. When Matt heard we had business in Spain he very gladly helped arrange a side trip to Mundaka.

If you are ever in this part of Spain I would recommend a visit to Mundaka. Keep in mind your Spanish language skills won't help you as much as you thought in this part of Spain - this region really is autonomous. It has it's own language known as Euskara. This Basque language is considered one of the oldest spoken languages in Europe with connections to the original Celtic language. But nobody really knows it's origin for sure.

If you decide you'd like to visit an off the beaten track place like Mundaka, I'd recommend you stay at the hotel we did: Hotel Mundaka ( http://www.hotelmundaka.com/ ). This is a clean and quaint hotel with a super friendly staff and a robust wireless connection (needed if you are business travelers like us).

Across the parking lot is a harbor side restaurant run by a local family. The restaurant is called Asador Bodegon and they specialize in authentic rustic Basque style sea foods (salted grilled shrimp is a great choice). The restaurant owner's daughter Irune speaks several languages including English and is probably one of the best trip advisors around. Irune can recommend the best plate of the day and she can also recommend the best scenic road to take to the most hidden spots around. She's friends with all the locals and if you know Irune, then you know all the locals too. I found knowing someone like Irune to be a very helpful common sense thing to do whenever traveling in the "back woods" of the Pyrenees Mountains.

After dinner I recommend visiting the local Mundaka corner store and trying the most popular drinking chocolate in these parts: Taza to go by Valor. It comes as a very thick liquid that you pour into a cup and heat. It reminds me of a ready to drink semisweet chocolate ganache. Valor is a traditional Spanish chocolate company that was established in 1881 with an illustrious history of having connections to the smaller cacao orchards. Valor's drinking chocolate is sweet, slightly acidic with a slight touch of fruitiness (I bet Valor is using West African forastero cacao - probably from Ghana with a flavor like this).

Lost in Spain

2009-04-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of my job is the adventure of getting from one chocolate supplier location to another. Many of the chocolatiers I visit are not located near airports or railway stations, so the best way to meet with them is to drive to them. Sometimes this means getting lost along the route. But I have discovered that some of the most memorable parts of any trip is when I get lost. The experience of making friends with people you wouldn't normally meet is very rewarding.

So if you have the time, I fully recommend getting lost on a trip at least for a day or two. Take the less traveled route and see what's there. This photo was taken near Lekeitio Spain while I was lost.

The best fat burner I found

2009-04-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of going to the gym and working out. Some think it is a bit incongruent that I eat chocolate all day and make chocolate for a living and have such a health minded focus on life. I always tell those doubters that when you eat great chocolate it is an important part of living life to the fullest in a healthy happy way. Remember life is too short to eat cheap chocolate...if you're going to have the calories, make them count as ones you'll like.

So you already know all the health benefits of good dark chocolate, but I must share with you my very important discovery. But first let me tell you my fitness goal and how I made this discovery: I want to be muscular and with ripped abs. I've definitely become more muscular but getting the ripped abs has been slower then I wanted.

Okay so to achieve this goal of ripped abs I've tried all the fat burners like Fucoxanthin brown seaweed, thermogenics like Hydroxycut (made me go hyper crazy - everyone said I had to stop taking it cause I was driving them crazy) and EFAs including Tonalin CLA etc. All the things I tried would sorta help but with no great results.

I became committed to finding the boost I needed in helping burn off that unwanted "brown fat" otherwise known as belly fat. The great news is I'm confident that I found the fat burner boost that works, and it doesn't give you the jitters or nervousness like the high caffeine thermogenic fat burners.

To my surprise and great joy, two tablespoons of the raw cocoa nibs from Santa Barbara Chocolate 3 x a day, is the best fat burner, energy giver and mood enhancer I've ever had! The nibs don't seem to have any negative or bad side effects either. Most of the fat burners on the market include theobromine or cocoa seed extract (aka theobromine) as a primary ingredient. Well, cocoa nibs are the highest in theobromine available (a tablespoon of cocoa nibs has way more theobromine then a bunch of pills of Anabolic SX or any other fat burner).

I take 2 tablespoons of the cocoa nibs 3x a day with my last dose of the day right before my workout in the early evening. As a result of my regular usage my bodyfat is down to 9.5% and my goal of 7% seems very attainable. If you decide to try it, please let me know what you think and your discoveries.

The cocoa nibs are available on the www.SantaBarbaraChocolate.com website under the category of cocoa and raw chocolate. I swear by cocoa nibs and my friends at Gold's Gym seem to be addicted as well (the price is great and the ORAC antioxidant level is unsurpassed).

Cacao & Genetic Mapping

2009-03-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

A really interesting discovery has been made about the genetics of cacao this last year.

It has been thought for many years that there were only 3 types of cacao. Cacao is the tropical fruit that chocolate is made from. The 3 main types have been called Forastero, Criollo and Trinitario. Each of these types have distinct flavors and properties and there are sub groups to each of the 3 types distinct to specific growing regions (i.e. Forastero Brazil Manaus Variety).

The genetic mapping discovery this last year has proven there are actually 10 very distinct types of cacao - basically 7 more then the originally named 3 of Forastero, Criollo and Trinitario. This means that many of the long standing thoughts and perceptions of cacao, the categorization and how it developed in the wild is going to be re-thought.

The other interesting discovery from the genetic mapping is that the original cacao trees must have first grown in Central America (probably Honduras), Ecuador and Venezuela.

Chocolatier Pariés

2009-03-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Chocolatier Pariés established in 1894 makes excellent chocolates exclusively from Valrhona couverture. A charming store with very beautiful packaged gifts, their bon bons were delicately flavored. I bought a small blue and white ceramic boat which said "Biarritz" on the side and was filled with moulded chocolate sardines (one of the cutest chocolate gifts around). The specialty the day I visited was a chocolate bar made from single origin Vanuatu Fijian cacao. This is the first time I tried a chocolate made with cacao from Fiji. The Fijian chocolate was pleasantly acidic with strong earthy tobacco notes. It was definitely one of the better single origins I've had - almost as good as our Santa Barbara Chocolate Peruvian 66% Organic Medallions. ;)

FYI on European travel

2009-03-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

When I travel for Santa Barbara Chocolate Company I'm usually gone in two week increments and generally visit three European countries. I've discovered that the best way to handle the currency conversion while saving the most on the transfer rate between Dollars, Euros or Sterling is to make your purchases as much as possible on your credit card (American Express is my preferred card while Visa and Master Card is more widely accepted in Europe). Also use your ATM card instead of taking cash and exchanging at a currency converter. Big name banks (i.e. Rabobank or HSBC) located in the city centers are the best option for an ATM withdraw (airport banks don't give as good as an exchange rate). Travelers checks are a great option but they are not as widely accepted as a credit card.

Arrese Pasteleria Bilbao, Spain

2009-03-11T03:03:00.000-07:00

Spanish chocolate is very unique in flavor, generally a little bit sweeter and not as dark as French chocolate. Spanish chocolate tends to be very slightly acidic with a straight forward soft sweetness.

The most famous, and one of the best, Spanish chocolate couverture makers is Choco Vic based in Barcelona Spain. In fact for many years Santa Barbara Chocolate was a Choco Vic distributor.

The chocolate bon bon maker Arrese Pasteleria in Bilbao uses Choco Vic couverture. They have several outlets in the cosmopolitan city of Bilbao (home of the famous modern art Guggenheim Museum). Many of the Arrese truffles are foil wrapped molded domes. I tried the smaller square enrobed bon bons. A common characteristic of these chocolates is a heavier, thicker ganache with a bold flavor. When compared to French chocolates they are not as delicate but still very enjoyable. My favorite was the milk chocolate ganache flavored with cinnamon and enrobed in a semi sweet dark chocolate. I felt this bon bon captured the essence of Spanish chocolate.

Spain

2009-03-11T02:52:00.000-07:00

Spain is a great country to visit and if you're properly prepared it is a relatively easy place to get around on your own and explore.

I would recommend a Tom Tom GPS if you plan to rent a car and drive. The AAA maps of Europe available in the USA are not accurate. If you use these maps as a guide, you'll often find yourself driving in the wrong direction to the wrong location. The European Tom Tom GPS is very helpful and is well worth the small purchase price when considering the frustration saving.

Also consider making your European vacation a minimum of 15 days. It really takes a week to get into the swing of a new culture and environment. Then you have a week to fully explore and appreciate your surroundings. The last day is thrown in as a buffer to help with jet lag and getting accustom to the time differences.

Henriet Biarritz - Notre Spécialité

2009-03-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

This is one master chocolate maker. Henriet is one of my personal favorites of all time.

Chocolatier Henriet has been in business since 1946 making the quintessential French style chocolates using truly some of the best ingredients around. Valrhona is the chocolate couverture of choice. I think I tried everything in the shop (I have many additional gym hours now). I really enjoyed the Basque beret bouchee: a clever combination of dark chocolate, Basque style black pepper flavored chocolate ganache atop a thin slice of soft marzipan and all enrobed in bittersweet Grand Cru Valrhona Manjari chocolate.

Andrieu Chocolatier - L'Atelier Du Chocolat Bayonne

2009-03-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

This is a must visit. I felt a real kindred spiritual connection with this chocolate company. Their chocolates, flavor profile and goal of using Fair Trade, Equitable Trade and organic chocolate reminded me a lot of Santa Barbara Chocolate Company.

If you visit their Bayonne location just North of Biarritz you can see their chocolate museum and their actual chocolate production. For convenience walking sake however (not far from the SAS Radisson) they have a cute little outlet in the Biarritz city center worth visiting.

Andrieu Chocolatier uses a few different types of chocolate couverture in production, but their preference is Max Havelaar. The nice thing is Havelaar has several chocolates available all with a focus of being Fair Trade and or organic. The truffles and bouchees (large sized chocolates) had a true flavor without any off notes or artificial taste. The raspberry bouchee was very good with a deep rich dark chocolate blanaced perfectly with a fresh raspberry ganache. It tasted like it was made with raspberries that were picked from the bush that morning. These chocolates are great.

Adam - Maître Chocolatier

2009-03-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

Adam is a very chic chocolate shop with great window dressing. Inside the staff looks like they just stepped off the modeling runway. Unfortunately they act like it too! Check it out and tell me what you think. Their chocolates were not my favorite.

Great Pizzeria

2009-03-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

Next door to the SAS Radisson Hotel is a very reasonably priced little pizzeria called Les Terrasses. The menu is far reaching beyond just pizza including many seafood dishes like moules frites (traditional black mussels in white wine sauce and a side of french fries). I definitely recommend the extra dark chocolate ice cream for dessert. The ice cream is clearly made with heavily alkalized cocoa (hence the black color) and has bits of very dark chocolate.

Miremont

2009-03-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

This is a fun tea room to visit for lunch with a million dollar view of the Atlantic through sweeping windows. Miremont was founded in 1872 by a Swiss chocolatier named Etienne Singher. Many kings have enjoyed lunch at this location including King Alfonso XIII of Spain and H.M. King Edward VII of England.

The tearoom decor is classic French 1800s. It is a fun and an unpretentious place to visit even though it has such an illustrious history. English is not widely spoken so I recommend bringing a pocket translator to help you navigate the menu.

The chocolates are classic French and above average. The chocolatier is very proud of the Valrhona couverture they use in making their pastries, desserts and truffles and is not keeping it a secret they use it exclusively. The truffle and chocolate flavors are the traditional favorites like praliné, framboise (raspberry) and all dark. From the chocolatier's collection the all dark origine Manjari chocolate bon bon was my favorite. It had a medium thick enrobed chocolate coating with a medium firm ganache interior. The flavor was slightly bitter with a lot of fruit and berry notes (this is the flavor profile characteristic of trinitario Asian cacao). The melt was very smooth and even. Without a doubt the Miremont's chocolatiers know what they are doing.

Chocolate Blitz in Biarritz!

2009-03-08T01:45:00.000-08:00

On the South West corner of France along the Atlantic coast and at the boarder of Spain is the seaside getaway of Biarritz France. Set in the culturally unique section of France known as The Basque Country, Biarritz has become renowned as a vacation spot for European royalty. The wife of Napoleon III built a beautiful palace on the beach which is now a hotel and a favorite summer time vacation spot for The British Royal Family.

The really good news is Biarritz is a chocolate lover's paradise. There are many several small artisan chocolate shops nestled along the winding streets all within walking distance. You can't go wrong because they are all good choices but I've picked a few of my top favorites that I think you'll for sure enjoy.

I stayed at the SAS Radisson which was very comfortable and conveniently located. It is within walking distance of all the chocolate shops and the chocolate museum!

Just a quick FYI as far as enjoying your meals while in France: In the USA I prefer my steaks cooked medium. Here in Biarritz "medium" means raw basically. I ordered a beautiful plate of "canard" (duck) at a lovely top rated restaurant while in Biarritz. The duck was delivered slightly grilled and still very much raw on the inside. I asked to have it cooked more and the chef insisted I was destroying his creation by making this request. After a bit of debate the chef reluctantly agreed and cooked the duck a bit more which I liked and would be considered perfect by most American's perspectives - especially when dealing with fowl.