European Chocolate Wrappers

May 26, 2008 at 12:16 am (Uncategorized)
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A few years back, I took a trip off the beaten path and found myself in the Canary Islands off the coast of North Africa in the Atlantic.   The islands belong to Spain so there were lots of tourists from England, Germany and other European countries. I dug these photos up from my scrapbook to share with you here on my blog. I’m pretty sure that these wouldn’t make it in the American markets.  What do you think of these wrappers?

I was floored when I found these ‘filipinos’ sitting on the shelf.  On the back it says, ‘Try Filipinos after one hour in the fridge’!.  It was certainly laughable (I’m part Filipina myself), but I can see how it may cause upset to others.  

I was more upset with this wrapper, Choco Conquitos, which I actually bought.  I don’t remember if I liked the chocolate. That’s besides the point.  What’s with this cartooned mascot?  No, this would never work in America!

These baby bottles filled with liquor, although not chocolate bar wrappers, were strange as well.  Travelling has always been a passion for me.  I love to experience local foods and culture.  Even a trip to a small supermarket can be a memorable experience.  

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Chocolate Bar Test Recipes

May 24, 2008 at 6:49 am (Product Information)
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Today was experiment day in the kitchen and we gathered a few key spices and nuts to create some preliminary bars.  I had a few ideas in my head before the day began, but I needed some help and knew that a couple of sips of rich, silky homemade hot chocolate would get the gears going.  We even experimented with the hot chocolate, mixing different percentages together. We threw in a few spices for good measure. It got the crew excited as well.  Soon enough, and as I had planned I got a natural chocolate high that I only get when drinking chocolate.   Giddiness overcame me, creativity and some shear luck began to pull foward, and then we got it. ’Oh why didn’t I think of this flavor combination before!’.

It’s funny how in a fully stocked pantry, all the ingredients are just sitting there, waiting to be a part of a symphony of flavors.  We’re not creating new ingredients, but simply using them in different ways.     

After the giddiness dissipates, it’s time to get down to serious business.  A perfect flavor combination was brewed up, and we experimented with 41% milk and 58% bittersweet.  I don’t want to give away the flavor combinations, but both ingredients come from the earth, one from a rock and one from a rhizome. 

Another winner, was yet another tea and chocolate flavor combination.  This tea is usually consumed for dim sum and has highly strong earthy notes.  It goes extremely well with chocolate.  I can’t wait to see these bars mature to public consumption.  They are just around the corner.  

 

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Chocolates and Asia-Is this an oxymoron? PART 1

May 14, 2008 at 5:28 pm (Uncategorized)
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 The straight answer, ‘No’. I was perplexed at my last chocolate sampling at the Pasta Shop when I introduced my company as hand-crafted chocolates using Asian ingredients.  The lady, Asian herself, said, ‘Isn’t that an oxymoron, Chocolates and Asia?’.  My short answer to her was that there are cacao trees in the Philippines and that Filipinos use chocolate in their cooking.  I didn’t get much of a reaction from the woman and she walked off.  I went home that day thinking about my conversation and how I could have explained myself better.  But then again, she seemed to have already made up her mind that Chocolates and Asian ingredients just don’t go together.

For me, chocolate is like the colors black and white.  Chocolate makes a great base for just about anything.  It goes with savory flavors just as well with sweet flavors.  You can cover just about anything in chocolate and chances are, it will taste great.  The list of using chocolate is endless. 

CHOCOLATES IN JAPAN

Doing a bit of investigative research, I have recently discovered how in Japan, it is the custom of women to give chocolate to men. Not just to boyfriends and husbands, but also to co-workers, bosses, and friends.  If a man does not receive chocolate on Valentine’s Day, they may feel embarrassed.

“Giri-chocko” translates to “obligation chocolate” which is usually given to bosses, colleagues, or male friends by women in their close circle.  Chocolates is also given to “honmei” or boyfriends/sweethearts. 

Lotte, Meiji, Morinaga, Ezaki Glico and Fujiya are all  Japanese candy companies who dominate the Chocolate market in Japan.  Over half of the chocolates sold in Japan are sold for Valentine’s Day. The US, however, is the largest importer of chocolate.

Tokyo chocolatier, Mary’s Chocolates is well known here in the states for their French-style Asian chocolates.  They have participated in the New York Chocolate show as well as the Salon in Paris.  I would refer you to the website, but alas, it’s all in Japanese.  Here’s a photo of their green tea ganache.  They make creations such as Japanese plum, soybean flour, azuki bean and black sesame.

In conclusion, chocolates are not native to Asia, but chocolate is definately not a stranger either.

 

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What does Chocolate sound like?

May 10, 2008 at 6:35 am (Uncategorized)
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Watch Tay Zonday perform his YouTube hit, Chocolate Rain on Jimmy Kimmel Live.   He wrote the song himself and I give Tay 5 stars for free expression.  If you can manage to listen to the entire performance (a condensed version of the original), the short interview with Jimmy Kimmel is worthwhile.  

And like many great things, comes people who try to copy the original.  This is one of many I stumbled across on YouTube. 

Perhaps chocolate should never be sung about, just eaten.

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In Search of the Heart of Chocolate

May 6, 2008 at 6:20 am (Shows and Samplings)
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Award winning Filmmaker Sarah Feinbloom has created a delicious chocolate adventure in her newest film, In Search of the Heart of Chocolate.  The documentary is based primarily  in San Francisco and includes such notable characters as Jack Epstein of Chocolate Covered, a little neighborhood store specializing in chocolates and Jack’s handmade tins.   Sarah, a chocoholic herself, also stars in the film.   It’s a delightful film which delves into the passions of a few die hard chocolate lovers.

Jade Chocolates was fortunate enough to be a part of her debut screening.  A chocolate reception was held after the film which included a giant flowing fountain of bittersweet chocolate. I could have stood there all night if it weren’t for, well everybody’s elbows and arms.

To view the trailer and to purchase, visit chocumentary. 

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