chocolate

I made a pan of sugar-free, wheat-free brownies yesterday and was planning to show you how great they turned out but they came out really dry and tasted awful. It may have been because I couldn't find the amaranth flour the recipe called for, I don't know. So when I try them again, I'll let you know. Somehow, I think that even if I had the right flour they would have tasted like crap.
In the meantime, I put together some information about chocolate. I always like to know where things come from, who owns them and what makes them so great. I have yet to try each of these brands but now I have an excuse!
There are a million different brands and manufacturers out there. I have compiled a small list of manufacturers. Some I have tried and others just looked interesting.
Like wine, a good bar of chocolate depends on terroir (tear-wah). Meaning, 'soil' or 'earth'. Cacao is grown in 34 countries around the world in Latin America, Africa and Asia principally in areas that fall within 20ºN and 20ºS of the Equator. Strung around the world along the Equator (between 20ºN to 20ºS parallels of latitude), cacao growing regions lie in a ring of fire (anillo del fuego in Spanish).
The general climate of all these areas are similar, however within each individual farm climates can vary. Usually elements that could alter terroir are things like shade or sunlight and drainage, just to name a few.
There are three types of cacao beans, criollo, forastero and trinitario. Criollo beans are light in color. Chocolate made with these beans will be light. (even 65% bittersweet, looks light.) Found mostly in Venezuela, Madagascar and Java, they have a complex yet mellow flavor.
Forastero beans, were first introduced by Spain can be found in Latin America, Asia and Africa. These beans have a strong chocolate flavor.
Trinitario beans are natural cross between criollo and forastero beans. The cross orginally came about when a infection occured in the already frail criollo bean and almost completely wiped them out. The have a complex flavor and are found mostly in Venezuela.
I have read that because criollo beans are so fragile and in some cases rare, chocolate made solely from these beans is more expensive. Many manufacturers use a blend of these beans to create their unique bars. Different regions may have the same bean but their soil is different, producing a finished product with different tastes.
Something else that makes a difference in the bar is how the cacao is processed. From the time the bean is harvested to the finished bar will have an effect on how each brand tastes.
I'm not really going to get into all of that, you can look at how each manufacturer handles their chocolate by clicking on the links to each one from my 'links I like' section, if you like. For the most part the process is the same, it's just the way they do it.
A fun test is to buy 3 or 4 different brands each with the same % cacao and try a little of each one. I haven't done it since culinary school but it's a fun and delicious expirement.
Enough said, let's get to the good stuff. After a little research, I found some cool stuff. I also learned some things I didn't know about certain chocolate manufacturers, like who is organic, who does fair trade, as well as who is owned by big scary corporations.
Let's start with the organics.
Dagoba chocolate (Oregon)- certified organic, kosher and fair trade. They get their beans from Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru and Madagascar.
Divine chocolate - first ever fair trade chocolate bar in the UK. Organic chocolate from Ghana. The farmer's have an ownership stake (called Divine Chocolate Limited, orginally started by The Body Shop to ensure proper treatment of chocolate farmers and their land.)
Terra Nostra chocolate - Canadadian, organic and fair trade. They work with a number of suppliers around the world to produce different products. Terra Nostra are also child labor and slave labor advocates.
Green and Blacks chocolate - organic, fair trade and owned by Cadbury-Schweppes. Green and Blacks is a UK company. I have found this brand to be one of the more popular brands eaten by those who care about organics. I do enjoy a bar now and again.
Chocolove chocolates - Boulder, CO. Started by a guy who volunteered on a cacao farm. Belgian chocolates packaged like old love letters with poems inside. 10 flavors. Very cute. Some organic products, I'm sure if they are all organic, though.

Now for a few that aren't organic but are quite good.
Guittard chocolate (Bay Area) processes beans from plant to bar. Uses all three types of beans from a variety of regions. One of the oldest family owned and operated chocolate manufacturers in the US.
Scharffenberger chocolate (Bay Area) started in the 90's, I think they are organic, but I am not sure.
Cavalier Chocolate - belgian chocolate with no sugar added, maltitol instead of sucrose and sometimes endriched with fibre inulin to reduce fat content. No dyes, preservatives or artificial sweetners.
El Rey chocolates - one the oldest makers in Venezuela, while all three types of cacao are available to them they do not blend. Known for fruity, nutty, flowery, spicy and intense chocolate.
Valor chocolates - spanish chocolates since 1881. Specializing in handmade pieces, sugar free and speciality chocolate. Mostly cacao from Ecuador, Ghana and Panama.
Barry-Callebaut - Swiss. Makes professional and consumer brands (Sarotti, Brach's, Alprose, Jacques)Michel Cluizel - french. Family owned business. Used by most pastry chefs and chocolatiers.
Valrhona (French). Valrhona is one of the most popular brands in the professional industry. Their chocolate has a great flavor and is very easy to work with. It can be a bit pricey but I highly recommend spending the money for this treat. They have a wide variety of flavors and % cacao.
Pralus (French) Owns his own cacoa plantation in Madagascar. Pralus imports no less than eighteen different varieties of bean - from Central America, South America, Madagascar, Sao Tome and Principe and Indonesia - for his blends. Some of which contain eighty percent cocoa. Chocolates and bars come in fabulous packages and colors.
This is just a small list. There are so many brands out there. When I say that a manufacturer processes from bean to bar that means that they oversee the picking of the cacao bean, the entire processing and finishing technique. It most common in large companies with a lot of money. Many manufacturers buy beans from a supplier and process and finish them themselves, etc.