Earlier this year, I had the privilege of working with Valrhona, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of fine chocolate, on the inauguration of their Loma Sotavento cocoa plantation in the Dominican Republic. It was an important occasion for Valrhona. The… Read More ›
All good things come to an end. Now it is time for me to return to Europe. But rest assured! It is not the end of the cocoa trail! It is going to swiftly lead into the chocolate trail. With… Read More ›
After my week living with the farmers of Chulucanas, I really wanted to give something back to the communities who received me so kindly and with such an open heart. Surprisingly, I discovered, it is very rare for cacao farmers… Read More ›
The other day I was fortunate enough to be able to join a group of agricultural students to develop my sensory skills for the tasting of cacao liquor as well as the ability to identify how well the beans have… Read More ›
Now that the beans have passed the cut test, it is time to find out what flavours and other characteristics they have. A simple process which involves turning the beans into cocoa liquor takes place on the cooperative’s premises. Thanks… Read More ›
It seems that Friday nights are dedicated to chocolate tasting sessions! This time we head to one of Lima’s finest chocolatiers, “Roselen”. Roselen is a family run business, run by Giorgio Demarini and his mother Elena Basagoitia, who are both chocolatiers. We… Read More ›
