EARLY!!! Ann's videos are honestly the best :))

@meganburns4174

Жыл бұрын

Yes!

@repotra

Жыл бұрын

🎉🎉 I agreed! I just couldn't get enough of her documentaries and baking

@marigeobrien

Жыл бұрын

I always look forward to Ann's amazing videos. I do always hope she'll have a new recipe but this was very interesting, too. And wouldn't you know: of course, Chocolate is incredibly difficult to make on your own. Rats.

@ShamelessFNGRL

Жыл бұрын

I completely agree! BUT sorry for hijacking your comment: Scrolling through your comments quite a bit, seems like I'm the only concerned about the (recent) scientific paper that came out about most chocolates containing LEAD(pb) due to the roasting process, and CADMIUM(cd) because of the soil the beans were grown. Considering Lead is sweet, don't be surprised if the contaminated ones taste 'better'. Can you please look into this?! Lots of EU approved brands/chocolates were on the contaminated list...

@fireflymiesumae

Жыл бұрын

For real

It's so funny that Dave and the boys are up to taste just about any cooking "hack" monstrosity, and then the one time there's just genuinely good chocolate, they're like, "Meh." 🤣

@wobblysauce

Жыл бұрын

All depends on what you like, and most of us don’t have that quality range

@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist3

Жыл бұрын

Repent to Jesus Christ “for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬ H

@Megan_XD

Жыл бұрын

@@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist3 you will rot in hell for spamming lol

@augustinagabrilaviciute5887

Жыл бұрын

If it’s not microwaved for 10min, it’s not for them😂

@lShadow426l

Жыл бұрын

@@Megan_XD it's probably a bot do bots even have enough of a soul to go to hell?

Funnily enough, the Lindt that Anne uses as the "bland" version is considered some of the higher quality stuff you can get in Canadian supermarkets!

@thaliafaudith9387

Жыл бұрын

I mean, if the other chocolate bar brand is hershey's... Lindt is most likely better.

@dc_mischief

Жыл бұрын

Same here on the East Coast of America. It's definitely not the most high-end chocolate out there--it's relatively easy to get fancier chocolate if you go looking--but it IS the finest that you can reliably get anywhere, since it's sold at most chain grocery stores and pharmacies. For anything more niche, you'll likely have to go to a more expensive store (like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.)

@mightyvikingjim

Жыл бұрын

@@thaliafaudith9387 Thankfully, Hershey's is difficult to find in Canada. That stuff is atrocious.

@aslanpatience8278

Жыл бұрын

Speaks absolute volumes

@dpchiko17

Жыл бұрын

Yeah kinda sad, hard to find high quality chocolate where Im from, Lindt is like the best you can get

Been working in chocolate for 20 years. You nailed it. Never heard a better explanation of the difference between great chocolate and junk.

@raymasraymas

8 ай бұрын

My experience after 15 years of R&D in conching with one of the big chocolate companies is quite different. In my experience conching is long and energy intense. Being an expensive process step, none of the large companies conche for a minute more than is necessary. Indeed over-conching does make chocolate bland, but that’s not what’s happening as much as she says. It’s almost an exception

@arkadiuszfilipczyk488

8 ай бұрын

@@raymasraymas OK, but what she says is that the difference is in how much conching is necessary, depending on the quality of beans.

@jackharvest7431

8 ай бұрын

All chocolate I’ve had is junk 😨

@raymasraymas

7 ай бұрын

@@arkadiuszfilipczyk488 conching is not just a function of the bean, be it quality, origin or flavour profile. A large part of conching is achieving the right viscosity i.e. textural property for a smooth mouth feel. This is relatively easy to measure and the moment it is achieved conching comes to an end. So the case she makes for over-conching is dead in the water in my experience

@Finn959

7 ай бұрын

Which brand do you recommend

There's a chocolate company in my country called Chocolate Makers. They were fed up with how chocolate was done by the big companies and started their own company. They also factored in the environment in their business plan where possible. We use it in our bakery and we've had a tour through their factory and their tasting and the flavors were AMAZING!!! So happy to have been able to go with that chocolate :D.

@madamz7

Жыл бұрын

Same with Tony’s chocolate!

@kleinwolkje203

Жыл бұрын

A fellow Dutch human 👀

@allusernamesweretaken

Жыл бұрын

it's amazing they offer shipping because ive been away from home and miss visiting chocolate makers 😢

@gamblerofrats

Жыл бұрын

chocoladeverkopers?

@Andytheevien

Жыл бұрын

What country are you in?

I run a small chocolate business for nearly a decade and have been saying this to people for years. It's nice to see someone with such a good reputation for fact finding taking it on. Thanks Ann. Have a great week.

@lyllydd

Жыл бұрын

Can people order from you online? Or do you mainly supply other food businesses?

@animeartist888

Жыл бұрын

Would also like to know if you do online orders. I love trying new brands of chocolate, and being able to support a small business at the same time is a double win.

@syndigriner-owens4351

Жыл бұрын

same, curious if you do online orders, would LOVE to try it!!!

@RodneyAndMeVideos

Жыл бұрын

Me too

@Aiba271

Жыл бұрын

Same!

as someone from the Philippines, I was shocked at how many varieties of apple they knew, but then when i think about it, i can also name several varieties of bananas easily 😂😂

@bluforrestleaf

Жыл бұрын

It’s crazy! Washington where I’m from is very huge in Apple production and the market is very huge! My area specifically grows a lot of Fuji Gala Red delicious Golden delicious

@KingdomOfDimensions

11 ай бұрын

I wish we had more than the Cavendish where I'm from. Every other type I've had (gros michel, Cuban red, gold finger, blue java, pitogo, couple im forgetting) have been far and away better. We somehow settled for the absolute worst one.

@peterkiss1204

9 ай бұрын

@@KingdomOfDimensions I believe Cavendish is the least problematic to produce therefore most profitable, that's why it became so popular around the world.

@andrewgrant6516

9 ай бұрын

There are over 400 varieties of English apple. It was a common hobby of priests to crossbreed new varieties. Some are unique to one specific hillside. Supermarket dominance means much of that knowledge is lost now, and many are extinct.

@diddlybop

9 ай бұрын

@@peterkiss1204it was chosen for its resistance to a disease or pest that was killing other varieties

A few decades? ago in the US, Nestle and Hershey's lobbied to have cocoa butter taken out of the definition of chocolate. They lost, but while cocoa butter remains in a few of their flagship products, you'll find in many of them it's replaced with some alternative oil.

@bikeny

6 ай бұрын

And they even let them call that white stuff 'white chocolate.' It all depends on how things get defined. Earlier this year I had a kidney stone and it was from calcium oxalate. On the food sheet for my new diet there were things I now should avoid and chocolate and nuts are 2 of them. And they have a VERY HIGH level of the stuff. Moderation is key, so if and when I decide to get some chocolate, I will do my best to find the really good stuff. As for the nuts, that one is gonna be a problem, as I really like them.

@openingchocolate

6 ай бұрын

yep they did! they wanted to replace it with what they call CBE or cocoa butter alternatives, blah. Cocoa butter is the most valuable part now and they get more money if they sell it off (like in cosmetics). They don't care how it tastes.

@Emeraldwitch30

6 ай бұрын

​@@openingchocolatei buy cocoa butter(food grade)for making my own lip balms and lotion bars. With local beeswax and coconut oil and cocoa butter. Its very healing. But when making candy I add a few disc of extra cocoa butter back in and people can tell for sure. Even if just using cheap chips for cookies. I'm not a huge chocolate person. But have always liked Mexican chocolate. Its not as sweet and its quite bitter afterwards but so rich.

@MizJanice

3 ай бұрын

I think of Hershey chocolate the same way I think of kraft singles "cheese". Plastic. Nothing like the real thing

@blowitoutyourcunt7675

3 ай бұрын

YES!

I had a roommate in college that totally "ruined" me on cheaper chocolate after introducing me to these $5-6-7 bars from health food stores. Like everything, you get what you pay for. But instead of just inhaling those expensive bars like I was known to do with cheaper bars and still not feel satiated , the expensive ones satisfy me with just a few nibbles or a square. It's about quality over quantity!

@Theo-oh3jk

Жыл бұрын

Any recommendations? uWu

@Gwenx

Жыл бұрын

I tried out some super expensive chocolate at a Summerbird store i think, they explained the whole thing about how its done just like Ann just did, and man it was goooooood! We even got to try a 90% chocolate, that was bitter! I am honestly going to buy from them again, and test out the different chocolates as it was so much more satisfying getting that tiny piece then something cheap from the store :)

@TheAllMightyGodofCod

Жыл бұрын

​@@Gwenxyou probably already know this but if the amount of chocolate is your mesure ir quality (mine is 😅) you can get 90...92... And I think 96% from Lindt. Last year I bought one close to 100% but I can't remember if it was 96 or 99%. Even some off brand chocolates go up to 90% and more.

@timmjackson

Жыл бұрын

@@Theo-oh3jk Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate. If you are into dark chocolate, their 85% cacao bars are surprisingly creamy, smooth and not bitter. They're amazing. They have a whole line of excellent chocolate if you'd prefer less cacao.

@veroboro4035

Жыл бұрын

I ones watched a documentary about chocolate and they said if People would Produce chocolate in a way which is fair to the workers and the environment it would have to cost 5€ a Bar. And I remember I was shocked because my parents always bought chocolate for under 1€

I live in a chocolate producing region of Indonesia. The local government then built a theme park called "Kampung Cokelat" (Chocolate village) filled with educational materials of chocolate production and they sell (locally made) chocolate bars as well! Thanks for the video!!

@sabrinakroesen6791

Жыл бұрын

That would amazing to visit! Getting a chocolate bar/piece would be great learning incentive 😂 (thinking kids on school trips, etc)

When we were kids (Philippines) and was introduced to 'Quik' Chocolate drink, were were like, "are we drinking shredded paper soup"??? After years of enjoying chocolate from our Grandma's tree... i knew i know how Chocolate should taste!

0:53 The way he says "no" like he thinks you're about to spring some 5-minute-crafts chocolate on him is so funny

Interesting that coffee enthusiasts get really into different beans and their flavors and complexity, but chocolate has never been marketed like that.

@jo_asiago8539

Жыл бұрын

Exactly! I hunt for fruity/acidic coffee but never knew I could do the same for chocolate:)

@marvalice3455

Жыл бұрын

There is a culture of unsweetened coffee far more than unsweetened chocolate, and this alone makes all the difference. Sugar is highly addictive. You'll need rice most people who take sugar in their coffee don't especially care were it comes from either. It's mostly the people who take it black that care. And because almost all chocolate is full of sugar, almost all chocolate eaters don't care as long as they get their sugar fix

@snakewithapen5489

Жыл бұрын

Part of it probably has to do with how people see coffee vs chocolate. Coffee is a morning ritual for many, many people, it's a STAPLE of some people's lives, so there being coffee snobs developing out of this incredibly prolific drink makes sense. Caffeine is practically seen as essential in the working world. It's almost a hobby for some people. Chocolate is a seen as a treat, so most people who eat it just want a sugary, sweet snack. You may be judged if you said that trying different types of chocolate is your hobby. We don't see plainclothes chocolate connoisseurs because most health-concious people don't see it as something that should be in our lives regularly, because it is unhealthy due to being so sugary- even though drinking too much coffee is also very unhealthy in a different way.

@Rgoid

Жыл бұрын

To many people, chocolate is chocolate no matter who makes it as long as it’s sweet.

@fluidthought42

8 ай бұрын

​@@snakewithapen5489 Well that depends on the culture! In Mexico having a cup of hot chocolate (or cold chocolate, in the form of smoothies) is a very common daily ritual. In fact I recall reading about a study that showed that cravings for chocolate are actually culture bound and that cultures that encourage common consumption of chocolate have women that express less cravings for chocolate.

I really appreciate how the video just focuses on facts and communication. There are no memes, goofy gimmicks, drama or over-energetic delivery as cheap ways to "keep the viewer engaged." You made a video that was to the point, just aimed at people who want to learn. Pure quality, thank you.

@rita7070

Жыл бұрын

there are plenty of channel like this... you seem to not have let kwon the algorithm your tastes strong enough

@101Volts

Жыл бұрын

Project Farm is also like this, but Todd's content is more about lawnmower engines, tools, and testing oils.

@legoworks-cg5hk

Жыл бұрын

What's wrong with memes?

@Celediev

Жыл бұрын

@@legoworks-cg5hk Nothing is wrong with memes if the video you are looking for is supposed to make you laugh. Educational videos, however, sometimes try to incorporate memes to push the engagement but in return their content loses credibility, as every meme put into an educational video makes it harder to distinguish between what is said to educate you and what is said to entertain you. Edutainment is certainly a thing, but it is incredibly hard to pull off properly, as it needs to be well balanced.

@pirojfmifhghek566

Жыл бұрын

Ann's pretty damn good about that. Definitely worth checking out the other stuff in her channel, because it's very no-nonsense. Her debunking videos are a service to humanity.

I once bought a single origin chocolate out of curiosity at an elitist organic store, and until then I believed chocolate always needed sugar to make it taste good, they were delicious without being overtly sweet. They were so expensive though!

@formes2388

8 ай бұрын

Good chocolate tends to be expensive because of the work that goes into good chocolate. Same goes for good coffee, Tea, and just about everything else - you can do a cheap mass production method with little in the way of quality control steps in between, but - if you want a good product, that QC is necessary to ensure you get properly ripened source product. At it's core - this means that quality products aren't just a little more expensive, it means they tend to be a fair amount more expensive - and it starts with the harvest: Hand harvesting is basically necessary - the machines don't distinguish from almost ripe, to ripe, to overripe: It all is grabbed, and you do a good enough separation - but that good enough separation is cheap, and doesn't do a great job all things considered. Overall, what you end up with is easily tripling the end product price. And then there is mass production homogenization that is desired by big companies. Instead of getting small batches of a product that varies over time do to the input ingredients, the goal of these companies is to get a homogeneous flavor between batches so the consumer becomes familiar with that end result.

@ym10up

7 ай бұрын

"an elitist organic store" 😅

@indulgentquagmire

7 ай бұрын

@@ym10up I would never shop in those places normally. It is not for the spendthrift.

@ym10up

7 ай бұрын

@@indulgentquagmire I just find the term so descriptive that I can not only see it, I could smell it 🤌🤌

@indulgentquagmire

7 ай бұрын

@@ym10up Lol

I hadn't realized how complex the process was to make the end product for the cacao beans. It honestly sounds a lot like making cheese, with all the enzymes and fermentation processes. No wonder it's so complex and varied in all the different regions of the world.

10/10 love the "17 minute video about a food industry" format, please do more in-depth videos like this!

@ericiberri9139

Жыл бұрын

agreed

@buegreenwater

Жыл бұрын

Same

@tayyibajan2324

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely agree

As a mexican form the state of Tabasco, we are very proud of our chocolate! it was common in the past to grind and make chocolate at home, my grandma used to do it, so i was very familiar with the real flavor of cocoa beans and chocolate. Sometimes when tasting cheap or very procesed chocolate feel weird and some of my friends tend to call me a snob because i'm very exigent with the flavor of chocolate, but when they taste what is a real and good chocolate, they find out why i'm like that hahaha thanks a lot for sharing this knowledge!!!

@magical571

Жыл бұрын

more like they are trying to be polite 🤣

@zrrob1149

Жыл бұрын

Sounds like a fascinating life experience. Thanks for sharing!

@Thingsandcosas

Жыл бұрын

Pásame unos contactos porfa..me perdí los números a quienes me compré mi cacao 😂

@tomireland3644

Жыл бұрын

.

@Cecylovesyou

Жыл бұрын

Do you remember the name of the beans?

When I was 8 my family was in Honduras for a vacation, and one day we visited a cocoa farm that was set up to show tourists some of the process of cocoa growing. I still remember being fascinated (and a little grossed out) seeing a pod cracked open and these slimy white beans come out 😂 blew my tiny child mind that chocolate could have ever started from that point. This video really brought me back to that moment, even almost 2 decades later. Hope that farm is still doing well

@lurji

8 ай бұрын

yoooo im from honduras glad you liked it there ✌️

@oxoelfoxo

7 ай бұрын

slimy?! must've been an overripe pod. the white flesh should be firm, like a good mangosteen or santol.

@pancake2700

7 ай бұрын

@@oxoelfoxo I mean, I was 8 at the time and it’s now nearly 20 years later so I could be misremembering it, but I think I remember it being slimy. I know I thought it seemed gross for some quality it had lol. Maybe it just looked slimy but wasn’t actually? I don’t know that I touched it.

@oxoelfoxo

7 ай бұрын

it's too bad they didn't give you a good seed to sample. it's actually quite yummy@@pancake2700

That Lindt bar you showed was part of a recent consumer report about lead and cadmium in chocolate. I would love to hear you talk about the implications of that report.

@jtduarte6829

Жыл бұрын

Loved the way they say bar, Bhe!😂

@RogerCharlamange

Жыл бұрын

The implications are it's bad. That probably shouldn't be in food. All sorts of shit is in food though so

@estheranders1502

Жыл бұрын

Yes I was going to add a comment about that as well. I'd like to know if it's true or not.

@Alexander_C69

Жыл бұрын

22 other brands exceed also violated California's maximum allowable dose levels for lead or cadmium. The implications of that report are that cocoa farmers and the cocoa industry need to implement better agricultural practices such as reducing wet cocoa bean contact with soil and dust, and soil-testing at farms.

@RejectedInch

Жыл бұрын

@@Alexander_C69 and equipment consumpion. lead and cadmium are found in metal alloys, aka: check the grinders and all metallic tools used in the process that are prolly overused.

if you put together a box of labelled samples from this video so we could taste them together while watching and compare, i'd pay crazy money for that, Ann! you've piqued my curiosity

@OneSneakySloth

Жыл бұрын

This exists! Not very cheap but Gabriel’s chocolate in Yallingup (Western Australia) do tasting packs for single origin chocolates. They’re a really cool experience.

@almccormick85

Жыл бұрын

Ooooh, great idea!

@TamarLitvot

Жыл бұрын

Love this idea!!

@faintpraise

Жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same thing!

@scaredyfish

Жыл бұрын

I know here in New Zealand we have a company that does tasting boxes like that - I never got it, because it is quite expensive. I imagine there is probably something like that wherever you happen to live.

I always find it so amazing to think about how things like chocolate came to be. How someone had to harvest these beans and figure out what to do with the stuff inside them, how you have to let them ferment and dry and everything, it's really cool to think about the long history of these products and all the people that helped in making them the way that they are today.

@SysterYster

Жыл бұрын

I believe, originally, the beans were actually smoked, not eaten. By the maya, inka or aztek indians. (I can never remember which one's which ^^;)

@talonhammer

Жыл бұрын

I once read an account of how aztecs made their "hot chocolate" drink by pouring it between two cups until frothy. I tried it recently with my own recipe and it came out incredible. They also added hot peppers to it rather than sugar (I add both lol)

@michasokoowski6651

Жыл бұрын

Thats cool and all... but what about people who discovered how to safely eat incredibly dangerous food, like fugu fish.

@101Volts

Жыл бұрын

Well, hundreds of years ago we didn't have Facebook, Twitter, KZread, Tiktok, TV, and (depending on the region) not even newspapers. Besides the point being that less distraction might help in different ways, I don't suppose learning the process happened quickly; people more likely found out the process gradually, over years.

@michasokoowski6651

Жыл бұрын

@@101Volts or that someone gathered a very bitter fruit so he threw it away only to later find it tasting better, so he gathered more and let them sit in a basket and then dried it so they would last longer. Im actually planning to make some % out of kivi fruits because i had some spoil and they did smell nicely sweet. i didnt taste them only because it was uncontrolled fermentation. point is, you can find out stuff like that by dumb luck.

I used to think that I didn't like chocolate until I learned in a documentary about the different types of beans and how bars are made and I got curious about it. Today I really love dark chocolate, but I only buy very small quantities of very good quality bars. A lot of people who tells me that they don't like dark chocolate have been impressed so far when they taste it.

@openingchocolate

6 ай бұрын

So true. When you have only tasted bad grocery store chocolate good craft chocolate tastes so much better.

Wonderful content!! I used to be part of this cocoa chain (supplychain) largely for NYBOT and LIFFE (now both changed their names). Just to add my 2 cents worth; 1. Cocoa beans travel half way around the world to be processed. This has a very damaging effect on the beans. There are infestations, condensations, extra fermentation due to condensations etc. 2. The demand for cocoa beans have grown exponentially in last 10 odd years. Hence the supply has become relatively tighter. Everyone is trying to get as much beans as possible. Hence the threshold for all grades have been somewhat lowered. 3. Recycled beans become a big business. The extra fermented or other low grades beans were not so much in demand years ago. Yet these have become super hot as their cost was super low before. Hence there are specialists who collect and trades these low grade beans. The problem is, small producers would not have sufficient volume to blend these into their line, hence those are mostly used by ‘large’ producers. There used to be some Chinese backed producers who specialised in low grade beans but after their collapse, the supply have been available to anyone who wants it. So many of the cost conscious producers adopted low grade beans more and more. This trend will only continue to grow as the crop yield is likely to fall and the demand stays strong. We are seeing more and more ‘artificial flavouring’ introduced to the products. Unfortunately this is likely to continue and grow as the constraint supply will be squeezed even tighter and demand will only grow with population growth. The good old true chocolates will soon the out of reach for many. Shame.

@stellaewunia9783

8 ай бұрын

This makes sense to me because even Lindt chocolate tasted better 10 or 15 years ago. Now it's inedible

@Christoff070

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing

@nancy9478

4 ай бұрын

Hersheys always had a waxy taste. Wonder why?

@withelisa

3 ай бұрын

I wish we could somehow collectively agree to indulge in good quality chocolate maybe once a week. Stop wasting it in milk and cereals and cakes and cheap treats. Treat it like the specialty product it is.

@hauntedshadowslegacy2826

3 ай бұрын

Out of curiosity, what do you think about the possibility of people isolating the different bacterial strains for more precise fermentation? Do you think it'd be a good thing or a bad thing if other places could use the bacterial strains to grow and ferment cacao outside of its natural habitat in greenhouses?

Ann: I picked a few Also Ann: Goes the extra mile and shows fifteen chocolate bars

@nunyabiznuss3040

Жыл бұрын

She is a Food scientist after all 😁

I remember the first time I had an artisanal chocolate. It's been too long for me to recall specifics, but the feeling of standing there in front of the guy who made the final product while he explained the origins, the tasting notes, the process... indescribable. It was a creamy mouthfeel unlike anything I had experienced with chocolate before, and hearing him talk about it made me appreciate the product even more. That something like chocolate could have TASTING NOTES was unbelievable. It was a totally different experience. I still love my Hershey's Dark Chocolate stocking stuffers, but nothing can compete with the care that goes into the small batch producers!

@Kifflington

Жыл бұрын

This is the thing; I think perhaps many of us get so used to just shoving chocolate in our faces as kids that we forget to really make an effort to taste the complexities. It's a bit like music, I guess - sure, natural talent in things like playing an instrument or having a gourmet palate exists but it still has to be focused on and an effort made, and knowing the background adds a whole other layer to the experience. I will certainly think differently about the next chocolate I eat after watching this video.

@buddies1954

Жыл бұрын

I remember the first time I had an artisanal chocolate. It's been too long for me to recall specifics, but the feeling of standing their in front of the guy who made the final product while he explained the origins, the tasting notes, the process... indescribable. It was a creamy mouthfeel unlike anything I had experienced with chocolate before, and hearing him talk about it made me appreciate the product even more. That something like chocolate could have TASTING NOTES was unbelievable. It was a totally different experience. I still love my Hershey's Dark Chocolate stocking stuffers, but nothing can compete with the care that goes into the small batch producers!

@sectumsempra9837

Жыл бұрын

She didn't even say anything about the people being exploited and how they have never tasted the same chocolate they are used like slaves to make... Typical west get anal about useless stuff but gloss over the atrocity

@221b-Maker-Street

Жыл бұрын

@@Kifflington Likewise. I think if people removed most of the sugar and then really _tasted_ their bog-standard chocolate, they'd realised it tastes of texture, not flavour at all. Sugar masks a lot of wrongs...

@oldvlognewtricks

Жыл бұрын

As someone from outside the US - Hershey’s is like a block of plastic, to me. So hard and almost crumbly in texture. It’s so funny how different a basic chocolate bar can be just because of a few variables like melting point and particle size…

I will never cease to be amazed at Anne's ability to break down complex topics in an understandable way. Keep up the good work Anne!

00:25 🍫 Different types of cocoa beans result in distinct chocolate flavors. 03:33 🌍 The location where cocoa beans are grown significantly influences chocolate flavor. 07:35 🍇 Fermentation is a critical step in developing the flavor of cocoa beans. 09:19 🕒 Even a minor change in fermentation time affects the flavor profile of the chocolate. 11:53 🌐 Many cocoa farmers have never tasted chocolate made from their own beans, which highlights the need for better education and communication in the industry. 14:47 🔬 Conching, a process that refines chocolate texture, can either enhance or diminish flavors depending on itsduration.

@openingchocolate

6 ай бұрын

yes! many chances to develop interesting flavours.

@salsaverder

4 ай бұрын

Exactly as wine. I do wine more than 10 years, result is unpredictable, it depends of various factors including grape condition, yeast, maceration, maturing... Some of 7 or 5 years old are brocken, some others are delicious. Endless journey).

As a fellow chocolate lover I can say that after watching this I have a STRONG desire to try some actually good chocolate (because for my uncultured tongue the Lindt seems great) 😅

@creativesoul2778

Жыл бұрын

####

@sierrasnode

Жыл бұрын

Same!!

@rebeccaboyack422

Жыл бұрын

Me too!

@neverstoplearning7214

Жыл бұрын

Same

@SarcasticShrubbery

Жыл бұрын

Yes! Lindt is also my favourite as far as supermarket brands go, but I've had really amazing single origin chocolate from a small manufacturer a couple of times and it's worldchanging if you're a chocolate lover. So worth the splurge, you won't gobble it all in one go anyway because it's so much more intense!

This is a problem in the coffee world, too. There are so many parallels between chocolate and coffee. Comparison tasting is also massively helpful for both. Excellent work.

@rtyzxc

Жыл бұрын

Also tea world. Basically with any natural product, the soil, farming and processing determine the end result.

@Martin-sp4zf

Жыл бұрын

I like Chocolate and Coffee but I never compared them until I read your post. Thanks.

@error.418

Жыл бұрын

@@rtyzxc I totally agree that agricultural products often go this way, so tea is totally another valid example. Coffee feels even more relevant to me alongside chocolate because both are grown in similar regions, both are seeds that you have to prepare and then roast. There's the combination of regional differences and then roast differences with a disconnect between the grower and the roaster. There's specialty coffee/chocolate and commodity coffee/chocolate, there are fair trade concerns. Modern specialty roasters of both coffee and chocolate are trying to reconnect with the farmers and improve quality of life for the farmers, quality of the product, and enhancing the notes of the terroir. I could go on. I wish I knew more about tea to make similar comparisons, but coffee and chocolate have such a similar and interesting journey.

@rtyzxc

Жыл бұрын

@@error.418 I have heard all the same stuff you just said about tea.

@error.418

Жыл бұрын

@@rtyzxc Awesome! Would love to learn more.

Making chocolate is such a complicated process it makes me wonder how anyone discovered it.

@PigmyPipistrelle13

6 ай бұрын

A guess a long history of trial and error. And maybe a couple of happy accidents.

@hansmemling2311

3 ай бұрын

People have been fermenting, boiling, baking, roasting and mixing everything throughout history. The things one can make with just water ferment and grain alone… it’s part of our survival mechanism to try out these things. Once a product is discovered it’s generations of experimentation and refinery till it becomes a widespread product

"This chocolate - by comparison - tastes bland" *pulls out the most expensive chocolate available in my local supermarket*

This channel consistently shows me that the world is a much more complex and interesting place if you take the time to look into it. Thank you Ann!

@Aysh100

Жыл бұрын

So true, I always learn something new from Ann 😊

@Gatorade69

Жыл бұрын

A lot of people don't realize just how complex a lot of things are. Most Americans would probably think "Chocolate is chocolate." Sometimes you just need to slow down, take it all in and try to learn something new. Once I started growing vegetables I realized plants, just like people, are incredibly varied. There's so many varieties of everything but most people wouldn't know it as the supermarkets stock only a couple varieties that have been bred for looks, size and transportability over flavor.

If I was a middle school science teacher, I would use these videos as chapter enrichments. Complex ideas presented in a easy understandable way. Love this.

@MaxOakland

Жыл бұрын

That’s a great idea

@katie-allen

Жыл бұрын

Great idea!!

I’m in love with the fact you have that tree growing. Its going to be so amazing and special when it gets fruit. I can see you making your own special chocolate.

I know exactly what he meant at 4:56 We had these huge Hoya plants in our house as a kid, and when they'd bloom, the flowers begin forming little nectar beads and drip. That nectar had a very distinct, sweet, almost rose-like flavor. Not sure if you can straight up eat the flower, but the nectar was totally safe.

as a botanist i am so glad you mentioned how environment affects how plants grow and taste. so many people dont realize how even slight soil pH or nutrient changes, rainfall, or humidity affect how your food tastes and medicine works!

@viviandibrell849

Жыл бұрын

This is similar to how the flavors in wine come about.

@84rinne_moo

Жыл бұрын

Yes, It’s known as terroir.

@aina2165

Жыл бұрын

@@viviandibrell849 Yes and coffee.

@cynthiajohnston424

Жыл бұрын

So true ! Even the same varieties of local backyard / homegrown fruits & veggies will vary in taste , depending on soil , water , organic fertilizer , mulch , etc.

@profounddamas

Жыл бұрын

As a botanist can you tell us how many of those healthy benefits in the original cocoa fruit survive all the way to the final product? Don't bother, I already know the answer.

I once tasted some really dark belgian choclate brought to me by a friend from Luxembourg. It was something like 80 or even 90% cocoa and normally I find anything over around 50% to bitter. But this one was AMAZING. It was the best chocolate I've ever tasted. It wasn't even bitter at all, but I can't describe the flavour anymore. It's been almost six years and I still regularly think about this chocolate. I never could wrap my head around why this one was so diffrent from the dark chocolates I normally knew - until now. I would have never thought that there are so much diffrences between cocoa beans, or in how many countries cocoa is grown. Thank you! It also explains why powdered cocoa/ hot chocolate can taste extremly diffrent depending on the brand.

@Bobbias

8 ай бұрын

Well for things like hot chocolate, you also have to consider the difference in levels of cocoa butter, cocoa solids,, milk, and so-on. While it's true that even with identical recipes, they could taste different, for lower quality products like that, the differences are more likely to be due to recipe than bean source. When you're sourcing large amounts for high volume products, there are typically only a couple companies you can realistically choose from.

@odomisan

8 ай бұрын

The bitterness can also come from over roasting. With a small artisan chocolate maker, they can closely monitor smaller batches and roast them just right.

@openingchocolate

6 ай бұрын

Fine flavour cacao shouldn't really even be bitter. That is a marketing bamboozle! There are so many good craft chocolate makers out there now no reason for anyone to eat the other junk. BUT...careful, Belgian (or swiss) chocolate does not necessarily mean good. Most of that is just Barry Callebaut, a giant industrial manufacturer

@blueredacted

5 ай бұрын

I absolutely hate hot chocolate, but boiling milk with belgian chocolate made the best cup I had ever had. It’s unreal!

@dshe8637

3 ай бұрын

Try Solkiki. They are amazing

This was a surprisingly good description of the issues involved in making a good chocolate. As a former chocolatier from Trinidad, where the Trinitario type of cocoa originated, I was proud to make chocolate that was made in the same estate in which it was grown. For some of the finest chocolate in the world, it's worth searching out Trinidad and Tobago Fine Cocoa Company's bars.

@shubhampadhye7263

Жыл бұрын

Are you Trinidad Indian? So nice to meet you!

@santosh911

11 ай бұрын

@@shubhampadhye7263 I am! Very proud of both my Indian and Trinidadian heritage. And of Trinidad's extraordinary cocoa heritage as well.

I love all of your debunking and cake save videos, but this was so educational, I loved it! ❤

Thanks for all you do!! Love your channel!

My great grandma's village in Ghana also farms cocoa .. You'll mostly go and meet some cocoa beans being fermented ..So beautiful to see .and I'm glad My country was mentioned 😊❤️Ghana 🇬🇭

@napoleonfeanor

Жыл бұрын

Maybe make some chocolate from it!

@martindione386

Жыл бұрын

thanks for the chocolate man, and those funny home brew sci-fi classics ;)

@amoasiwa.n6598

Жыл бұрын

@@napoleonfeanor we do on occasion

@napoleonfeanor

Жыл бұрын

@@amoasiwa.n6598 I'd love to try but I have no access to this kind of chocolate.

@susanaaragorn8606

Жыл бұрын

They say that most of cocoa is expprted it is true? Is there good chocolate there?

In Modica (Sicily-Italy) they keep doing chocolate using manual grinding in a cold environment so that the sugar doesn’t really dissolve. The grainy texture makes this chocolate otherworldly! To all travelers who would like to visit Sicily, make a stop in Modica and you won’t regret it at all! All the love ❤

@eveenorth6125

Жыл бұрын

It’s not a good habit to lie on the internet x try not lying next time x much love, from England x

@Axolotls_out

Жыл бұрын

I won't lie, I visited a few years ago with my chocolate crazy family and we really didn't like it lol.

@francescofilippi2824

Жыл бұрын

This is how chocolate was made once

@MTknitter22

Жыл бұрын

@@Axolotls_out some do lie, it’s true. Some get accused of it if the accuser just doesn’t like somebody complimenting the ITALIAN chocolate.

@jimandmandy

Жыл бұрын

Tried it when I was in Sicily. Sorry, but could not take the gritty texture.

Amazing description and step by step explanation. I really appreciate your content. Thank you!

This was utterly fascinating!! Thank you for the time you obviously put into this. ❤

It really does suck that colesworth seemingly adamantly refuse to stock any fair trade chocolate, and insist on only stocking chocolate from slaver companies. I have to look a lot harder and pay a lot more to get actually decent chocolate that is slavery-free.

@Jakey4000

Жыл бұрын

I just say screw it and buy Tony's chocoloney, but it seems to be hard to find. Quite depressing how prevalent nestle and mondelez is, and both companies produce awful quality. It's really sad how Cadburys tastes like a skeleton of its former self

@Nightstarlady

Жыл бұрын

if i ever buy chocolate at coles or woolies i always get whittakers

@vanessagil3527

Жыл бұрын

Woolworths sells Loving Earth chocolate in the health food isle. It’s fair trade.

@hazelcrisp

Жыл бұрын

@@Jakey4000 I only find them at the high end supermarkets which I don't really shop at

@redwitch95

Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately, that's usually the reason when something is so cheap - they use slave labour and/or produce their goods in countries where workers have far fewer rights.

i noticed one of the chocolate bars you bought is from Zotter. they are a well known higher end chocolate company from Austria. and they actually have a chocolate factory in Austria that you can visit. they provide tours and you can try so so so much chocolate it's incredible. you get to try the different kinds of chocolate at different stages in the process, they even let you try some cocoa beans. it's a super fun day out for anyone and also quite educational

@sasismile6374

Жыл бұрын

I was gonna comment that! As an Austrian, Zotter is my favourite chocolate company, I've been to the factory so many times and it's always an amazing experience!

@TheBestCat1290

Жыл бұрын

they also have Cadburys world here in the UK. i think it is similar to this but i have never been

@glynnL

Жыл бұрын

That sounds like a delicious day!

@AdamJorgensen

Жыл бұрын

There are some botique chocolate makers in Franschoek, Western Cape, South Africa that also provide a similar experience, although much smaller scale.

@defs8073

Жыл бұрын

Super fun? Not just fun?

Wow! I love these educational videos you make Ann. And this one was especially fascinating! Thank you.

I loved every single moment of this video and would love to see more like it: history, comparisons, taste tests across multiple participants, current processes, small producers, and science, science, science!

Your son's tasting notes of dirt from the floor mixed with grass had me in stitches but also very impressed

@jessicag630

Жыл бұрын

Maybe the taste is from 8:35 😂

Really happy to see the Philippines mentioned here! We've had quite a history with chocolate as it was first introduced to us by the Spaniards during the galleon trade with Mexico in the 17th century. It's even made its way to our traditional cuisine with dishes like champorado and tablea chocolate (it's pretty common to find chocolate cakes and desserts here marketed as made with tablea to indicate that it's a very dark chocolate) That said our own local artisinal chocolate scene is pretty recent. There's been efforts by these local companies like Auro, Malagos, etc. to spotlight homegrown chocolates, and they are slowly getting more mainstream like getting sold in big Philippine supermarket chains instead of just their own specialty stores, and even win international awards. I'm really happy to see our chocolate get more recognition outside the country! Cheers Anne!

@rocknpirates456

Жыл бұрын

I love finding bits of the exchange between Mexico and phillipines. We have Champurrado in Mexico too and those chocolate tablets, wonder how similar they are. Would love to taste a Phillipines traditional chocolate! love form Mx

@nicolle2126

Жыл бұрын

@@rocknpirates456 same, i'd love to taste a proper Mexican champurrado! Our champorado might be different though since it's more like a warm rice pudding with sticky rice in it. We have 2 versions of tsokolate drinks (one thin amd drinkable, and one very thick) and a regional variant called Tsokolate de Batirol which features tablea, sugar, and ground peanuts/peanut butter. Highly recommended if you ever visit the northern mountain provinces of the Philippines! Thank you Mexico for introducing chocolate to us ☺️

@scottydu81

Жыл бұрын

I love how two halves of the globe can impact each other so deeply

@Decanta

Жыл бұрын

It must be exciting to pioneer the local flavor of such a big industry! My home town in Canada has a large Filipino community and the cuisine is to die for, I'd love to see what they do with chocolate!

@philippak7726

Жыл бұрын

it was really cool for me to see too, NZ has a really good relationship with the Philippines (or at least it feels like we do T.T) but I notice that even The Wellington Chocolate Factory (biggest single-source producer that I know) does NOT get your beans, so I hadn't realised that you guys have a bunch of farms there. I'm sad that I don't know nearly as much as I should about a close neighbour *thoughtful face* becomes even more sad when you all go to the trouble of learning english and none of us learn Tagalog T.T

Ann, ,your videos are always so well thoughtfully made. Truly some of KZreads best.

Such an interesting video! Please more of these!

I think the real irony is, when Lindt put in back variety into chocolate by adding all sorts of extra stuff like chili or fruits, when they worked so hard to get rid of it.

I had a subscription box for chocolate a while back and it was only then I started to realise chocolate tastes so different from the supermarket bars I was used to - you can taste the fermentation, there’s so much character in it. Anyway, after the subscription ended chocolate was of course ruined for me 😂

@justanotherclaud

Жыл бұрын

Do you remember the name of that? Bc it sounds so good!

@Linkale_

Жыл бұрын

@@justanotherclaud I'd like to know too!

@M0rbidCuriositea

Жыл бұрын

I triple that request for a company name, please!

@tangerine5903

Жыл бұрын

I'd like to quadruple that request

@ayidas

Жыл бұрын

Quintuple

This was absolutely fascinating! Thank you, Anne! Your videos are informative and interesting and fun!

Impressive and educational! Thanks as always, Ann!

One day I tasted the chocolate from an old little shop run by a family of chocolate makers since 1930 and I discovered REAL chocolate! It’s just like all another food: I usually don’t really like chocolate, but that one is different. Please support your local shops, sometimes you can find incredible thing thanks to them!

I knew NONE of this going in. As always, Ann, you never fail to educate AND entertain. (Always nice to see Dave & the boys again, as well.) Thanks!

Love these deep dives!

Wow, I've learned so much about chocolate in under 20 min! And very clearly and interestingly presented as well ;) Thank you, Ann!

First of all, I'm so excited that you picked a bar of Zotter chocolate, because its "home-base" is close to where I'm from (you can visit the factory, watch the chocolate-making process, "taste" every step of the journey from bean to bar, and later have an all-you-can-eat of selected flavours and products) Also, I just love the quality of your videos so much; you take so much care to be nuanced and factual. I absolutely loved everything about this video!

@paulinelieder1368

Жыл бұрын

I also noticed! And I really recommend visiting the factory. I’ve been twice and it were the two best days of my life ❤

@priestrat

Жыл бұрын

I bought some Zotter chocolate when I was in Wien, but I didn't like it :/ maybe I chose the wrong kind. Personally I like Chocolats Villars from Fribourg 🇨🇭

@lo4568

Жыл бұрын

Als Wienerin muss ich ehrlich sagen, dass ich Zotter Schokolade (bis jetzt) überhaupt nicht mag. Ich war aber mal in so nem schicken Schoko-Geschäft (irgendwo im 6. oder so, in der Nähe der Mahü) und die hatten dort die Marke Pichler. Extrem gut, vor allem deren Kirschen-Schokolade. Hat mich echt umgehauen haha 😂 Aber Pichler kennt halt wirklich keiner, ist ne Marke aus Kärnten oder Tirol glaub ich

@Casutama

Жыл бұрын

@@priestrat I can agree that it's a bit of an acquired taste - it's a very different "style" of chocolate than what lots of other brands do. Each bar comes with an instruction to really savour each bite though, to fully let it melt in your mouth to experience all the flavours, and that can be amazing. I've found that the easiest "entry" into Zotter chocolate, for most people, seems to be Laboko: their "pure" chocolates (of different percentages / single fruit flavours). Also their Drinking Chocolate range. And their weirder flavours at least always provide an interesting experience. What I definitely can faithfully promise though is that regardless of how much you think you like their chocolate, if you ever find yourself in Austria again, the factory is well worth a visit, and (especially for what it offers) the ticket price is extremely reasonable.

@toniu5417

Жыл бұрын

I'm jealous!! I always wanted to visit the factory, I love Zotter so much ;_;

I love how your husband’s reactions are often just “not nice” or “I like it” 😂. Very cute.

@DemonsCrest1

Жыл бұрын

that's similar to how I rate movies - "alright" and "pretty good" ^_^

@BigMamaDaveX

Жыл бұрын

@@DemonsCrest1 😏 I rate movies: "awful" and "within acceptable parameters".

@DemonsCrest1

Жыл бұрын

@@BigMamaDaveX xD. Yea, i feel like i am a lot less "wowed" by movies the last, oh i dunno, 15-20 years ^_^

This was so interesting and informative! Thank you Ann for all your research and hard work in putting this video together!

Excellent video. I learned lots. Thank you Ann

Haha this reminds me so much of culinary school. Most of my classmates agree that Lindt is bland as a chocolate. However I argue that this is advantageous during chocolate bon bon making because then you can really concentrate on the filling, almost like a blank canvas. Would love a part 2 of this video where you explain how ruby chocolate is made!

@zvikaso

Жыл бұрын

Lindt make a variety of different chocolates. Not all are bland. The sweeter ones are. The 85% rich dark version is nice imho. It's fair for its price.

@MikuruChan123

Жыл бұрын

@@zvikaso for most people, the 85% is nice but for most of us in the culinary world, it's considered a bland chocolate. This is because it tends to lack depth of taste, there is no evolution as the chocolate lingers on your tongue and melts. Of course it all comes down to personal enjoyment at the end of the day so if you enjoy it, enjoy it! I am definitely shamed by my peers for liking Somersby cider and nobody can tell me differently. :)

The boys were actually VERY descriptive with their tastings, " ripe bananer and butterscotch" I'm impressed with how specific they were :)

Truly great job. Thanks for all this info.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of going to the Dominican Republic with family. We went on a tour of a cacao farm. We saw all the stages Ann mentioned, from fruits being harvested to fermentation to drying. The owner of the farm roasted a few of the beans himself over wood coals, and then roughly ground them with a metate. I got to try some, and it tasted nutty, chocolaty, and a little bit like coffee. It was an experience I hope I never forget.

@jewelsbarbie

8 ай бұрын

That sounds like such a fun experience!

I was lucky enough to have a friend from El Salvador that lived in the jungle; her family made molcajette fudge (cocoa + rock sugar ground together into a paste and dried) it was somewhat chalky, and it was THE BEST chocolate I have ever had in my life. The abundance of flavors and smell was like no chocolate I had ever had or have had since.

@mimosa5174

Жыл бұрын

This sounds similar to chocolate done without conching! I can easily believe it was the best you’ve ever had, the powdery (?) texture is incredible!

@KatanaBart

Жыл бұрын

I bet someone has a mole sauce recipe that's next level compared to the stuff you get in jars

This is why I love Ann!! You aren’t just telling us about the different chocolate, but going in depth with similarities, differences, and using people to compare. I now want to go out and try different types of chocolate because of you!!

@tomireland3644

Жыл бұрын

.

@profounddamas

Жыл бұрын

Very bad idea. Don't accept advice on what you should eat from people that want to sell you "food".

Absolutely fascinating. Thank you.

Really fascinating video! I had no idea how complicated the process of preparing cocoa beans is!

I love your boys (including Dave)! They are all so thoughtful and articulate. The taste tests are the best, because the way they express their impressions make me almost feel like I’m getting a taste, too 😊 Clever and creative!

@HowToCookThat

Жыл бұрын

That's very kind of you ... they are all wonderful boys / men

@Eggs63

Жыл бұрын

@@HowToCookThat men

@nunyabiznuss3040

Жыл бұрын

​@@Eggs63 Even Jed is growing up 😊

@Eggs63

Жыл бұрын

@@nunyabiznuss3040 🙂

My sister gave me a single origin chocolate bar and I can honestly say that I tasted fruits while eating it. I even checked the label to see if I was eating a fruit and nut bar but it wasn't. Just some good quality chocolate.

@RedCascadian

Жыл бұрын

Went to the Seattle chocolate festival last year with some friends. Sooo many lovely chocolates.

@ziosuna2143

Жыл бұрын

Just chocolate doesn't have fruity flavors...

@di3486

Жыл бұрын

Coming from a chocolate country (that grows cocoa) I can’t stand the standard American chocolate😖

@RedCascadian

Жыл бұрын

@Di :3 we ruined suits at first too. America was the China of the 19th century to manufacturing.

@toysmostwanted

Жыл бұрын

@@di3486 The Philippines has a growing cocoa industry but chocolate hipsters from the western world has priced out many of the locals from tasting it.

Wow it's been a long time since I tuned into your channel, and I just gotta say: Your progress in terms of videography quality is super apparent! Great work!

You've inspired me. My husband (who doesn't really care for chocolate) and I (who loves chocolate) bought fancy chocolate that's from specific places and fermented for certain lengths and roasted certain amounts. And I love chocolate even more now! It's so cool and complex. And my husband has figured out he likes chocolate less and really does prefer white chocolate and the least like chocolate chocolate you can buy. Lol.

@nevaladder

8 ай бұрын

Aww, I thought this story was going to end with your husband discovering af let's one type of chocolate he actually liked. 😂

@TickleMeTimbers

8 ай бұрын

"it's so cool and complex" you just leveled up to Hipster Supreme. No really though, enjoy your $10 50g chocolate bar.

@Christoff070

8 ай бұрын

​@@TickleMeTimbersif you watched the vid you'd realise shes not doing it to be a hipster

@clumsyroad4026

8 ай бұрын

@@Christoff070 if you weren't retarded you'd realize he's talking about the commenter

@openingchocolate

6 ай бұрын

White chocolate is making a resurgence in the craft chocolate industry with so many great inclusions. It is like a canvas fro craft chocolate makers. So many interesting and tasty bars out there right now.

I went to a workshop on chocolate and they had samples from all over the world for every stage of the production, when they offered us the raw cocoa bean we were shocked and disgusted! There was a room were you could smell the beans from different countries, they all had a specific fragrance, so cool!

@deedercakes

Жыл бұрын

this is so cool!

@snakewithapen5489

Жыл бұрын

The raw cacao bean actually tastes good when it still has the goopy stuff on it. It tastes like a fresh fruit, like a mango! But don't bite down, the bean itself is very bitter

This video just made me go out and spend £100+ at London Chocolate since they do single source chocolate bars. It was crazy to me how good dark chocolate could taste, and how different each of the bars could be, even with it just being cocao and sugar. Thank you, Ann!

@oliviamartini9700

Жыл бұрын

More money than sense...your pensioners are starving.

@IuliuPascaru

Жыл бұрын

@@oliviamartini9700 If no one buys the expensive chocolate, then the chocolate makers will be starving too.

@jasmint3207

Жыл бұрын

I would love to try some single source bars now, too! I don't know where to get them but I will have to try and find some

@blakefarnsworth

Жыл бұрын

Me spending £100 at a local business helps the economy, and by relation, those starving pensioners, far more than it just sitting in my bank account.

@starsash

Жыл бұрын

​@@oliviamartini9700 Why are you here to shame on how some bloke spends his hard earned pay? He didn't write the laws that have the pensioners starving. Let him alone and write to your politicians if you have a bone to pick.

such an amazing insights about chocolate! I feel like some local chocolate bars do not really match my taste, but I now realized that maybe it's really just because I'm already accustomed to the big brands' products. Sometimes, some variations are indeed exciting to try and learn more :) Thank you Ann!

Thank you Ann. I found your video, and particularly your presentation style very easy to listen to. I enjoyed the information you shared. I love to say I’m crazy about chocolate but I didn’t even know that there were other cacao beans out there. I have more of an appreciation now to get out there and taste the variety moving away from the mainstream.

Last year, I did a brownie tasting at an upscale chocolatier - each brownie was made using different chocolates from different locales. It was funny because everyone asked me, did they really even taste different? Yes, absolutely! One was very fruity and tangy (like raspberries and yogurt), one was very sweet and floral (like honey), and one was very fudgy and a little savory (think like brushing olive oil on brownies). I've completely stopped buying mass-produced chocolate, and it is pretty shocking how bland it tastes after you make the switch.

This was a great taste test. We have a chocolate shop near me called The Meadow and they carry so so so many single origins bars, bars that have unique tastes and techniques, bars from all over the world. If you haven't had the pleasure of trying single origin or artisan chocolate, it will change your life.

@DessertGeek

Жыл бұрын

The Meadow is so cool! I love visiting them when I can! (And I love that they have mystery boxes, those are so fun!)

@CHEFPKR

Жыл бұрын

@@DessertGeek ohhh they have mystery boxes? I need to visit soon...

@helenamirian908

Жыл бұрын

oh, I mainly go there for salt! I'll have to try the chocolates.

Very interesting, thank you for sharing!

Amazing. I had no idea. Very informative. Thank you!

This reminds me a lot of the difference between commercial and specialty coffee. The process is slightly different but it seems there are more similarities than differences. I also note that your eldest has really good vocabulary for tasting. You've clearly taught him well!

@briemoore3457

Жыл бұрын

I was going to comment the same thing. I know a bit about the coffee industry because my partner works in specialty coffee, and it's so similar! I was even surprised at the similarities of roasting the beans longer to get rid of undesirable flavors. It's so cool that smaller companies are working directly with farms to help them fine tune their product.

@oscargr_

Жыл бұрын

Yep .. was also my observation. Coffee, but really many other household products available made by small local companies and the bland but cheaper version by big name brands.

@karenryder6317

Жыл бұрын

I thought of the coffee comparison as well. Since we seem to really love chocolate, someone likely could make a killing by using the start-up concepts of Starbucks on cocoa beans. My guess is that the concept would really grow.

I think this is my favorite H2CT video yet. Excellent information density paired with really good visuals (I really adored the map, especially what you did at 6:36). The flavor interviews were really powerful- they did a superb job showing the variation between different regions' beans, and it was particularly telling that even though people didn't describe the beans in the exact same terms, everyone still tended to cluster around flavor profiles unique to each bean. That there were *preferences* rather than "this one is good and this one is bad" made me think about what kind of experience we could all be having as chocolate consumers. This video has certainly inspired me to investigate further on my own!

Such an in depth experiment thanks!

Already put in an order for some chocolate from Argencove. Gonna share it with my mom (also a dietitian) because we both absolutely love eating chocolate, trying new and hopefully better chocolates, and food in general. Thanks for all you do!

I started getting into artisanal chocolate a couple years ago and love tasting the different flavors. My sister and I went to Vegas in January and she came home with a $200 purse while I came home with $200 of artisanal chocolate bars, truffles, etc 😂

@Zestric

Жыл бұрын

Just in case you've not already fallen into that and need another expensive hobby :P Try specialty coffee. It relates quite well to chocolate as you can get many similar flavours and it often grows in similar regions.

@Mike-zx1kx

Жыл бұрын

Never buy chocolate in USA. That are the worst quality on earth. There are lots of videos explaining the reasons for this ónline. It really are last place on earth to get good chocolate. .

@MaxOakland

Жыл бұрын

Ooh I think you won out!

@llamasugar5478

Жыл бұрын

You chose wisely! 😉

@BlackPhoenixNight

Жыл бұрын

​@Mike There are some awesome chocolatiers in the US. Why would you not buy their chocolate? I've had great artisanal chocolate made by American chocolatiers.

Theres even some small independant chocolate growers/companies popping up in Australia/Queensland in the past few years! Same goes for coffee as well. Would love to see a coffee episode similar to this, and would love if you could include some Aussie coffee if you can get your hands on it

@HowToCookThat

Жыл бұрын

oh yes, I looked up the QLD growers. I'd like to get up there one day

@adameichler

Жыл бұрын

I would say that already 80 % of this video applies to coffee, too :) Single origin/processing/taste profiles/roasting etc.

Lovely video and eye opening, had no idea about such differences! :)

This is my happy video, I watch it maybe once a month when I need to decompress. Thank you Ann

As a former chocolatier, I thought I knew a lot about chocolate. I have specific chocolate makers that are my go-to for product, but I never really thought about WHY. This was a highly informative and highly entertaining video! Such engrossing delivery and format, and I learned so much. Thank you for this video!

So interesting! Same goes for wine, coffee, tofu, and many other foods: the farm and early processing have a huge impact on the quality and flavor profile, and small manufacturers have a higher chance of creating something flavorfull and unique. Up-scaling the process results in muted flavors and a sort of mediocare/avareged-out flavor and texture.

@maxlutz3674

Жыл бұрын

I do not think that the upscaling of the process is the root cause. Small manufacturers cannot afford to sell the same product as big companies. They need to cater to customers with higher expectations and the willingness to pay for a better product. The big company can sell a product that is Ok but not great and make their profit with the bulk of sale. This results in product that offends noone but is average in every way. Some even have the chuzpe to replace hazelnuts and cocoa with much cheaper fats and sugar and call it an improved recipe. As many people simply do not make the experience of consuming products away from the mainstream they are also trained to like it.

@profounddamas

Жыл бұрын

Completely irrelevant when the original health benefits from the cocoa fruit pulp completely disappear from the final product. Just ask a factory to make your favorite chocolate but without any sugar at all. Then comeback and tell us what was it like.

@maxlutz3674

Жыл бұрын

@@profounddamas Rajoles makes a 100% chocolate with no added sugar. It has a slight acidity and is less bitter than some of the 70% chocolates. I like it but I would never offer it to people who prefer milk chocolate (that would a waste of perfectly good choclate). At around 4-5 € per 80 g bar it is not cheap but still affordable.

Absolutely fascinating video. I never knew there was so much involved and so much variety out there. I love dark chocolate but... maybe I don't! I will definitely look out some of these smaller producers and see what I've been missing out on.

What a wonderful video, thanks for posting!

if you made a chocolate tester pack? ie; chocolates made from beans all around the world? i would ABSOLUTELY be thrilled to try it! curiosity piqued! (bonus points if you ever made a video to help us find affordable indi brands)

@evetrevena4309

Жыл бұрын

I second this

@tabularasa0606

Жыл бұрын

@@evetrevena4309 Third!

@deiiisan

Жыл бұрын

Oh, yes please!

Finally someone said it! I can’t tell people enough about how fancy Indonesian cocoa specifically is different from standard commercial chocolate! I legitimately bought a bag of cocoa nibs to make into tea when I returned to Singapore 😢 you should try the brands Krakatoa and Jika, it’s made by Indonesians without the foreign middleman

@ArtsyImagination

Жыл бұрын

Nib tea? Please explain! I love tea and have never heard of this, do you steep it just like a regular tisane or do you need to do anything special with it?

@TryinaD

Жыл бұрын

@@ArtsyImagination it’s really just a regular tisane

@dedeb1057

Жыл бұрын

Hiii can you tell me where to buy or find these Indonesian chocolate please because I am Indonesian and I consider myself a chocolate lover (clearly not quite since I have only ever eaten the "famous" and "basic/usual" brands of chocolate, and I would love to try out some local chocolate especially after watching Ann's video😂

@dedeb1057

Жыл бұрын

@@TryinaD thanks a bunch, can't wait to taste them 😍

I love these videos so much. Thanks for your hard work, and props to your family for being such good sports.