Respectful chocolate tastes like…
When we talk about “Measures that Matter” we’re defining metrics for success and prioritizing values. In the world of chocolate, we believe this boils down to respect for the earth, the farmer, the chocolate artisan. The way we demonstrate this in our chocolate tasting workshops is through the nuances of flavor… and by being honest with our own reactions, our first reactions and our second reactions.
Being specific about what you taste is showing respect to the maker.
Trusting your instincts shows your respect to yourself.
Artisanal Chocolate Bars made in the same country the cacao was grown in!
At A Matter of Taste, we create opportunities for discovery- the time and space to notice your reaction and the time and space to decide for yourself what you prefer. For us, chocolate is a delicious, approachable medium to practice discernment and communicating personal preference. The chocolates we source have distinct flavors- we want you to have a reaction, so we can guide you through the experience of qualifying that reaction into something tangible. It is as simple as, “Ooh, I like this. Why do I like this? Or, Ooh, I don't like this. Why don't I like this?”
I (Joanna) have been spending the last few months immersed in the chocolate world- tracking flavor from the source into the finished product with a best-in-class team of Swiss chocolatiers for a new brand, Magic Chocolate. It’s been inspiring and encouraging to contribute directly to the efforts to craft fine chocolate with a purpose- using ‘measures that matter’ in real time to make business decisions that support, enhance, and further establish this company as a leader in the Regenerative Organic chocolate industry.
I was lucky to take a trip to Switzerland as part of this work, and, true to form, discovered a whole slew of new made-at-origin chocolate brands for A Matter of Taste!
Here is a brief list of what we tried, what we loved, and how to find them !
@definitechocolate makes delicious, uniquely flavored chocolate with special care to educate consumers with respect to the farmers and the makers in the Dominican Republic- this was our favorite, with a unique profile featuring notes of dried fruit, walnuts, and black olive!
@krakakoa chocolate from Sumatra is great example of how a team defines and achieves “measures that matter.” The cacao for this particular flavor is sourced from a forested region with the last surviving Sumatran elephant population. We’re inspired by this multi-layer approach to paying respect to the entire ecosystem, from the soil to the consumer.
Latitude Chocolate is made in Uganda from locally farmed Organic cacao, with a factory and retail shop that gives growers a change to taste their handiwork- unfortunately a rarity in the commodity chocolate industry. We tasted big chocolate brownie flavors with metallic, almost savory notes. With little to no fruity sourness this is the most approachable flavor we tried.
Auro Chocolate from the Philippines crafts exquisitely nuanced chocolate bars from single-estate Filipino cacao. This bar was unlike any other chocolate we’d tried before, with a very floral, almost marshmallow-like flavor and extremely creamy texture. Wow!
