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chocochaser

Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it. (Oliver)
❤️All about chocolate
🌎Based in DC/Baltimore

Two mango bars; each a different adventure. 70% da

Two mango bars; each a different adventure. 70% dark bar sweetened only with 30% mango puree. Or 100% dark (no sugar) with chewy chunks of dried mango. Exuberant & unapologetic; chocolate that demands your full attention.

Two in a collection of bars crafted with intention by versatile chocolate maker Arpita Kohli. Relying on simple ingredients & creative combinations, Arpita's tasty treats reflect both her heritage & the talented cooks in her life; her mom, grandmother and aunties. 👩🏽‍🍳

Arpita has been creating bars & vegan confections using only coconut & fruit sweeteners for a little over 5 years. The collection was inspired by daughter Mishti (which also means 'sweet' in Indian dialect). If you haven't tried Mishti chocolates recently, it's time to revist.

Bars were purchased at Seattle NW Chocolate festival, but available at several stores in NJ & MD (including @perfect.truffle in Frederick), or online at mishti-chocolates.com (@mishti.chocolate is a New Jersey based chocolate maker, & also available at local farmer’s markets if you’re in the area!)

#womeninchocolate
#womenownedbusiness #craftchocolate #guatemalancacao
#strongwomen

“Dance with trees. Play with microbes. Eat choco

“Dance with trees. Play with microbes. Eat chocolate” (quote by Raven Hanna)
Order this book! 🍫If you love chocolate, there’s always something new to learn. Not just for chocolate makers! An approachable, fun softcover book where the aloha spirit spills out the moment you open the cover.
Raven Hanna plays with cacao trees & chocolate in Hawaii. Raven taps into both her creative & scientific passions (phd in biochemistry) with another project worth looking into, stunning molecular jewelry. Connect with scientist-turned-artist Raven on @molecularmuse or websites: onecacaotree and madewithmolecules

#womenownedbusiness #dancewithtrees #chocolate

My thoughts on the last two days of Black History

My thoughts on the last two days of Black History Month as I eat my afternoon chocolate bars.

Originally posted in 2021, we could debate if much has changed. But we have to believe change is possible. And there are a lot of courageous people/leaders/unsung heroes making a difference, bit by bit.

Credit for quotes to the research & writings of Dr. Carla Martin @chocoinstitute , Dr. Kristy Leissle @docofchoc & her highly recommended book “Cocoa”, and Jinji Fraser @jinjichocolate , as well as Lauren Michelle Jackson @laurenmichelejackson

All errors & ignorance are my own.

#blackchocolatemakers #blackfarmers #blackwomeninchocolate #supportblackmakers #cocoafarmers #bipocchocolatemakers #equitablecocoa #chocolate #makeitahabitnotafavor

"Always West Africa. Cocoa is more than crop. The

"Always West Africa. Cocoa is more than crop. The people who grow it have a voice and it is getting louder." ZORA founder, FZ Hakam, is on a mission to amplify the voices that depend on cocoa for their livelihood in Ghana. Her message? One irresistable chocolate bar, just one 72% dark pecan-cherry bar, can make a difference.
How? With every ZORA bar you purchase, you are funding one full day of school for a student at @cocoa360 ‘Tarka Breman Girls School’ in Ghana.

Today, a bar. The future? FZ "aspires to be part of the new generation of African entrepreneurs leading sustainable business practices."

No argument, that's a huge uphill chocolate battle against entrenched colonialism in the cocoa supply chain. Moroccan-born FZ, with a combination of courage, optimism & compelling chocolate bars, is joining the future-leaders-to-watch, all giving volume to the voices of cocoa farmers.

Teaching tidbit for the day: 70% of cocoa consumed in the entire world grows in West Africa. Many farmers live in poverty. One option to address that? Research has shown that ‘when we invest directly in girls’ education, we foster economic growth, contribute to healthier families, and take another step towards gender equality.’

2nd teaching tidbit: @cocoa360 mission (the NGO supported by ZORA & your bar purchase!) is "to put cocoa farmers and their families in the driver’s seat to improve educational & health outcomes for their children from within, harvest after harvest."

🍫Don't miss the satisfying explosion of flavors found in ZORA's 72% dark bars (in rose, 'ginger & sesame', 'pecan & cherry', or salt) available from zorachocolate.com website

To learn more about
@zorachocolate join @chocolatemonkeync and @37chocolates at online “Women in Chocolate Tasting” on March 12

#onebaroneday #beantobarhandtoheart #mindfullymade #craftchocolate #ghanacocoa #ghanacocoafarmers

A farmer & new chocolatemaker to watch!

This is not a story about chocolate.

Use any leftover bars (or pieces of your favorite

Use any leftover bars (or pieces of your favorite bars) to make the best chocolate drinks. Hot chocolate or drinking chocolate (delicious by any name), with or without milk, plant-based or not, all made to order in your own kitchen. Three variations here, all from Cyndi at @canadianchocoholic . Photo credit & recipes by Cyndi.
For even more recipes, visit Cyndi's blog at Canadianchocoholic.ca

(#yes, I have leftover chocolate bars in my house!)

#drinkingmychocolate #craftchocolate #chocolate

A sunny day calls for a bicycle made of chocolate!

A sunny day calls for a bicycle made of chocolate! Bean-to-bar edible landscape crafted of 75% dark Ecuador heirloom cacao. New maker Lori Shapiro of Sueños Chocolate works directly with the Nuevo Esperanza Organic Farmers Coop in Puerto Quito, Ecuador. Sueños Chocolate is based in Watertown, Massachusetts

#womanownedbusiness #supportsmallbusiness #treetobarchocolate #craftchocolate @suenos_cacao

A cool chocolate map. Hand-drawn by Peruvian artis

A cool chocolate map. Hand-drawn by Peruvian artists, inside a coffee shop in Cusco. Cacao growing regions of the world lovingly illustrated. 🪴
If you can’t drop into Cusco’s Cafe Machiatto to visit “King of Maps” gallery, posters also sold on Etsy. (Mine arrived to Maryland in less than a week)

For a better closeup view of the detailed beauty, (or to buy) visit either the Website: King of Maps . com
Or Etsy shop: KingofMapsUSA . This gem originally spotted @shelachocodiary 🎨

#cuscoart #supportsmallbusiness
#cacaofarmers #chocolate #chocolatemap

Strawberry Fields. Forever, Please! A dark milk ba

Strawberry Fields. Forever, Please! A dark milk bar that brought lush springtime to a chilly February day, teeming with bright possibilities and spring scents and expectations of good things to come. 🐝

A Kansas City coffee roaster has entered the chocolate scene with several bars that reflect the pure joy of a chocolate creator connecting with the mysteries of cacao.
Launched officially in Oct 2022 as a chocolate extension of his 7 yr-old Encore Specialty Coffee business. Roaster/Owner Micheal King reveals that his endless hours of coffee roasting skills and his coffee tasting aptitude now assist in interpreting the fickle cacao bean. A chocolate maker to watch in 2023. 🍓

#supportsmallbusiness #missouri
#chocolatecoveredstrawberries
#craftchocolatemaker #missourichocolate

A striking tote bag, dyed with cacao husks, AND a

A striking tote bag, dyed with cacao husks, AND a trove of Japanese bean-to-bar chocolates. Textiles & chocolate carefully crafted with dedication to an art (& a touch of science!) Treasures then hand-carried in December to the US by talented makers & artists Darren Damonte & his wife, Miwa.

Chocolate first: Two personal favorite inclusion bars: 1) Sakekasu bar; a dark Tanzanian cacao base infused with sake lees & a touch of milk. 2)Yuzu bar, a robust Haitian cacao base with a generous minefield of crunchy candied yuzu peel (& a tad of milk!) Both bars are surprisingly cocoa-forward for only 55-57% cacao; and the hint of milk is a brilliant behind-the-scenes touch that softens the edges of the chocolate intensity.

The textiles: The tote bag was designed & created by Miwa using shibori, a traditional japanese dyeing technique, with cacao husk as the dye medium.

Darren & Miwa own a thriving cafe in Japan (& chocolate shop "Damontei Chocolate"), but occasionally visit the west coast of US, where Darren has roots. These treats are from their December west coast tour of family, friends & chocolate.

#japanesecraftchocolate #supportsmallbusiness #beantobarchocolate #craftchocolate #chocolate

Three of my 2022 favorites from @soulchocolate bas

Three of my 2022 favorites from @soulchocolate based in Toronto. Over the past five years, talented chocolate makers Kyle & Katie Wilson have continued to craft exceptional bars (& fortunately ship outside Canada!) Looking forward to seeing their 2023 creativity thrive, they just announced plans for expansion w/ a lease for a new 4000 sq ft chocolate space.

#torontochocolate
#winterchocolateshow
#supportsmallbusiness #craftchocolate #beantobarchocolates #chocolate

Stopped in historic downtown Jersey City on the wa

Stopped in historic downtown Jersey City on the way to a soccer match in NYC, am now fortified with a candied pecan 70% dark Baha (Brazil) bar. Crafted by Pat Christodulidis, owner & founder of new bean-to-bar makers, Alpa Chocolate. Adding sunshine to a cloudy afternoon! ☀️

#newjerseychocolate #craftchocolate

North Carolina bean-to-bar maker in High, Point ju

North Carolina bean-to-bar maker in High, Point just celebrated a 1 year anniversary.
Creatively crafted by zoologist/permaculturist Stephen Snoop & polymer chemist Keven Drummey. Simply put, the chocolates -and- the artwork are worth tracking down. www.eigenchocolate dot com

#supportsmallbusiness #craftchocolate #chocolate

China, to Seattle, to Texas! Kesshō, a chinese-ba

China, to Seattle, to Texas! Kesshō, a chinese-based craft chocolate maker, shared their award-winning chocolate at the Seattle NW Festival. Kesshō currenty has two chocolate shops (and bean-to-bar ice cream!) in Shanghi and Beijing, with plans to open a chocolate shop & factory in Austin, Texas in 2023. The magic behind Kesshō is Mark & Liang Huetsch. Mark, originally from Illiniois, is a computer expert-turned chocolate maker, with a ten-year detour in specialty baking. Mark & Lian have been described as "pie-obsessed entreprenurs" based on the success of their pastry shops. Now, with their skillful 2019 exploration into craft chocolate, Kesshō is a maker to watch.

#supportsmallbusiness #craftchocolate #craftchocolatemaker #chocolate #chinesechocolatebar

Arrived in the mail today!
Have loved the original

Arrived in the mail today!
Have loved the original Azul (@planbgamesofficial ) as one of my all-time favorite board games & now can’t wait to try the ‘Master Chocolatier’ edition!🍫

How can you not love a random chocolate package th

Bean-to-bar dark chocolate non-pareils, dressed in

Bean-to-bar dark chocolate non-pareils, dressed in holiday style. Bite-sized buttons with a candy cane twist that are hard to resist. A visit to Philadelphia isn’t complete without a stop to Shane Confectionery’s magical shop. Creative bean-to-bonbons, bars & drinking chocolates at 110 Market street in Philly

#supportsmallbusiness #beantobarchocolatemaker #craftchocolate #craftchocolatemaker #chocolatecandycane #phillychocolate

A special gift for that hard-to-buy-person! Sponso

A special gift for that hard-to-buy-person! Sponsor two cocoa trees. Receive a chocolate bar from an organic farm AND see sponsor's name displayed on 2 trees. In return, 100% of funds go directly to farmer & his community. The gift that keeps giving!

Sponsorship program is a collaboration between UK-based Marie Schlemm, founder of "The Tao of Chocolate" & Ghanaian famer/activist Nana Nyanteng Ahenkan. Marie has been collaborating with Nana & his community for two years, joyfully sharing: "It is a priviledge to work with Nana."

A chocolate story of an unlikely friendship across two continents that began in 2020 between Ghanaian farmer & community organizer Nana, and UK-based veterinarian-turned-chocolate-advisor-&-human rights-advocate Marie. From a single conversation at an online chocolate conference (where Nana was presenting on his community advocacy to abolish child labor & slavery) has developed a powerful cross-continental collaboration. Results in just 2 years: Progress for the school being built, assistance for students needing menstrual products, growth for the farm, equipment to make chocolate for badly-needed new income streams. However, Marie has made it clear these are 'baby steps'. She explains "In Ghana there is a system. It isn't easy, as cocoa prices are regulated by the govt & the official organising agency, who have a stronghold on how things are done here. We've got to work in the system & find new ways of doing what we want without upsetting the system, otherwise it'll just be more difficult for the farmers. Ethical & organic farming takes time, we need to find new income streams. Chocolate change is on the horizon!"

In the past five years, Nana has created a co-op of 122 ethical cocoa farmers in his community, established Shahamana Farm & Chocolate, and started the NGO "Imperial Child Right and Women Empowerment" (ICRAWE).

In Nov 2022, chocolate maker @choctreescotland generously donated time in their facilities to grind beans harvested from Shahamana Farm. David Greenwood-Haigh, award winning chef & chocolatier, founder of @coeur_de_xocolat will temper & mould that chocolate into bars for tree sponsors.

To sponsor, see link in bio!

Making stunningly flavorful bean-to-bar chocolate

Making stunningly flavorful bean-to-bar chocolate in Ukraine since 2017. "Everything changed when the war started...When war broke out, there was complete uncertainty about what to do next." Owners Tetyana & Ruslan, along w/ their two children, chose NOT to shut down production, but to persevere. Their facility is located in Poltava, in center of Ukraine. Today, despite lack of certainty & risk of danger, amidst background of curfews & air alarms, they continue to make exceptional chocolate, "you get used to working to the sound of sirens."
Before the war began in Feb, they submitted bars to @chocoawards for judging. Their (grateful but reflective) response to their bars winning 4 awards: "If there was no war, we’d probably explode with emotions. We really want peace & victory. Wish(ing) for a peaceful life. Because life with rockets, over your head is not life. You have to appreciate every minute, live every day."
Stranger is honored to have received awards, but over past year have also gained a perspective on life that is unfamiliar to many of us: "Now we are used to everything & nothing scares us anymore. Making chocolate at the forefront, while helping to fight the evil that has come to our earth. I really want peace, & I don't want to be a spectator of everything that happens, because unfortunately it's really happening." Despite their own daily struggles, they've continued to donate both funds & bars to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Want to help Ukraine businesses? Buy. Online, UK-based Cocoa Runners is a supporter of Stranger Chocolate & offers a "Stand with Ukraine" chocolate package. In addition, biz-to-biz @blue_yellow_cacao offers Ukrainian makers' chocolate bars. In Brussels, chocolate makers @mikeandbeckybrussels sell Ukrainian craft chocolate in their shop.
P.S. Hint: when you order, buy a 100% DR bar. 100% bars are naked chocolate. No sugar, no place to hide a bean or manufacturing defect, or bad decisions in roasting or grinding. Stranger masterfully elevated this disrobed Oke Caribe bean to a show-stopping finale.
Stranger Craft chocolate -- Makers who proudly state "Made with Love" on back of each package. And it shows in every bite.🇺🇦

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About Me

Chocolate for breakfast? Every day.

Obsessive about chocolate.

Live near DC/Baltimore.

Always on the search for more chocolate.

Trust your taste buds.

Here's to finding new chocolate adventures--

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