The Life of a Chocolatier

 Chocolate and Wine :- Matching food to wine is always a challenge, what may seem the winner to one person may not be to another.Here is one I liked and a winner for me , TRY IT : a nice square of 70 % dark chocolate with a glass of Muscat De Frontignan ( This wine may not be readily available in your local retailers but available through good wine merchants)

Any good muscat wine is a winner with chocolate .

For the sweet tooth, try good white chocolates with Ports or Liqueurs. Enjoy

Cacoa Varieties:-

Criollos :-

Criollos come from calao trees that are very susceptible to disease, they are low yielding and need a lot of care but they make aromatic chocolates fantastic.Most chefs : if they use criollos will put in brackets {made with criollos}

Forasteros :-

There are several species of forestero  they are hardy and productive and the most widely cultivated cacoa trees, flavour varies depending on the areas of production and manufacturing process.

Trintarios:-

These are natural hybrid of the other two preceeding varities, the advantages of both, they produce subtle complex and pleasently bitter chocolates.

Nacionals :-

These cacao trees are getting very rare, they produce very fine cacaos called Arriba

Andy Cunningham