Recommended Chocolate & Fruit Pairings

Our Recommended Chocolate & Fruit Pairings

Fruit	+ Milk Chocolate	+ Dark Chocolate	+ White Chocolate
Apricots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Apples	Yes	No	No
Bananas	Yes, Highly Recommended	Yes, Highly Recommended	Yes
Blackberries	No	Yes	Yes, Highly Recommended
Blueberries	No	No	Yes, Highly Recommended
Cantaloupe	No	Yes	Yes
Cassis	No	No	Yes
Cherries	Yes, Recommended	Yes, Recommended	Yes
Coconut	Yes, Recommended	Yes, Recommended	Yes
Cranberries	No	No	Yes
Currants	No	No	Yes
Dates	No	No	Yes
Figs	No	No	Yes
Gooseberry	No		Yes
Grapes	Yes	No	Yes
Honeydew	No	Yes	Yes
Kiwi	Yes	Yes	No
Lemon	Yes	Yes	Yes, Recommended
Lime	No	No	Yes
Mango	No	Yes	Yes
Orange	Yes	Yes	Yes, Recommended
Papaya	No	No	Yes
Passion Fruit	Yes	Yes	Yes
Peaches	No	No	Yes
Pears	Yes, Recommended	Yes, Recommended	No
Pomegranate	No	No	Yes
Prunes	No	No	Yes
Raisins	Yes	Yes	No
Raspberries	Yes, Highly Recommended	Yes, Highly Recommended	Yes
Strawberries	Yes	Yes	Yes

Ideal Storage of Chocolate

Chocolate, when not stored properly, can lose its richness and flavor and may become stale.

 Ideally, chocolate should be stored in a slightly cool, dry, dark place.  Store at a temperature of 55°F to 68°F with a humidity level of less than 50%. Chocolate that is too hot can melt or become deformed.  It can also develop a “fat bloom” from cocoa butter rising to the surface.

Because of condensation, only refrigerate your chocolate if there is a risk of the temperature rising above 70°F and/or the humidity above 50%. To safely refrigerate, tightly wrap the chocolate in waxed or parchment paper, then store in air tight container. Always avoid freezing the chocolate, it lowers the temperature to 50°F or below causing thermal shock. The chocolate can crack, become brittle, develop a sugar bloom or turn grayish in color.

The best temperature to consume chocolate is from 64°F to 70°F. At the proper temperature chocolate will have a snap to it and will fully release the flavor and aroma. If you have refrigerated the chocolate allow it to rest and return to a temperature of 64°F to 70°F.

Don’t store chocolate near anything with a strong smell. Chocolate absorbs odors very easily.

What is white chocolate?

During the chocolate making process, cocoa butter becomes a by-product of the cocoa bean.  To create white chocolate, the cocoa butter is combined with milk, sugar, and other flavoring ingredients, but none of the cocoa bean is included.  Some would consider white chocolate not chocolate because none of the cocoa solid is part of the end product.

However, if you were to smell cocoa beans and raw cocoa butter, it is the cocoa butter that would have the distinct chocolate smell.  The cocoa bean doesn’t smell sweet at all.  And cocoa butter did come from the cocoa bean.

  

 In 2004, the FDA established a “Standard of Identity” for white chocolate.  

Why did FDA establish a standard of identity for white chocolate?

FDA established a standard of identity for white chocolate in response to petitions filed separately by the Hershey Foods Corporation and by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association of the United States of America. Both entities wanted to stop manufacturers from making imposter white chocolate using only vegetable oil or other cheaper fats instead of cocoa butter.

The FDA said to be called white chocolate, the candy must have at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk solids, and 3.5% milk fat — and no more than 55% sugar or other sweeteners. Vanilla is added for flavor, and a fatty substance called lecithin is in there as an emulsifier.

Because it contains no cocoa solids, white chocolate contains only trace amounts of the stimulants theobromine and caffeine. If prime pressed cocoa butter is used, it has natural anti-oxidant (vitamin E), but if deodorized it has none, as the deodorizing is a steam stripping step, often at 180 °C (356 °F). Deodorizing is a process of “whitening” the chocolate.  High quality white chocolate is not white, it is ivory, pale yellow or a light tan. A good white chocolate may even contain small particles of the vanilla bean used to flavor the chocolate.  

The quality can be determined visually due to the high cocoa butter content, which should allow for a shiny and smooth appearance. The flavor of white chocolate is delicate and buttery.  The mouthfeel should be absent of any granular texture.

Chocolatada

Chocolatada is a party or gathering at which one drinks chocolate.

Chocolatadas, the social custom of drinking chocolate in the community, had made their first appearance in Spain sometime in the 17th or 18th century. Chocolate was so popular in the mid-1800's that noble women began to drink it at church.  After, the bishops banned chocolate drinking during mass, chocolatadas began to be held at the end of the service.

Today the chocolatada can be found in parts of Spain and Peru. It is traditionally held as a charitable event during the Christmas season.  Often the events are organized churches, businesses or shops.

American Truffle

"American truffle" is a half-egg shaped chocolate-coated truffle, a mixture of dark or milk chocolates with butterfat and, in some cases, hardened coconut oil. Joseph Schmidt, a San Francisco chocolatier, and founder of Joseph Schmidt Confections, is credited with its creation in the mid-1980s. According to the San Francisco Chronical his big break came when the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog included his chocolates.

After a buyout by the Hershey’s Company, the original Joseph Schmidt Confections factory was closed due to the high cost of producing the artful chocolates.  Various resources had stated the iconic San Francisco truffles would continue to be produced by Hershey’s at an alternate facility.  However, I have been unable to locate a source of distribution for these chocolates.

Chocophylls like myself will only have the legend of the “American Truffle”

A bit about Truffles

A chocolate truffle is a type of chocolate confectionery, traditionally made with a chocolate ganache centre coated in chocolate, cocoa powder or chopped toasted nuts (typically hazelnuts, almonds or coconut), usually in a spherical, conical, or curved shape.

The chocolate truffle  name is derived from their traditional shape, which resembles the truffle, an edible part of the tuber fungus. Truffles are a fungus that grows in the earth in forested areas; Usually in the shade near trees. They can be found most dominantly in Europe and the Middle East. They are especially famous in France and Italy. They are VERY expensive!!

Chocolate truffles are aptly named “truffles” because of their resemblance to a real truffle. These delicious chunks of chocolate mimic the shape and size of a truffle in addition to having dusted coco powder on them to symbolizes the dirt. 

Essentially, truffles are a chocolate treat that can be easily recognized for their small round shapes. The interior of these candies always contains some form of the ingredient ganache, though at times these centers can be combined additional fillings as well. These chocolate truffle filling combinations may include ganache mixed with caramel, nuts, fruit, and liqueur to name a few. The exterior part of the truffle can vary from a simple dark, cocoa powder to a more extravagant coating of dark, milk or white confection enrobing. At times the exterior is topped additionally with nuts, chocolate sprinkles, and more.

What does infuse mean?
A synonym for infuse is steep, to mingle something dry with something wet with the idea of extracting the flavor of the dry ingredient. You do this when you pour boiling water over tea leaves. The same concept holds true when you infuse/steep an ingredient into cream. It is then mixed with the chocolate to make the soft ganache. 

What is an emulsion?
An emulsion is a liquid or semi-solid in which globules of fat are evenly distributed throughout. An example is ganache or mayonnaise, butter etc. 


What are fresh cream truffles?
The ganache centers are made with fresh cream instead of oils or other preservatives. 

What is ganache?
It is an emulsion of chocolate and cream. 

There are some main types of chocolate truffles: European, Swiss, French and Belgian:

The "French truffle" is made with fresh cream and chocolate and then rolled into cocoa or nut powder.

The "Belgian truffle" or praline is made with dark or milk chocolate filled with ganache, buttercream or nut pastes.

The "Swiss truffle" is made by combining melted chocolate into a boiling mixture of dairy cream and butter, which is poured into molds to set before sprinkling with cocoa powder. Like the French truffles, these have a very short shelf-life and must be consumed within a few days of making.
The "European truffle" is made with syrup and a base made up of cocoa powder, milk powder, fats, and other such ingredients to create an oil-in-water type emulsion. 

Traditional Mexican Chocolate - A Memory Revisited

My mother’s parents were from Mexico.  I remember sneaking into the pantry, looking for the yellow and red box of Abuelita.  The hexagon tablets with the aroma of cinnamon and chocolate.  My grandfather would make me Mexican hot chocolate but when he was unavailable, I was happy to bite into a gritty wedge.

http://www.nestleusa.com/brands/drinks/abuelita

The flavor profile of Mexican chocolate is truly different from European style chocolate. Mexican chocolate is a type of chocolate which is prepared with an assortment of spices for a very distinctive and rich flavor. Typical Mexican chocolate is made with roasted and ground cacao nibs, sugar, and cinnamon. Other spices such as nutmeg and allspice may be added, along with nuts, and chilies are sometimes used as well.

June of this year (2016) I traveled to Cabo San Lucas.  This trip as all my others incorporated a search for chocolate.  I came across a  French style bistro in the heart of the colonial square of San Jose del Cabo, French Rivera Los Cabos.    The counter case was filled with truffles, I bought one of each.  Upon returning to my hotel room, I sat on the balcony overlooking the beautiful sea and began to taste.  I was thrilled to bite into a lovely chocolate truffle in the shape of a cacao pod and taste the familiar flavor of   Aubelita.  However, this truffle was a more sophisticated version.

http://frenchrivieraloscabos.com/

The beginning of July (2016) I ordered a batch of chocolates from Kahului, Hawaii a small chocolate maker; Tiki Bar Candy.   http://www.tikibarcandy.com/.  Because I am a self-professed chocophile and because the bars are reasonably priced at $2.75/each, I order 1 of each flavor.  Tiki Bar’s are smooth and creamy. Their dark chocolate is absent of bitterness. The milk chocolate was the perfect balance of sweetness and milky.   Naturally, I consumed all the traditional Hawaiian style flavors first.  One of the last bars I tried was “Dark & Chocolatey Chile Peppers”.  My first bite and there it was again, my childhood in the pantry.

Then just last week in August (2016) received my order from Lagustas Lucious.  This company was founded by a vegan chef committed producing high quality chocolates located in New Paltz, New York.  I ordered a box of the “12 Vandanas”.  The chef has named these chocolates after Vandana Shiva  an Indian scholar, environmental activist and femmanist.  It is my opinion the chef has done well in honoring this extraordinary woman.  The chocolates carry a bold Mexican cinnamon flavor, with a subtle hint of heat  from ancho chile, tempered with Maui vanilla beans.

http://www.lagustasluscious.com/shop/

It’s funny how  a childhood memory can become buried for years.  Then suddenly and with true delight return to greet you.