Easter Bunny Chocolate and Ecuador
Hi, Happy Easter.
I
hope you are enjoying a day of rest and enjoying the fact you have made
many children and adults very happy today. Think of the goodness you
have spread and contributed to the world. I can't imagine a better or
more special gift then to offer happiness to others and help make
memories that much better for all.
So I just wanted to give
you an update on what chocolate makers are doing right now and how we
pledge to do the right thing for you.
As you may know cacao
prices have soared and cocoa butter alone went up 20% in the last few
months. In making chocolate couverture a manufacturer must add in cocoa
butter or emulsifier to ensure the proper viscosity and potential shelf
life of the finished chocolate. This is part of the reason why cocoa
beans are graded: grading of cocoa bean size helps ensure proper cocoa
butter content which in turn ensures proper viscosity once the cocoa
beans are ground into chocolate. But due to the fact cacao is an
agricultural crop, cocoa butter content varies from crop to crop.
Therefore it becomes necessary to add in extra cocoa butter.
So
we always use the same cocoa butter variety congruent with the cocoa
beans origin that are in our chocolates. This makes a big difference
in quality but of course is a more expensive option we have chosen.
Also, we are not adding in PGPR or cocoa butter equivalents (things
other companies add to save money and often don't list). Sometimes we do
add a very little amount of soy lecithin (.01% is all) to help ensure
shelf stability for your chocolates (it allows a temper to hold longer
in the finished chocolate when in the candy case). When we do opt for
lecithin in the recipe, we use the most expensive natural non GMO
version. Most companies are using the soy lecithin E322 which is
actually considered artificial because of the harsh hexanes or propane
used to extract it.
We have opted for the most expensive
ingredients and highest quality ingredients in making our chocolates. I feel confident when tested
next to any other chocolate it is very apparent the quality difference.
I feel our chocolates as a result of how we make them are safer and
much healthier. So even though the trend is to use E322 in chocolate making and everyone seems to be
doing it, we will not opt for this.
The really great news:
One of my good friends who has extensive connections in business and
politics in Ecuador has asked me to become an investor in his cacao
growing and chocolate manufacturing business. With the blessings of my
business partner and our financier, I have agreed to become a limited
partner in an Ecuadorian cacao operation. So the wonderful news is we
will have all kinds of new chocolates coming up and all are Fair Trade
100% pure Arriba Nacional. The cacao is grown using organic sustainable
methods, certified Arriba Nacional and with no genetic hybrids or GMO
cacao. I'm really looking forward to sharing this new chocolate
opportunity with you and having your insights on what we come up with.
Have a wonderful Sunday.
Sincerely,
Jason
Find chocolate supply here: Santa Barbara Chocolate Wholesale Chocolate