Today, in recognition of the fact that not only is it Thursday, but it’s also the start of a new school year and the end of an era involving chocolate, I’m going to share a throwback with you: the very first academic paper I’ve ever written on the subject of chocolate. This was sent in a little more than six years ago, during the summer that I was participating in a program at Stanford University, which is either a short bike ride or a lengthy walk away from The Chocolate Garage. Over the course of its eight years in business, The Chocolate Garage became a legend in the specialty chocolate industry and underwent several transformations.
Even with the store’s ultimate shutting of the retail and tasting area a month ago, I am aware that this is only the conclusion of one chapter and in no way the conclusion of the book. The following is a snapshot of that chapter, written through the perspective of a young woman seeking to explain the significance of what she has discovered to be her life’s love in one fell swoop. It was discovered by the young woman by accident.
Bear in mind that I was 16 years old when I wrote this, and that I have not made any changes to any of the text since then. Although some of what I claimed was patently false, I do hope that it provides you with some insight into my own experience with chocolate and the unbridled fascination that led to it in the first place. My instructor for Anthropology 101 requested us to write about anything that had its own “feeling of place,” and this was the initial inspiration for our writing assignment. I reasoned that a chocolate store would be an appropriate choice in more ways than one.
I’ve included some pictures for your amusement that I’ve taken from my own collection.
A Chocolate Innovation
Ever since I can remember, chocolate has been one of my most favorite foods. Because of this, the very first thing I did after arriving in California was to hunt for places where I might get some delicious chocolate, and the results continue to astound me. A Chocolate Innovation is a place in the middle of downtown Palo Alto that is open on Saturday mornings to anybody who is in the mood for some chocolate, some pleasant discussion, and the company of some wonderful people (Not its real name.).
This shop is a dream come true for chocolate lovers since all of the chocolate offered there is manufactured using cacao beans obtained via fair trade and, the majority of the time, by the same people who were employed to harvest the cocoa beans. Yelp, a website that allows customers to rate and review local businesses using a star system, has received many positive comments from customers throughout the establishment’s two years of operation.
This chocolate shop seems to be around 9 feet by 14 feet in size, and it has walls that are a light green and yellow color, which creates a very open area. The word “open” is one that you will read quite an often, and for good reason: it wonderfully articulates the sense of the room. There is a large mirror on a wall that is next to one side, which also has a door, window, and some paper flowers covering the remainder of that wall. The other side is nearly all open. Anyone who walks through the area and notices the sign is welcome to stop at the white circular table in the middle of the space, where trays of chocolate and glasses of water are waiting to be sampled by anyone who happens to be there at the time. The table is surrounded by two plush armchairs, a long velvety sofa, and a wooden bench. All of these seating options extend an invitation to the traveller to sit down and listen to the proprietor discuss the many kinds of chocolate that are available for sampling on this particular day.
Customers are constantly greeted by the proprietor with pleasantries such as “Oh, hello! “Hello, how are you? or “Hey, it seems like it’s been forever! “Hello, how are you doing?” or even just introducing yourself in French to a lady who is here for the first time. This results in many return customers and a wonderful, cozy ambiance overall since it offers an open platform for consumers to participate in and a very inviting culture overall. I was there when I saw two women meet for the first time, discuss the current state of women’s rights, and then exchange information. This demonstrates that not only is this place good for quickly making new friends, but it is also good for networking with people and making new business connections in a stress-free manner. I saw this happen while I was there. During my time there, I had conversations with total strangers on topics such as college, jeans, gay marriage, and of course, chocolate. The atmosphere just makes it possible for conversations to take place about anything.
People who come often have a tendency to assist the owner in explaining the chocolate, and this seems to be another outcome of the environment of the location, which was established by the owner and the people she attracts with her charming small store.
After being there for a few hours, even I was able to describe to other people the intricacies of each bar that was available for sampling on that particular day. This included discussing the process of roasting and collecting cacao beans, which is necessary for the production of chocolate. A cabinet in the corner adjacent to the bench contains dozens of different chocolate bars that are ready for sale. Additionally, there is a large board across from the door on which many chocolate wrappers are posted, giving a viewer an idea of the many varieties of chocolates that have been tasted in the past. Both of these features contribute even more to the welcoming atmosphere of the place.
The majority of the chocolate bars sold at this specific chocolate shop cost between nine and thirteen dollars each. The price of a bar of chocolate may vary anywhere from six to thirty dollars based on its size, rarity, how difficult it is to produce, and a variety of other criteria. There are even some of the bars that are manufactured just for this boutique, and they tend to be the ones that sell out the fastest of any of the others.
Repeat customers who, based on my observations over the past few weeks, appear to purchase something each time they come can participate in a program that allows them to put money down, anywhere from $100 to $500 at a time, and the cost of the deposit is deducted from the price of the bar they wish to purchase each time they do so. But there is also a slight discount on each bar, which is generally between one and two dollars, which saves these members of “Future Chocolate” a significant amount of money over the course of the subscription.
Because chocolate is always manufactured fresh and in relatively limited numbers at a time, the names of the various brands of chocolate are often those of the people who make the chocolate or of the location where the chocolate is made. The majority of these small-batch chocolate manufacturers generate the chocolate in the nation that is native to the beans they use. However, there is a significant portion of the industry that produces chocolate in the United States, using beans that are sourced from all over the globe. Because they can only get beans from their region, all of which have the same taste notes, these manufacturers often only have a few distinct varieties of chocolate, each with a unique combination of additional ingredients or varying degrees of intensity. American manufacturers, on the other hand, often produce one bar that is representative of each nation from where they get their beans. However, some manufacturers will only produce pure bars that do not have any modifications, while others will only produce bars that contain additions.
Other brands that use beans from different parts of the world include “Patric,” “Potomac Chocolate,” and “Madre Chocolate,” which is a Hawaiian brand that only uses beans from Hawaii. “Chocolat Bonnat” is a French brand that, like the majority of American brands, uses beans from different parts of the world. “Madre Chocolate” only uses beans from one source, but they add in many different spices to create their many different types of bars. Despite this, Madre Chocolate tends to be on the more expensive side because all of the chocolate has to ship from Hawaii, and the makers have to pay their workers a reasonable salary in conjunction with the cost of living in Hawaii [sic].
Some manufacturers are highly purist in their approach, such as “Rogue Chocolatier,” who only utilizes cocoa beans and pure cane sugar, depending only on the notes in the cocoa bean for the surge of taste. The chocolate maker known as “Rogue” has his headquarters in Missouri, and he makes his signature bars, which have names like “Rio Caribe (Venezuela),” “Sambirano (Madagascar),” and “Hispaniola (Dominican Republic),” from cocoa beans that he imports from far-flung locations. However, the wrappers of his chocolates do not indicate the country from which the beans were sourced.
In many weeks, and in particular the week that I went, the chocolate place will have certain bars that are exclusive to their place of business only. These bars have any one of a number of additions, including salt, cacao nibs, coffee beans, and tea leaves, but they are only available at their place of business. There are only a limited quantity of these bars available, often just a few hundred, and they have a propensity to be purchased extremely rapidly, typically within a week’s time.
The chocolate aficionados, who are typically members of Chocolate Futures, will purchase these bars more often now that they are aware that the current flavor combination will not be produced again. This is because they prefer eating chocolate with these particular tastes. Since of this, each batch of chocolate will appeal to a different set of tasters because everyone has a unique palate, and much as with wine, everyone experiences a unique combination of flavors in each bar of chocolate. Some people prefer milk chocolate, while the majority of people prefer dark chocolate. Since the only ingredients in the bars are cocoa beans and cane sugar, different people, all of whom have different taste buds, will taste different notes more prominently in each bar. Milk chocolate is preferred by some, while the majority of people prefer dark chocolate.
People who are more inclined to detecting certain notes, such as nutty or fruity tastes, in the roasted cocoa beans are more likely to like beans from particular regions, which tend to taste more like particular flavors than beans from other regions. For example, beans from Madagascar have a flavor profile that is often rather lemony, but beans from Trinidad and Tobago have a fruitiness that is more nuanced, in addition to an enticing spicy quality, such as cinnamon. However, the distinct tastes of the cocoa beans that come from various places are the result of a complex interplay of many diverse elements. The taste of cocoa beans may be progressively altered by a number of factors, including evolution, the acidity of the soil, and the amount of sunshine that they get. The tones that are extracted from the beans are influenced not just by the manner in which the beans are roasted but also by the amount of time spent doing so.
My coffee/cacao roaster, with some green coffee beans awaiting a roast. Circa 2015.
First, the cocoa farmer must collect the cacao pods from the cacao trees. Next, the cocoa farmer must crush the cacao pods in big quantities and allow them to ferment in this manner for about a week so that the cocoa powder may be produced for the chocolate. After the fermentation process, the beans are sun-dried and roasted, which brings out the taste of chocolate. Following the roasting process, the beans are crushed, during which the cocoa butter is extracted, and the resultant powder is powdered further to produce cocoa powder. In the country where cacao trees originated, the many components of the cacao tree were used to a variety of varied uses, most of which centered on the consumption of cacao fruit.
Chocolate and cacao are a global phenomenon that are not limited to one race or gender, and they have been around for millennia; some archaeologists have found evidence of chocolate-making dating back as far as 1400 or 1500 BC. Chocolate and cacao are popular around the world, and they are not restricted to one race or gender. It is thought that the Olmec tribe, a culture of humans who lived in Mexico, was the first to domesticate cacao trees and gather its fruit for use in food goods, mostly liquids. The Olmecs also harvested cacao pods for use in beverages. On the other hand, the Aztecs and Mayans are well recognized for their reverence of cacao beans and chocolate as both a product and a bean itself.
Because cacao beans need a tropical environment and grow best when they are near other species, the majority of the history of the cacao plant is placed in nations that are located in Central America, with Mexico being the primary location. In that era of history, before significant warming of the planet’s atmosphere, Central America had the ideal environment for the cultivation of the cacao plant. At the present time, countries in West Africa are responsible for the export of about two thirds of the world’s cacao beans, with the Ivory Coast serving as the leading exporter among all West African nations.
Freshly roasted cacao beans.
The combination of in-depth answers for any questions that may be asked together with allowances for sampling different chocolate, which is often selected from the wall, creates a very delightful spot for one to spend one’s Saturday morning. People are more likely to naturally connect to one another in any manner that is possible when they are welcomed as customers from all walks of life and discussions may be had about anything. This encourages the welcoming cycle to continue. During the time that I was there, which was from 9 in the morning until 12:30 in the afternoon, there were approximately 120 people who entered the store, with approximately 70 of them being female and 50 of them being male; approximately 10 of them were children under the age of 10, but the majority were adults.
Because it was difficult to determine a person’s ethnic background without asking them, but also because the chocolate that was tasted on this particular Saturday was all of the dark variety, I did not notice any specific gender or ethnic preference for a certain type of chocolate among the customers who came in on this particular day. This was primarily because it was difficult to determine a person’s ethnic background without asking them. The majority of the comments made that morning remarked on how fruity the flavor of the Triple Cacao chocolate was, while none said that any of the chocolates fell short of their expectations. Repeat customers, who made up about one quarter of the customers there while I was there, were the ones who always bought something and who were the most enthusiastic and open. Although many of the day’s customers purchased chocolate, these repeat customers were the ones who were the most open and enthusiastic.
When I asked the owner whether she had observed, throughout the many months that her business had been open to the general public, if there was a certain ethnicity that tended to be returning customers more frequently than others, she simply summarized the demographics of the Palo Alto region. She stated that she has not noticed any particular ethnic group returning more often than others, but rather that, just like in Palo Alto, the customers tend to be less African American and Latino and more White and Asian American, with a slight skew toward females but a more even gender balance than one might have expected. She added that she has not noticed any particular ethnic group returning more often than others. Customers of this specific chocolate shop tend to be of an upper middle class socioeconomic background and to be individuals who put a high priority on quality above quantity.
The combination of in-depth answers for any questions that may be asked together with allowances for sampling different chocolate, which is often selected from the wall, creates a very delightful spot for one to spend one’s Saturday morning. People are more likely to naturally connect to one another in any manner that is possible when they are welcomed as customers from all walks of life and discussions may be had about anything. This encourages the welcoming cycle to continue. During the time that I was there, which was from 9 in the morning until 12:30 in the afternoon, there were approximately 120 people who entered the store, with approximately 70 of them being female and 50 of them being male; approximately 10 of them were children under the age of 10, but the majority were adults.
Because it was difficult to determine a person’s ethnic background without asking them, but also because the chocolate that was tasted on this particular Saturday was all of the dark variety, I did not notice any specific gender or ethnic preference for a certain type of chocolate among the customers who came in on this particular day. This was primarily because it was difficult to determine a person’s ethnic background without asking them. The majority of the comments made that morning remarked on how fruity the flavor of the Triple Cacao chocolate was, while none said that any of the chocolates fell short of their expectations. Repeat customers, who made up about one quarter of the customers there while I was there, were the ones who always bought something and who were the most enthusiastic and open. Although many of the day’s customers purchased chocolate, these repeat customers were the ones who were the most open and enthusiastic.
When I asked the owner whether she had observed, throughout the many months that her business had been open to the general public, if there was a certain ethnicity that tended to be returning customers more frequently than others, she simply summarized the demographics of the Palo Alto region. She stated that she has not noticed any particular ethnic group returning more often than others, but rather that, just like in Palo Alto, the customers tend to be less African American and Latino and more White and Asian American, with a slight skew toward females but a more even gender balance than one might have expected. She added that she has not noticed any particular ethnic group returning more often than others. Customers of this specific chocolate shop tend to be of an upper middle class socioeconomic background and to be individuals who put a high priority on quality above quantity.
A bar from Potomac, the first chocolate maker whose bars I ever bought
