"Sugar is demonized."-Ayano Kimura, Co-founder of Böhnchen & Co. ChocolateWhen I was a kid, discovering my Mom's chocolate stash in the pantry was always exciting— until I realized it was made up of only sugar-free chocolate. For as long as I …
Interviews
Interview: David Castellan, Co-founder of SoMA Chocolate
"When we first started trying to purchase beans, when we called up the bean broker... we said, you know, we just want to buy one bag, two bags [of cocoa beans], and they kinda laughed and said 'no one ever orders two bags of cocoa... I only have 11 …
Chocolate On The Road: Cambodia
"For us it's important, very important, that we protect the good name of Cambodian cacao."-Stefan, Co-founder of KamKav Cacao CompanyAncient temples or genocide. Those are the two most common things people seem to associate with the Kingdom of …
Chocolate On The Road: Vietnam
"Basically we're finding the limits of what there is today [in terms of quality Vietnamese cacao]."-Samuel Maruta, Marou ChocolateMany people still think of Vietnam in terms of its contentious civil war, back in the 60's and 70's. But while the …
Chocolate On The Road: Why We Buy Craft Chocolate
"We haven't counted this year, but in 2018 we got samples from over 400 new chocolate companies."-Matt Caputo, Chocolate Buyer for Caputo's Market & DeliSometimes it feels like craft chocolate is just an expensive hobby. Very few of the …
Chocolate On The Road: Taiwan
"Most Asian people care about their health. And the dark or black [chocolate] means health."-Joyce Lee, Founder & Chocolate Maker of JL ChocolateTaiwan has developed immensely over the several decades since Japanese occupation ended, often …
Chocolate On The Road: Hidden Costs Of Crafting Chocolate
"The passion and the love runs out at some point, when there isn't enough return."-Sunita De Tourreil, Founder of The Chocolate GarageMost people who grew up eating chocolate will remember it as a cheap candy, something you bought from the store …
Interview: Cynthia Leung, Co-founder of SoMA Chocolate
"It's a joy to wake up and go to work every day, knowing what we're going to be doing with the rest of our day, AND it's [still considered to be] work."-Cynthia Leung, Co-founder SoMA ChocolateCynthia Leung is a calming presence. She almost …
Interview: Mackenzie Rivers, Founder of Map Chocolate
"The first bean to bar chocolate I ever tasted was my own— and I'm sure it was really bad. But I thought it was so exciting, so amazing, that I wanted to keep doing it instantly."-Mackenzie Rivers, Founder of Map ChocolateMackenzie Rivers is the …
From Big Family Business To Cacao Farmer & Beyond
It's the 1950's; your country is poor and in the throes of recovery from WWII— but in the south, there's the promise of land.The Japanese occupied the Philippines for 3 years, and after they were forced out, the country was devastated. Many …
