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Learn About Chocolate

Kad Kokoa bean to bar chocolate made with Thai cacao from Chumphon in Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand’s Homegrown Craft Chocolate Culture

Posted on November 24, 2019 By Max 5 Comments

Thailand is hot. Even in the dead of winter, the south is sticky, melty hot. It's not the kind of hot you normally associate with chocolate, but Thailand has actually been growing cacao— the raw material for chocolate— for over a century. Over the …

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Presquile Japan Ruby Pink Chocolate Bonbons 1 200x200 - What Is Ruby Chocolate? How It's Made, Ruby Cocoa, & FAQ.

What Is Ruby Chocolate? How It’s Made, Ruby Cocoa, & FAQ.

Posted on August 22, 2019 By Max 38 Comments

Ever since the controversial new ruby chocolate was revealed at a Shanghai trade show in September 2017, the ever-wandering eye of the public has been curious about pink chocolate. China's not exactly a hub for chocolate making (yet). But one of the …

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20190205131100 IMG 5204 1 200x200 - Cacao vs. Cocoa: How They're Different

Cacao vs. Cocoa: How They’re Different

Posted on July 27, 2019 By Max 8 Comments

How are "cacao" and "cocoa" different?As a chocolate writer, I get this question all the time, and the answer is quite simple: cacao and cocoa are the same word in different languages. It's a bit of a debate in the craft chocolate industry as to …

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IMG 2407 1 e1562484564833 200x200 - Where To Buy Craft Chocolate Online

Where To Buy Craft Chocolate Online

Posted on July 7, 2019 By Max 8 Comments

Happy World Chocolate Day! In honor of this sacred, completely arbitrarily-chosen date, here are the best places to buy craft chocolate online. We go from the best craft chocolate on Amazon to online craft chocolate retailers (sorted by country). …

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20190112112036 IMG 4918 200x200 - Korean Chocolate Culture: From Bean to Bar & Beyond

Korean Chocolate Culture: From Bean to Bar & Beyond

Posted on June 14, 2019 By Max 8 Comments

Korean chocolate is a topic close to my heart, as I've been living in South Korea for the last three years, and watched the local market blossom. However, South Korea is rarely— if ever— associated with great chocolate. It's not that Korean chocolate …

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20181112 082624 200x200 - What Is Bean To Bar, Craft Chocolate?

What Is Bean To Bar, Craft Chocolate?

Posted on December 12, 2018 By Max Leave a Comment

Bean-to-bar, small batch, craft, artisan, micro-batch chocolate; all of this boils down to the same idea of a new way of making chocolate. Although some terms are older than others, all of them refer to a small-scale chocolate making movement. …

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Craft Chocolate Review Wild Omen Mesquite Raw Chocolate Front of Bar Closeup

7 Ways to Keep Chocolate In A Healthy Diet

Posted on November 28, 2018 By Max Leave a Comment

As a chocolate writer, I easily eat a kilo of chocolate each month, if not two.Yet I'm not overweight.This is partly due to my age and genetics, yes, but the amount of chocolate I eat is almost inhumane some days. I've had my periods of …

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Craft Chocolate Review Rozsavolgyi Csokolade 77% With Cardamom Front of Bar Closeup

How to Taste Craft Chocolate For Beginners

Posted on November 11, 2018 By Max Leave a Comment

This page is also known as The Guide to Impressing Your Friends by Leading a Craft Chocolate Tasting. Before we deep dive into chocolate, be sure you've read up on what craft chocolate is, and why it's important to use craft chocolate and not just …

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Azzan Vietnam Cocoa Plantation Visit Holding Fresh Cacao Pods

Craft Chocolate Will Continue to Grow.

Posted on October 27, 2018 By Max 6 Comments

Craft chocolate is on the way up, and it's not even close to plateauing.Almost anyone in the industry even just half a decade ago would have described craft chocolate, often called "bean to bar chocolate," as a small but growing segment of the …

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Unreal Chocolate Bars from Whole Foods

9 Best Ethical Whole Foods Chocolate Brands & Bars

Posted on September 6, 2018 By Max Leave a Comment

Growing up in the US, going to Whole Foods was a special occurrence, reserved for birthdays and whenever I convinced my mom we needed fancy hummus.As I grew older and began doing all my own grocery shopping and cooking (fancy hummus occasionally …

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Meet Dame Cacao

Hello & Welcome!

I’m Max, and I’m unabashedly in love with food. Hi, Max. A chocolate aficionado from the USA, I’m passionate about helping you find & eat better chocolate, on the road or at home! I recognize chocolate bars like most people recognize Kardashians. Currently traveling Southeast Asia.

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Dame Cacao is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program [among other similar programs], an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com [& other sites we love]. Any commission earned from these links goes towards keeping this site online.

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