Tag Archive for: artisan chocolate

San Francisco Chocolate Salon Returns on April 2nd as the Premiere West Coast Artisan Chocolate Festival

The 14th Annual San Francisco International Chocolate Salon takes place this Spring on April 2, 2022. The Chocolate Salon has long been known as the original artisan chocolate festival on the West Coast.

Chocolate aficionados, fanatics, lovers and addicts can taste & experience a wide range of artisan, gourmet & premium chocolate in one of the world’s most famous culinary metropolitan areas.

Chocolate Salon participants include chocolatiers, confectioners, and other culinary artisans, such as Amano Artisan Chocolate, Z. Cioccolato, LetterPress Chocolate, Michael’s Chocolates, Formosa Chocolates, Goufrais, Siamaya Chocolate, CocoTutti Chocolates, Fookie, R & J Toffees, Brigadeiro Sprinkles, The Good Chocolate, p.o.p. candy co., flying noir, the Wishing Well Workshop, Fabula Tea, and more.

For more information or tickets, visit www.SFChocolateSalon.com or HERE.

The San Francisco Chocolate Salon, Los Angeles Chocolate Salon, Sacramento Chocolate Salon, Seattle Chocolate Salon and International Chocolate Salon are produced by TasteTV, which originally created the first Chocolate Salon event in San Francisco in 2007, inspired by its cultural cookbook on chocolate, entitled “French Chocolate.” French Chocolate is available on Amazon.com and on www.FrenchChocolateCookbook.com.

Local and State COVID Guidelines apply.

2020 Chocolate Salon Ambassadors Honored for their Support of Artisan Chocolate

In honor of their support for and contribution to artisan chocolate during the Summer 2020 Virtual Chocolate Salon Panels, TasteTV and the International Chocolate SalonInternational Chocolate Salon has designated each of the panelists and moderators who participated as:

HONORARY CHOCOLATE SALON AMBASSADORS

We congratulate and thank each of them!

  • Amy Sherman food writer
  • Art Pollard of Amano Artisan Chocolate
  • Barbie Van Horn of Finding Fine Chocolate
  • Ben Glass of The Good Chocolate
  • Charly Kayle radio host and food writer
  • Cindy Wong Chen of China Live
  • David Gambill of Sonoma Chocolatiers
  • Elisia Otavi of Raphio Chocolate
  • Elyce Zahn of CocoTutti
  • Erin Andrews of Indi Chocolate
  • Joey Garcia author
  • Julie House of Panache Chocolatier
  • Karen Urbanek of Flying Noir
  • Kimberly Yang of Formosa Chocolates
  • Margaret King of Magnolia Chocolatier
  • Michael Benner of Michael’s Chocolates
  • Michael Poole of Hot Chocolat
  • Phillip Ashley Rix of Phillip Ashley Chocolates
  • Robert Bowden of Vivere Chocolates
  • Seth Bain of the Confectionist
  • Syovata Edari of CocoVaa Chocolatier
  • Tonet Tibay of Marti Chocolatt
  • Wendy Lieu of Socola Chocolatier

 

NEW RELEASE: The Official Chocolate Journal helps track your Good Taste

Our second publication of the year, THE OFFICIAL CHOCOLATE JOURNAL. Use for tastings, recipes, travels, shops, chocolate salons.

Now available, you’ll be able to keep track of your chocolate tastings, your favorite chocolates, your favorite shops and even recipes with THE OFFICIAL CHOCOLATE JOURNAL (2nd Edition).

Over 140 pages for you to fill.

Find it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2TZLokL

LA Women in Chocolate Honored at the Los Angeles Chocolate Salon

 

At the Annual Los Angeles Chocolate Salon this Fall, several Women in Chocolate were honored by the INTERNATIONAL CHOCOLATE SALON for their contributions to the world of chocolate and chocolate culture. The International Chocolate Salon was founded in 2007 by TasteTV and TCB Cafe Publishing and Media, and is one of the premier international bodies celebrating and honoring artisan and premium chocolates and confections.

Pictured here: (front row, left to right) Marti Chocolatt, Food Market Gypsy, The Chocolate Project, (back row, left to right)  Raphio Chocolate, Amella Caramels, Valenza Chocolatier, author Carole Bloom, Hnina Gourmet, Bar Cacao.

THE CHOCOLATIERS AWARD recipients are selected based on either having received numerous chocolate salon awards over the years, or having made a significant impact in the world of taste and chocolate, particularly in the Los Angeles area. It also spotlights the growing number of women entrepreneurs, chocolatiers, confectioners, and pastry chefs that the Los Angeles Area and Southern California has supported.

The following are the announced recipients of the awards.

THE CHOCOLATIERS AWARD

LOS ANGELES Women in Chocolate: CHOCOLATIERS AWARD

  1.  Tonet Tibay, Marti Chocolatt
  2. Amy Jo Pedone, Valenza Chocolatier
  3. Amara Barroeta, Amara Chocolate
  4. Elena Kiamilev, Amella Caramels
  5. Michelle Crochet, Droga Chocolates
  6. Valerie Gordon, Valerie Confections
  7. Susie Norris, Food Market Gypsy
  8. Carol Bloom, Cookbook Author
  9. Ruth Kennison, Bonaparte Chocolate
  10. Vanessa Morgenstern-Kenan, Hnina Gourmet
  11. Danielle Laubach, Zenbunni Chocolatiers
  12. Joana Whittingham, Fera’wyn’s Artisan Chocolates
  13. Samantha McGinnis, Cowboy Toffee
  14. Elisia Otavi-Makmur, Raphio Chocolate
  15. Diane Kron Chocolatier
  16. Patricia Tsai, ChocoVivo
  17. Christine Sarioz, Milla Chocolates

In addition, the following have been named for Honorable Mention

  1. Jessica Ferraro, Bar Cacao
  2. Elyce Zahn, CocoTutti Chocolates
  3. Etty Benhamou, Le Mervetty

Mignon, Marti, Amano, and Amella receive THE CHOCOLATIERS AWARD

The International Chocolate Salon has announced that it is presenting Mignon Chocolate, Marti Chocolatt, Amano Artisan Chocolate, and Amella Caramels with THE CHOCOLATIERS AWARD.

THE CHOCOLATIERS AWARD

THE CHOCOLATIERS AWARD recipients are selected based on either having received numerous chocolate salon awards over the years, or having made a significant impact in the world of taste and chocolate, particularly in the Los Angeles area.

Mignon Chocolate, Marti Chocolatt, and Amella Caramels are based in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. Amano Artisan Chocolate is based in Utah.

www.InternationalChocolateSalon.com

Why we love Guittard’s EPIQUE 70% Chocolate Bar

Guittard Epique chocolate-3

One of our favorite new dark chocolate bars is not from a young upstart artisan bean-to-bar maker, but from a traditional and historic bar maker with a new product line.

Guittard Epique chocolate-1Guittard’s new 70% cacao EPIQUE Blend No. 49 bar is squarely in our “can’t stop eating” list. With chic packaging and color schemes, as well as an included description that this bittersweet chocolate bar has “dried red fruit notes and anise end notes,” the EPIQUE sounds almost like a wine varietal. This particular chocolate varietal includes Forastero, Trinitario, Criollo.

As such an esteemed vintage, it is also a bit more expensive than its E. Guittard predecessors, but well worth it.

Weighing in at 70% cacao, EPIQUE lacks the slightly bitter notes that one could expect in a dark bar over 68%. In addition, a creamy and delicious texture places this product in the “addictive even to non-dark chocolate lovers” category.

Guittard Epique chocolateIt is not an inexpensive snack, but at a $5-$6 price point this still comes in at the lower end of the premium artisan bar scale as far as cost, especially when considering so many artisan bars are now on the shelves at $10-$15.

We have long been fans of the Guittard product line and family, and even included their history in our bestselling book, FRENCH CHOCOLATE (also known as Chocolate FRENCH).

It could be argued that with EPIQUE, Guittard is using this product to appeal to a more costly market while not alienating its current customers. If that is true, then bravo on a job well done! Either way, we love the end result.